Joshua 18:7-17

7 for the part of Levites is not among you, but the priesthood of the Lord, this is the heritage of them. For Gad, and Reuben, and the half lineage of Manasseh, have taken now their possession(s) beyond (the) Jordan, at the east coast, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave to them. (and the Levites shall have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. And Gad, and Reuben, and half of the tribe of Manasseh have now taken their possessions on the eastern side of the Jordan River, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave them.)
8 And when the men had risen up to go, to describe the land, Joshua commanded to them, and said, Compass ye the land, and describe it, and turn again to me, that I send lot to you here in Shiloh, before your Lord God. (And when the men had risen up to go, to describe in writing, or to survey, the borders of the land, Joshua commanded to them, and said, Go ye around the land, and describe it in writing, and then return to me, and I shall throw lots for you, before the Lord your God, here in Shiloh.)
9 And so they went forth, and compassed that land, and parted it into seven parts, writing it (all) in a book; and they turned again to Joshua, into the tents in Shiloh (and then they returned to Joshua, to the camp at Shiloh).
10 And Joshua sent lots before the Lord God in Shiloh, and he parted the land to the sons of Israel, into seven parts. (And Joshua threw lots before the Lord God in Shiloh, and he divided up the land into seven portions, for the Israelites.)
11 And the first lot of the sons of Benjamin, by their families, went up, that they should wield the land betwixt the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph. (And the first lot went out to the sons of Benjamin, by their families, that they should possess the land between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph.)
12 And the term of them was against the north from (the) Jordan, and it passed by the side of Jericho at the north coast; and it ascended from thence against the west to the hilly places, and it came to the wilderness of Bethaven; (And their border at the north went out from the Jordan River, and it passed by the northern side of Jericho; and it went up from there to the west to the hill country, and it came to the wilderness of Bethaven;)
13 and it passed beside Luz to the south; that is Bethel; and (then) it goeth down into Atarothaddar, into the hill (country) which is at the south of Lower Bethhoron;
14 and it is bowed, and it compasseth against the sea, at the south of the hill that beholdeth Bethhoron against the north; and the outgoings thereof be into Kiriathbaal, which is called also Kiriathjearim, the city of the sons of Judah; this is the great coast against the sea, at the west. (and then it is turned, and it goeth to the west, southward from the hill country that beholdeth Bethhoron; and its end, or its limit, is Kiriathbaal, which is also called Kiriathjearim, the city of the sons of Judah; this is the western border.)
15 And from the south, by the part of Kiriathjearim, the term goeth out against the sea, and cometh till to the well of (the) waters of Nephtoah; (And in the south, from the edge of Kiriathjearim, the border goeth out toward the west, and cometh unto the well of the waters of Nephtoah;)
16 and it goeth down into the part of the hill that beholdeth the valley of the sons of Hinnom, and it is against the north coast, in the last part of the valley of Rephaim; and Ge Hinnom, that is, the valley of Hinnom, goeth down by the side of Jebusites, at the south, and cometh to the well of Rogel, (and it goeth down to the edge of the hill that beholdeth the Hinnom Valley, north of the Rephaim Valley, and then goeth down the Hinnom Valley, to the south side of the Jebusites, and cometh to Enrogel,)
17 and it passeth to the north, and it goeth out to Enshemesh, that is, the well of the sun, and it passeth unto the little hills that be against the going up of Adummim (and it passeth by Geliloth, that faceth the ascent of Adummim); and it goeth down to Even Bohan, that is, the stone of Bohan, (that was named for) the son of Reuben,

Joshua 18:7-17 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.