Joshua 18:3

3 Y'hoshua said to the people of Isra'el, "How long will you delay going in to take possession of the land which ADONAI 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 entire community of the people of Isra'el assembled themselves together at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there, after the land had been subdued before them.

2 There still remained among the people of Isra'el seven tribes that had not yet received their inheritance.

3 Y'hoshua said to the people of Isra'el, "How long will you delay going in to take possession of the land which ADONAI the God of your ancestors has given you?

4 Appoint three men for each tribe; I will commission them; and they are to set out, go through the land and describe it according to their inheritance; then they are to come back to me.

5 They are to divide it into seven portions, with Y'hudah remaining in its territory to the south and the house of Yosef in their territory to the north.