Joshua — Chapter 18
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1Then the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And though the land was subdued before them,
2there were still seven tribes of Israel who had not yet received their inheritance.
3So Joshua said to the Israelites, “How long will you put off entering and possessing the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?
4Appoint three men from each tribe, and I will send them out to survey the land and map it out, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me
5and divide the land into seven portions. Judah shall remain in their territory in the south, and the house of Joseph shall remain in their territory in the north.
6When you have mapped out the seven portions of land and brought it to me, I will cast lots for you here in the presence of the LORD our God.
7The Levites, however, have no portion among you, because their inheritance is the priesthood of the LORD. And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have already received the inheritance that Moses the servant of the LORD gave them beyond the Jordan to the east.”
8As the men got up to go out, Joshua commanded them to map out the land, saying, “Go and survey the land, map it out, and return to me. Then I will cast lots for you here in Shiloh in the presence of the LORD.”
9So the men departed and went throughout the land, mapping it city by city into seven portions. Then they returned with the document to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh.
10And Joshua cast lots for them in the presence of the LORD at Shiloh, where he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their divisions.
11The first lot came up for the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph:
12On the north side their border began at the Jordan, went up past the northern slope of Jericho, headed west through the hill country, and came out at the wilderness of Beth-aven.
13From there the border crossed over to the southern slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth-addar on the hill south of Lower Beth-horon.
14On the west side the border curved southward from the hill facing Beth-horon on the south and came out at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the sons of Judah. This was the western side.
15On the south side the border began at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim and extended westward to the spring at the Waters of Nephtoah.
16Then it went down to the foot of the hill that faces the Valley of Ben-hinnom at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim and ran down the Valley of Hinnom toward the southern slope of the Jebusites and downward to En-rogel.
17From there it curved northward and proceeded to En-shemesh and on to Geliloth facing the Ascent of Adummim, and continued down to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.
18Then it went on to the northern slope of Beth-arabah and went down into the valley.
19The border continued to the northern slope of Beth-hoglah and came out at the northern bay of the Salt Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan. This was the southern border.
20On the east side the border was the Jordan. These were the borders around the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.
21These were the cities of the clans of the tribe of Benjamin: Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz,
22Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
23Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,
24Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—twelve cities, along with their villages.
25Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
26Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,
27Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,
28Zelah, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath-jearim—fourteen cities, along with their villages. This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.
1And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.
2And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.
3And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?
4Give out from among you three men for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall rise, and go through the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of them; and they shall come again to me.
5And they shall divide it into seven parts: Judah shall abide in their coast on the south, and the house of Joseph shall abide in their coasts on the north.
6Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts, and bring the description hither to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.
7But the Levites have no part among you; for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance: 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.
8And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the LORD in Shiloh.
9And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh.
10And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.
11And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families: and the coast of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.
12And their border on the north side was from Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward; and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Beth-aven.
13And the border went over from thence toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is Bethel, southward; and the border descended to Ataroth-adar, near the hill that lieth on the south side of the nether Beth-horon.
14And the border was drawn thence, and compassed the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lieth before Beth-horon southward; and the goings out thereof were at Kirjath-baal, which is Kirjath-jearim, a city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter.
15And the south quarter was from the end of Kirjath-jearim, and the border went out on the west, and went out to the well of waters of Nephtoah:
16And the border came down to the end of the mountain that lieth before the valley of the son of Hinnom, and which is in the valley of the giants on the north, and descended to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of Jebusi on the south, and descended to En-rogel,
17And was drawn from the north, and went forth to En-shemesh, and went forth toward Geliloth, which is over against the going up of Adummim, and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben,
18And passed along toward the side over against Arabah northward, and went down unto Arabah:
19And the border passed along to the side of Beth-hoglah northward: and the outgoings of the border were at the north bay of the salt sea at the south end of Jordan: this was the south coast.
20And Jordan was the border of it on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the coasts thereof round about, according to their families.
21Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, and Beth-hoglah, and the valley of Keziz,
22And Beth-arabah, and Zemaraim, and Bethel,
23And Avim, and Parah, and Ophrah,
24And Chephar-haammonai, and Ophni, and Gaba; twelve cities with their villages:
25Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth,
26And Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,
27And Rekem, and Irpeel, and Taralah,
28And Zelah, Eleph, and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, Gibeath, and Kirjath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.
1And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled themselves together at Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there: and the land was subdued before them.
2And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet divided their inheritance.
3And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go in to possess the land, which Jehovah, the God of your fathers, hath given you?
4Appoint for you three men of each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall arise, and walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance; and they shall come unto me.
5And they shall divide it into seven portions: Judah shall abide in his border on the south, and the house of Joseph shall abide in their border on the north.
6And ye shall describe the land into seven portions, and bring [the description] hither to me; and I will cast lots for you here before Jehovah our God.
7For the Levites have no portion among you; for the priesthood of Jehovah is their inheritance: and Gad and Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave them.
