Joshua 18:3

3 Joshua said to the Israelites, "How long will you avoid going to take over the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given you?

Joshua 18:3 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 18:3

And Joshua said unto the children of Israel
To those of the seven tribes:

how long [are] you slack to go to possess the land which the Lord God
of your fathers hath given you?
not that they might have taken possession of it of themselves, without having it assigned to them by lot; that they did not do this, is not what is complained of, and they stand reproved for; but that when two tribes and a half had received their inheritance, these seemed indifferent to it, showed no inclination and disposition towards it, and much less eagerness to have a settlement, and did not apply to the court for it; which dilatoriness might arise from the present affluence of all good things they enjoyed through the spoils of the enemy; and partly through slothfulness, being tired of the war, and perceiving that they must be involved in it again to dispossess the Canaanites of some of the cities that would fall to their lot; and, perhaps, their slackness might be the more increased, by observing the dissatisfaction of the tribes with the lot they had received, and therefore waited till things were adjusted to greater satisfaction.

Joshua 18:3 In-Context

1 The whole community of the Israelites assembled at Shiloh and set up the meeting tent there. The conquered land lay before them.

2 Among the Israelites, seven tribes were left that had not yet received their legacy.

3 Joshua said to the Israelites, "How long will you avoid going to take over the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given you?

4 Pick out three men for each tribe. I will send them out, and they will go up and travel throughout the land. They will write a description of it as the basis for determining their legacy. Then they will come back to me.

5 They will divide up the land among themselves into seven portions. Judah will stay on its territory to the south. The house of Joseph will stay on their territory to the north.