Joshua 18:7

7 "For ¹the Levites have no portion among you, because the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance. Gad and Reuben and the half-tribe * of Manasseh also have received their inheritance eastward beyond * the Jordan, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them."

Joshua 18:7 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 18:7

But the Levites have no part among you
And so needed not to send any men out of their tribe to measure the land on their account, and is a reason why the remaining part of the land was to be divided into seven parts only:

for the priesthood of the Lord [is] his inheritance;
not only the office, but what appertained to it, all the perquisites of it, the tithes, firstfruits, parts of the sacrifices see ( Joshua 13:14 ) ;

and Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, have received
their inheritance beyond Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of
the Lord gave them;
and so had no share in the division of the land of Canaan, being sufficiently provided for.

Joshua 18:7 In-Context

5 "They shall divide it into seven portions; Judah shall stay in its territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall stay in their territory on the north.

6 "You shall describe the land in seven divisions, and bring the description here to me. I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.

7 "For the Levites have no portion among you, because the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance. Gad and Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh also have received their inheritance eastward beyond the Jordan, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them."

8 Then the men arose and went, and Joshua commanded those who went to describe the land, saying, "Go and walk through the land and describe it, and return to me; then I will cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh."

9 So the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities in seven divisions in a book; and they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh.

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 18:7, 20; Joshua 13:33

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "his"