Joshua 18

1 The whole congregation of the children of Yisra'el assembled themselves together at Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there: and the land was subdued before them.

2 There remained among the children of Yisra'el seven tribes, which had not yet divided their inheritance.

3 Yehoshua said to the children of Yisra'el, How long are you slack to go in to possess the land, which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?

4 Appoint for you three men of each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall arise, and walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance; and they shall come to me.

5 They shall divide it into seven portions: Yehudah shall abide in his border on the south, and the house of Yosef shall abide in their border on the north.

6 You shall describe the land into seven portions, and bring [the description] here to me; and I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.

7 For the Levites have no portion among you; for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance: and Gad and Re'uven and the half-tribe of Menashsheh have received their inheritance beyond the Yarden eastward, which Moshe the servant of the LORD gave them.

8 The men arose, and went: and Yehoshua charged those who went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me; and I will cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh.

9 The men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven portions in a book; and they came to Yehoshua to the camp at Shiloh.

10 Yehoshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD: and there Yehoshua divided the land to the children of Yisra'el according to their divisions.

11 The lot of the tribe of the children of Binyamin came up according to their families: and the border of their lot went out between the children of Yehudah and the children of Yosef.

12 Their border on the north quarter was from the Yarden; and the border went up to the side of Yericho on the north, and went up through the hill-country westward; and the goings out of it were at the wilderness of Beit-Aven.

13 The border passed along from there to Luz, to the side of Luz (the same is Beit-El), southward; and the border went down to `Atarot-Addar, by the mountain that lies on the south of Beit-Horon the lower.

14 The border extended [there], and turned about on the west quarter southward, from the mountain that lies before Beit-Horon southward; and the goings out of it were at Kiryat-Ba`al (the same is Kiryat-Ye`arim), a city of the children of Yehudah: this was the west quarter.

15 The south quarter was from the uttermost part of Kiryat-Ye`arim; and the border went out westward, and went out to the spring of the waters of Nefto'ach;

16 and the border went down to the uttermost part of the mountain that lies before the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is in the valley of Refa'im northward; and it went down to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Yevusi southward, and went down to `En-Rogel;

17 and it extended northward, and went out at `En-Shemesh, and went out to Gelilot, which is over against the ascent of Adummim; and it went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Re'uven;

18 and it passed along to the side over against the `Aravah northward, and went down to the `Aravah;

19 and the border passed along to the side of Beit-Hoglah northward; and the goings out of the border were at the north bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Yarden: this was the south border.

20 The Yarden was the border of it on the east quarter. This was the inheritance of the children of Binyamin, by the borders of it round about, according to their families.

21 Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Binyamin according to their families were Yericho, and Beit-Hoglah, and Emek-Ketzitz,

22 and Beit-Ha`aravah, and Tzemaryim, and Beit-El,

23 and `Avvim, and Parah, and Ofrat,

24 and Khefar-Ha`ammoni, and `Ofni, and Geva; twelve cities with their villages:

25 Giv`on, and Ramah, and Be'erot,

26 and Mitzpeh, and Kefirah, and Motzah,

27 and Rekem, and Yirp'el, and Tar'alah,

28 and Tzelah, Elef, and the Yevusi (the same is Yerushalayim), Giv`at, [and] Kiryat; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children 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.