Joshua 18

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.

6 You will describe seven portions of land and bring the descriptions here to me; then I will cast lots for you here before ADONAI our God.

7 But the L'vi'im have no share with you, because the office of cohen to ADONAI is their inheritance; and Gad and Re'uven and the half-tribe of M'nasheh have received their inheritance beyond the Yarden to the east, which Moshe the servant of ADONAI gave them."

8 So the men got up and went. Y'hoshua gave them this commission as they left to describe the land: "Go; walk through the land; and describe it; then come back to me, and I will cast lots for you here before ADONAI in Shiloh."

9 The men went and passed through the land, surveying it by cities, dividing it into seven regions and writing the results on a scroll. Then they came to Y'hoshua in the camp at Shiloh.

10 Y'hoshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before ADONAI, and there Y'hoshua divided the land among the people of Isra'el according to their regions.

11 The lot for the tribe of the descendants of Binyamin came up according to their families. The border of their territory chosen by lot was between the descendants of Y'hudah and the descendants of Yosef.

12 On the north side, their border began at the Yarden, went up alongside Yericho on the north, continued up through the hills westward and arrived at the Beit-Aven Desert.

13 From there the border passed on to Luz, to the south side of Luz (that is, Beit-El); then the border went down to 'Atrot-Adar, by the hill on the south side of Lower Beit-Horon.

14 The border was delineated as turning at the western corner and heading southward, from the hill located in front of Beit-Horon on the south; and it ended at Kiryat-Ba'al (that is, Kiryat-Ye'arim), a city belonging to the descendants of Y'hudah; this was the west side.

15 On the south the border extended westward from the most distant part of Kiryat-Ye'arim, going out to the source of the Neftoach Spring.

16 Then the border went down to the farthest part of the hill located in front of the Ben-Hinnom Valley, north of the Refa'im Valley, south of the Y'vusi; and continued down to 'Ein-Rogel,

17 where it was drawn to the north; then it went on to 'Ein-Shemesh; continued to G'lilot, which is across from Ma'alei-Adumim; went down to the Stone of Bohan the son of Re'uven;

18 passed alongside the 'Aravah, heading north; and went down to the 'Aravah.

19 Then the border passed alongside Beit-Hoglah, heading north; and the border ended at the north bay of the Dead Sea, at the south end of the Yarden; this was the south border.

20 The Yarden was to be its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the descendants of Binyamin, defined by its surrounding borders, according to their families.

21 The cities of the tribe of the descendants of Binyamin according to their families were: Yericho, Beit-Hoglah, 'Emek-K'tzitz,

22 Beit-'Aravah, Tz'marayim, Beit-El,

23 'Avim, Parah, 'Ofrah,

24 K'far-Ha'amonah, 'Ofni and Geva - twelve cities, together with their villages.

25 Giv'on, Ramah, Be'erot,

26 Mitzpeh, K'firah, Motzah,

27 Rekem, Yirpe'el, Tar'alah,

28 Tzela, Elef, Y'vusi (that is, Yerushalayim), Giv'at and Kiryat - fourteen cities, together with their villages. This is the inheritance of the descendants of Binyamin according to their families.

Joshua 18 Commentary

Chapter 18

The tabernacle set up at Shiloh. (1) The remainder of the land described and divided. (2-10) The boundaries of Benjamin. (11-28)

Verse 1 Shiloh was in the lot of Ephraim, the tribe to which Joshua belonged, and it was proper that the tabernacle should be near the residence of the chief governor. The name of this city is the same as that by which Jacob prophesied of the Messiah, Ge. 49:10 . It is supposed by some that the city was thus called, when it was chosen for the resting-place of the ark, which typified our great Peace-maker, and the way by him to a reconciled God.

Verses 2-10 After a year or more, Joshua blamed their slackness, and told them how to proceed. God, by his grace, has given us a title to a good land, the heavenly Canaan, but we are slack to take possession of it; we enter not into that rest, as we might by faith, and hope, and holy joy. How long shall it be thus with us? How long shall we thus stand in our own light, and forsake our own mercies for lying vanities? Joshua stirs the Israelites up to take possession of their lots. He is ready to do his part, if they will do theirs.

Verses 11-28 The boundaries of each portion were distinctly drawn, and the inheritance of each tribe settled. All contests and selfish claims were prevented by the wise appointment of God, who allotted the hill and the valley, the corn and pasture, the brooks and rivers, the towns and cities. Is the lot of any servant of Christ cast in affliction and sorrow? It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good. Are we in prosperity and peace? It is from above. Be humbled when you compare the gift with your own unworthiness. Forget not Him that gave the good, and always be ready to resign it at his command.

Chapter Summary

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.