Joshua 18:3

3 And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, How long will ye be slack to inherit the land, which the Lord our God 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 And all the congregation of the children of Israel were assembled at Selo, and there they pitched the tabernacle of witness; and the land was subdued by them.
2 And the sons of Israel remained, those who not received their inheritance, seven tribes.
3 And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, How long will ye be slack to inherit the land, which the Lord our God has given you?
4 Appoint of yourselves three men of each tribe, and let them rise up and go through the land, and let them describe it before me, as it will be proper to divide it.
5 And they came to him: and he divided to them seven portions, , Juda shall stand to them a border southward, and the sons of Joseph shall stand to them northward.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.