Joshua 18:11-28

Allotment for Benjamin

11 The first lot came up for the tribe of Benjamin according to its clans. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph:

12 On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan, passed the northern slope of Jericho and headed west into the hill country, coming out at the wilderness of Beth Aven.

13 From there it crossed to the south slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth Addar on the hill south of Lower Beth Horon.

14 From the hill facing Beth Horon on the south the boundary turned south along the western side and came out at Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim), a town of the people of Judah. This was the western side.

15 The southern side began at the outskirts of Kiriath Jearim on the west, and the boundary came out at the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.

16 The boundary went down to the foot of the hill facing the Valley of Ben Hinnom, north of the Valley of Rephaim. It continued down the Hinnom Valley along the southern slope of the Jebusite city and so to En Rogel.

17 It then curved north, went to En Shemesh, continued to Geliloth, which faces the Pass of Adummim, and ran down to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.

18 It continued to the northern slope of Beth Arabah^[a] and on down into the Arabah.

19 It then went to the northern slope of Beth Hoglah and came out at the northern bay of the Dead Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan in the south. This was the southern boundary.

20 The Jordan formed the boundary on the eastern side. These were the boundaries that marked out the inheritance of the clans of Benjamin on all sides.

21 The tribe of Benjamin, according to its clans, had the following towns: Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz,

22 Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,

23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,

24 Kephar Ammoni, Ophni and Geba—twelve towns and their villages.

25 Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,

26 Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah,

27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,

28 Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah and Kiriath—fourteen towns and their villages. This was the inheritance of Benjamin for its clans.

Joshua 18:11-28 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References

• 1. S Joshua 8:15; Joshua 16:1
• 2. S Joshua 7:2
• 3. S Genesis 28:19
• 4. S Joshua 12:9; Judges 1:23
• 5. S Numbers 32:3; S Joshua 16:5
• 6. Joshua 10:10
• 7. S Joshua 9:17
• 8. Joshua 15:9
• 9. S Joshua 17:15
• 10. Joshua 15:8; 2 Kings 23:10
• 11. S Joshua 15:7
• 12. Joshua 22:10
• 13. Joshua 15:7
• 14. Joshua 15:6
• 15. S Joshua 15:6
• 16. S Joshua 11:2
• 17. S Joshua 15:6
• 18. S Genesis 14:3
• 19. Joshua 21:4,17; 1 Samuel 9:1
• 20. S Joshua 15:6
• 21. Joshua 15:6
• 22. 2 Chronicles 13:4
• 23. Joshua 16:1
• 24. S Deuteronomy 2:23
• 25. Judges 6:11,24; Judges 8:27,32; Judges 9:5; 1 Samuel 13:17
• 26. Joshua 21:17; 1 Samuel 13:3,16; 1 Samuel 14:5; 1 Kings 15:22; 2 Kings 23:8; Isaiah 10:29
• 27. Joshua 9:3
• 28. S Joshua 10:40; Judges 4:5; Judges 19:13; Isaiah 10:29; Jeremiah 31:15; Jeremiah 40:1
• 29. S Joshua 9:17; Ezra 2:25; Nehemiah 7:29
• 30. S Joshua 11:3
• 31. Joshua 9:17; Ezra 2:25; Nehemiah 7:29
• 32. 2 Samuel 21:14
• 33. S Joshua 15:8
• 34. S Joshua 10:1
• 35. S Joshua 15:57
• 36. S Joshua 9:17
• 37. Ezekiel 48:23

Footnotes

• [a] Septuagint; Hebrew "slope facing the Arabah"