Joshua 18

Rest of the Land Divided

1 Then the whole congregation of the sons of Israel assembled themselves at ¹Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there; and the land was subdued before them.

2 There remained among the sons of Israel seven tribes who had not divided their inheritance.

3 So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, "²How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?

4 "Provide for yourselves three men from each tribe that I may send them, and that they may arise and walk through the land and write a description of it according to their inheritance; then they shall return to me.

5 "They shall divide it into seven portions; ³Judah 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. ⁴I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.

7 "For ⁵the 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 ⁶Shiloh."

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.

10 And ⁷Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD, and there Joshua divided the land to the sons of Israel according to their divisions.

The Territory of Benjamin

11 Now the lot of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin came up according to their families, and the territory of their lot lay between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph.

12 ⁸Their border on the north side was from the Jordan, then the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the hill country westward, and it ended * at the wilderness of Beth-aven.

13 From there the border continued to ⁹Luz, to the side of Luz (that is, Bethel ) southward; and the border went down to Ataroth-addar, near the hill which lies on the south of ¹⁰lower Beth-horon.

14 The border extended from there and turned round on the west side southward, from the hill which lies before * Beth-horon southward; and it ended * at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim ), a city of the sons of Judah. This was the west side.

15 Then the ¹¹south side was from the edge of Kiriath-jearim, and the border went westward and went to the fountain of the waters of Nephtoah.

16 The border went down to the edge of the hill which is in the ¹²valley of Ben-hinnom *, which is in the valley of Rephaim northward; and it went down to the valley of Hinnom, to the slope of the Jebusite southward, and went down to En-rogel.

17 It extended northward and went to En-shemesh and went to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, and it went down to the ¹³stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.

18 It continued to the side in front of the Arabah northward and went down to the Arabah.

19 The border continued to the side of Beth-hoglah northward; and the border ended * at the north bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the south border.

20 Moreover, the Jordan was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, according to their families and according to its borders all around.

21 Now the cities of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho and Beth-hoglah and Emek-keziz *,

22 and Beth-arabah and Zemaraim and Bethel,

23 and Avvim and Parah and Ophrah,

24 and Chephar-ammoni and Ophni and ¹⁴Geba; twelve * cities with their villages.

25 Gibeon and Ramah and Beeroth,

26 and Mizpeh and Chephirah and Mozah,

27 and Rekem and Irpeel and Taralah,

28 and ¹⁵Zelah, Haeleph and the Jebusite (that is, Jerusalem ), Gibeah, Kiriath; fourteen * cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the ¹⁶sons of Benjamin 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.

Cross References

• 1. Judges 21:19; Jeremiah 7:12; Jeremiah 26:6, 9
• 2. Judges 18:9
• 3. Joshua 15:1
• 4. Joshua 14:2
• 5. Numbers 18:7, 20; Joshua 13:33
• 6. Joshua 18:1
• 7. Numbers 34:16-29; Joshua 19:51
• 8. Joshua 16:1
• 9. Genesis 28:19; Judges 1:23
• 10. Joshua 16:3
• 11. Joshua 15:5-9
• 12. 2 Kings 23:10
• 13. Joshua 15:6
• 14. Ezra 2:26; Isaiah 10:29
• 15. 2 Samuel 21:14
• 16. Numbers 26:38

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "the"
• [b]. Lit "come"
• [c]. Lit "his"
• [d]. Lit "went out"
• [e]. Lit "the goings out of it were"
• [f]. Lit "the goings out of it were"
• [g]. Lit "goings out of the border were"

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.