8And the men arose, and went: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me; and I will cast lots for you here before Jehovah in Shiloh.
9And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven portions in a book; and they came to Joshua unto the camp at Shiloh.
10And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before Jehovah: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.
11And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families: and the border of their lot went out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.
12And their border on the north quarter was from the Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the hill-country westward; and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Beth-aven.
13And the border passed along from thence to Luz, to the side of Luz (the same is Beth-el), southward; and the border went down to Ataroth-addar, by the mountain that lieth on the south of Beth-horon the nether.
14And the border extended [thence], and turned about on the west quarter southward, from the mountain that lieth before Beth-horon southward; and the goings out thereof were at Kiriath-baal (the same is Kiriath-jearim), a city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter.
15And the south quarter was from the uttermost part of Kiriath-jearim; and the border went out westward, and went out to the fountain of the waters of Nephtoah;
16and the border went down to the uttermost part of the mountain that lieth before the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is in the vale of Rephaim northward; and it went down to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Jebusite southward, and went down to En-rogel;
17and it extended northward, and went out at En-shemesh, and went out to Geliloth, which is over against the ascent of Adummim; and it went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben;
18and it passed along to the side over against the Arabah northward, and went down unto the Arabah;
19and the border passed along to the side of Beth-hoglah northward; and the goings out of the border were at the north bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan: this was the south border.
20And the Jordan was the border of it on the east quarter. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the borders thereof round about, according to their families.
21Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, and Beth-hoglah, and Emek-keziz,
22and Beth-arabah, and Zemaraim, and Beth-el,
23and Avvim, and Parah, and Ophrah,
24and Chephar-ammoni, and Ophni, and Geba; twelve cities with their villages:
25Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth,
26and Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,
27and Rekem, and Irpeel, and Taralah,
28and Zelah, Eleph, and the Jebusite (the same is Jerusalem), Gibeath, [and] Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.
1The entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh and there they set up the tent of meeting. Though they had subdued the land,
2seven Israelite tribes had not been assigned their allotted land.
3So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long do you intend to put off occupying the land the Lord God of your ancestors has given you?
4Pick three men from each tribe. I will send them out to walk through the land and make a map of it for me.
5Divide it into seven regions. Judah will stay in its territory in the south and the family of Joseph in its territory in the north.
6But as for you, map out the land into seven regions and bring it to me. I will draw lots for you here before the Lord our God.
7But the Levites will not have an allotted portion among you, for their inheritance is to serve the Lord. Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their allotted land east of the Jordan, which Moses the Lord’s servant assigned them.”
8When the men started out, Joshua told those going to map out the land, “Go, walk through the land, map it out, and return to me. Then I will draw lots for you before the Lord here in Shiloh.”
9The men journeyed through the land and mapped it and its cities out into seven regions on a scroll. Then they came to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh.
10Joshua drew lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord and divided the land among the Israelites according to their allotted portions.
11The first lot belonged to the tribe of Benjamin by its clans. Their allotted territory was between Judah and Joseph.
12Their northern border started at the Jordan, went up to the slope of Jericho on the north, ascended westward to the hill country, and extended to the wilderness of Beth Aven.
13It then crossed from there to Luz, to the slope of Luz to the south (that is, Bethel), and descended to Ataroth Addar located on the hill that is south of lower Beth Horon.
14It then turned on the west side southward from the hill near Beth Horon on the south and extended to Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim), a city belonging to the tribe of Judah. This is the western border.
15The southern side started on the edge of Kiriath Jearim and extended westward to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.
16The border then descended to the edge of the hill country near the Valley of Ben Hinnom located in the Valley of the Rephaites to the north. It descended through the Valley of Hinnom to the slope of the Jebusites to the south and then down to En Rogel.
17It went northward, extending to En Shemesh and Geliloth opposite the Pass of Adummim, and descended to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.
18It crossed to the slope in front of the rift valley to the north and descended into the rift valley.
19It then crossed to the slope of Beth Hoglah to the north and ended at the northern tip of the Salt Sea at the mouth of the Jordan River. This was the southern border.
20The Jordan River bordered it on the east. These were the borders of the land assigned to the tribe of Benjamin by its clans.
21These cities belonged to the tribe of Benjamin by its clans: Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz,
22Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
23Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,
24Kephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—a total of 12 cities and their towns.
25Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
26Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah,
27Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,
28Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath—a total of 14 cities and their towns. This was the land assigned to the tribe of Benjamin by its clans.
1The whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled themselves together at Shiloh, and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The land was subdued before them.
2Seven tribes remained among the children of Israel, which had not yet divided their inheritance.
3Joshua said to the children of Israel, “How long will you neglect to go in to possess the land, which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has given you?
4Appoint for yourselves three men from each tribe. I will send them, and they shall arise, walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance; and they shall come to me.
5They shall divide it into seven portions. Judah shall live in his borders on the south, and the house of Joseph shall live in their borders on the north.
6You shall survey the land into seven parts, and bring the description here to me; and I will cast lots for you here before Yahweh our God.
