Joshua 18:8

8 And when the men had risen up to go, to describe the land, Joshua commanded to them, and said, Compass ye the land, and describe it, and turn again to me, that I send lot to you here in Shiloh, before your Lord God. (And when the men had risen up to go, to describe in writing, or to survey, the borders of the land, Joshua commanded to them, and said, Go ye around the land, and describe it in writing, and then return to me, and I shall throw lots for you, before the Lord your God, here in Shiloh.)

Joshua 18:8 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 18:8

And the men arose, and went away
The seven tribes took the advice of Joshua, chose three men out of each tribe, and presented them to him, who gave them their commission and instruction to go and describe the land of Canaan, not yet disposed of, and whether subdued, or not subdued; upon which they prepared for their journey, and took it, after he had given them the following charge:

and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land;
before they departed from him:

saying, go and walk through the land;
and take particular notice, and an exact survey of it, both of the quality and the quantity of it:

and describe it;
its cities and towns, hills and dales, the goodness and badness of the soil, and put it down in a book, or lay it out in a map, that it may be discerned by the eye what number of cities, and what space of ground it contains, and what parts are hilly and woody, and what otherwise:

and come again to me;
to make a report of it:

that I may cast lots for you before the Lord in Shiloh;
that is, for the several tribes which they belonged to, and by whom they were chosen for this purpose.

Joshua 18:8 In-Context

6 describe ye the middle land betwixt them into seven parts; and then ye shall come to me, that I send lot to you here before your Lord God; (describe ye in writing, or survey, the borders for seven divisions of the land in the middle between them; and then come ye back to me, and I shall cast, or throw, lots for you here before the Lord your God;)

7 for the part of Levites is not among you, but the priesthood of the Lord, this is the heritage of them. For Gad, and Reuben, and the half lineage of Manasseh, have taken now their possession(s) beyond (the) Jordan, at the east coast, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave to them. (and the Levites shall have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. And Gad, and Reuben, and half of the tribe of Manasseh have now taken their possessions on the eastern side of the Jordan River, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave them.)

8 And when the men had risen up to go, to describe the land, Joshua commanded to them, and said, Compass ye the land, and describe it, and turn again to me, that I send lot to you here in Shiloh, before your Lord God. (And when the men had risen up to go, to describe in writing, or to survey, the borders of the land, Joshua commanded to them, and said, Go ye around the land, and describe it in writing, and then return to me, and I shall throw lots for you, before the Lord your God, here in Shiloh.)

9 And so they went forth, and compassed that land, and parted it into seven parts, writing it (all) in a book; and they turned again to Joshua, into the tents in Shiloh (and then they returned to Joshua, to the camp at Shiloh).

10 And Joshua sent lots before the Lord God in Shiloh, and he parted the land to the sons of Israel, into seven parts. (And Joshua threw lots before the Lord God in Shiloh, and he divided up the land into seven portions, for the Israelites.)