Joshua 18:11-28

The Territory of Benjamin

11 Now the lot of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin came up according to their families, and the territory of their lot lay between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph.

12 ¹Their border on the north side was from the Jordan, then the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the hill country westward, and it ended * at the wilderness of Beth-aven.

13 From there the border continued to ²Luz, to the side of Luz (that is, Bethel ) southward; and the border went down to Ataroth-addar, near the hill which lies on the south of ³lower Beth-horon.

14 The border extended from there and turned round on the west side southward, from the hill which lies before * Beth-horon southward; and it ended * at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim ), a city of the sons of Judah. This was the west side.

15 Then the ⁴south side was from the edge of Kiriath-jearim, and the border went westward and went to the fountain of the waters of Nephtoah.

16 The border went down to the edge of the hill which is in the ⁵valley of Ben-hinnom *, which is in the valley of Rephaim northward; and it went down to the valley of Hinnom, to the slope of the Jebusite southward, and went down to En-rogel.

17 It extended northward and went to En-shemesh and went to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, and it went down to the ⁶stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.

18 It continued to the side in front of the Arabah northward and went down to the Arabah.

19 The border continued to the side of Beth-hoglah northward; and the border ended * at the north bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the south border.

20 Moreover, the Jordan was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, according to their families and according to its borders all around.

21 Now the cities of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho and Beth-hoglah and Emek-keziz *,

22 and Beth-arabah and Zemaraim and Bethel,

23 and Avvim and Parah and Ophrah,

24 and Chephar-ammoni and Ophni and ⁷Geba; twelve * cities with their villages.

25 Gibeon and Ramah and Beeroth,

26 and Mizpeh and Chephirah and Mozah,

27 and Rekem and Irpeel and Taralah,

28 and ⁸Zelah, Haeleph and the Jebusite (that is, Jerusalem ), Gibeah, Kiriath; fourteen * cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the ⁹sons of Benjamin according to their families.

Joshua 18:11-28 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 18

This chapter informs us of the setting up of the tabernacle at Shiloh, Jos 18:1; of the notice Joshua took, that seven tribes had not received their inheritance, Jos 18:2; of the instructions he gave them to send three men out of each tribe, and describe the land not yet disposed of, and bring the account to him, which was accordingly done, Jos 18:3-9; and then he cast lots for them, and the first lot came up for Benjamin, Jos 18:10,11; the borders of whose lots are described, Jos 18:12-20; and the several cities in it enumerated, Jos 18:21-28.

Cross References

• 1. Joshua 16:1
• 2. Genesis 28:19; Judges 1:23
• 3. Joshua 16:3
• 4. Joshua 15:5-9
• 5. 2 Kings 23:10
• 6. Joshua 15:6
• 7. Ezra 2:26; Isaiah 10:29
• 8. 2 Samuel 21:14
• 9. Numbers 26:38

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "went out"
• [b]. Lit "the goings out of it were"
• [c]. Lit "the goings out of it were"
• [d]. Lit "goings out of the border were"