7However, the Levites have no portion among you; for the priesthood of Yahweh is their inheritance. Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance east of the Jordan, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave them.”
8The men arose and went. Joshua commanded those who went to survey the land, saying, “Go walk through the land, survey it, and come again to me. I will cast lots for you here before Yahweh in Shiloh.”
9The men went and passed through the land, and surveyed it by cities into seven portions in a book. They came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh.
10Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before Yahweh. There Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.
11The lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families. The border of their lot went out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.
12Their border on the north quarter was from the Jordan. The border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the hill country westward. It ended at the wilderness of Beth Aven.
13The border passed along from there to Luz, to the side of Luz (also called Bethel), southward. The border went down to Ataroth Addar, by the mountain that lies on the south of Beth Horon the lower.
14The border extended, and turned around on the west quarter southward, from the mountain that lies before Beth Horon southward; and ended at Kiriath Baal (also called Kiriath Jearim), a city of the children of Judah. This was the west quarter.
15The south quarter was from the farthest part of Kiriath Jearim. The border went out westward, and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.
16The border went down to the farthest part of the mountain that lies before the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is in the valley of Rephaim northward. It went down to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Jebusite southward, and went down to En Rogel.
17It extended northward, went out at En Shemesh, and went out to Geliloth, which is over against the ascent of Adummim. It went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.
18It passed along to the side over against the Arabah northward, and went down to the Arabah.
19The border passed along 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.
20The Jordan was its border on the east quarter. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the borders around it, according to their families.
21Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz,
22Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
23Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,
24Chephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba; twelve cities with their villages.
25Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
26Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,
27Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,
28Zelah, Eleph, the Jebusite (also called Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.
Summary
With seven tribes still lacking territory, Joshua gathers Israel at Shiloh, where the tabernacle is set up, and rebukes the people for their slowness to take possession of the land the LORD has given them (vv. 1-3). He sends men to survey the remaining land and divide it into seven written portions, which are then assigned by casting lots before the LORD at Shiloh (vv. 4-10). The lot falls first to Benjamin, whose territory lies between Judah and the tribes of Joseph, and the chapter closes with a detailed list of Benjamin's boundaries and cities, including Jericho and the border near Jerusalem (vv. 11-28).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Shiloh: The tabernacle is moved here from Gilgal — in the hill country of Ephraim, central to all tribes
- Seven remaining tribes receive allotments by lot at Shiloh; surveyors map the land into seven portions
- Benjamin's allotment: A narrow strip between Judah (south) and Ephraim (north), including Jerusalem and Jericho
Places on this map
- ShilohKhirbet Seilun, West BankA hill site in Ephraim, off the main road and defensible, which is why the tabernacle and the ark stood here for generations before Jerusalem. Its destruction after the ark was captured became Jeremiah's warning about assuming a sanctuary is safe. Wikipedia
- JerusalemJerusalemA hill town about 2,500 feet up in the central spine of Judah, roughly 35 miles inland from the Mediterranean and 15 miles west of the Jordan. It sits on no trade route and has no river, which is why it mattered as a fortress and a sanctuary rather than as a market. Wikipedia
- JerichoJericho, West BankAn oasis at a perennial spring in the Jordan valley, 850 feet below sea level and among the oldest continuously settled sites anywhere. It guarded the ford and the climb up to the central hills, so anyone entering Canaan from the east had to deal with it first. Wikipedia
- GilgalJordan valley, West BankIsrael's first camp west of the Jordan, between the river and Jericho, where the twelve stones were set up. The exact site has never been fixed. Wikipedia
- Ephraimcentral West BankThe central hill country north of Benjamin, the largest and best watered of the northern territories. It dominated the north so thoroughly that the prophets use Ephraim to mean the whole northern kingdom. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes Joshua's rebuke in v.3 — the problem was not that God had failed to provide but that Israel was too passive to possess. He draws the parallel to Christians who have every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3) but fail to appropriate them through faith and action. Guzik also notes the significance of Shiloh as the worship center — it would remain so for over 300 years.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Joshua -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Worship Established First (v.1) — Before the remaining tribes even receive their inheritance, the tabernacle is set up at Shiloh as the center of Israel's worship. Does your pursuit of God's presence come before your pursuit of what He provides?
- Confronted for Standing Still (v.3) — Joshua rebukes seven tribes for being slow to take possession of land God had already given them. What promise or calling has God already secured for you that you still haven't stepped out to claim?
- Diligence Alongside Trust in God's Direction (vv.4-9) — Israel combines surveying and careful written record-keeping with casting lots before the LORD, blending human effort with divine guidance. Where do you need to pair prayerful trust with practical, disciplined follow-through?
- Small Territory, Strategic Placement (v.11) — Benjamin receives the smallest allotment, yet it sits at the pivotal boundary between Judah and Joseph, including Jerusalem. Do you measure your significance to God by size and visibility, or by faithfulness in the place He's put you?