Joshua 18:8

8 As the men prepared to go, Joshua commanded them[a] to write down a description of the land, saying, "Go and survey the land, write a description of it, and return to me. I will then cast lots for you here in Shiloh in the presence of the Lord."

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 When you have written a description of the seven portions of land and brought it to me, I will cast lots for you here in the presence of the Lord our God.
7 But the Levites among you do not get a portion, because their inheritance is the priesthood of the Lord. Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have taken their inheritance beyond the Jordan to the east, which Moses the Lord's servant gave them."
8 As the men prepared to go, Joshua commanded them to write down a description of the land, saying, "Go and survey the land, write a description of it, and return to me. I will then cast lots for you here in Shiloh in the presence of the Lord."
9 So the men left, went through the land, and described it by towns in a document of seven sections. They returned to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh.
10 Joshua cast lots for them at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord where he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their divisions.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Lit the ones going around
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