Joshua 18:10

Joshua 18:1-10 1. And 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. 1. Congregata est autem universa multitudo filiorum Israel in Silo, et collocaverunt ibi tabernaculum conventionis, postquam terra subjecta erat coram eis. 2. And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance. 2. Remanserunt autem e filiis Israel quibus non diviserant haereditatem suam, septem tribus. 3. And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are you slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers has given you? 3. Dixitque Josue ad filios Israel, Usquequo cessatis ingredi, ut possideatis terram quam dedit vobis Jehova Deus patrum vestrorum? 4. Give 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. 4. Tradite ex vobis tres viros per tribum, quos mittam: surgentque et ambulabunt per terram, describentque eam juxta haereditatem suam, postea revertentur ad me. 5. And 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. 5. Et parientur eam in septem portiones: Judas stabit in finibus suis a meridie: et familia Joseph stabunt in finibus suis ab aquilone.

. Vid. Suidam in voce gewmetria. {f} Vid. Strabo. Geograph. l. 1. p. 5. Lar. l. 2. Vit. Anaximan I. {g} Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 21.) Joshua 18:10 Ver. 10. And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord,.... For the seven tribes, as he had for the two tribes and a half at Gilgal; of the manner of casting lots, See Gill on "Numbers 26:55"; and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their division: the land that was divided into seven parts, he distributed to the seven tribes, as the lot came up for them, and then divided these several parts according to the families and households in each tribe. Joshua 18:11 Ver. 11. And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families,.... This was the first lot of the seven that came up; it was but a small lot, and therefore called "little Benjamin", Psalms 68:27; but the land was very pleasant and fruitful.

Joshua 18:1 INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 18 This chapter informs us of the setting up of the tabernacle at Shiloh, Joshua 18:1; of the notice Joshua took, that seven tribes had not received their inheritance, Joshua 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, Joshua 18:3; and then he cast lots for them, and the first lot came up for Benjamin, Joshua 18:10; the borders of whose lots are described, Joshua 18:12; and the several cities in it enumerated, Joshua 18:21. Ver. 1. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh,.... The whole body of the people, men, women, and children, as well as the camp, Joshua 18:9; at least all that had not received their inheritances in the land. Hither they came from Gilgal, where the camp and tabernacle had been ever since their passage over Jordan; but now the land being in the main subdued, that was too far off both for the camp and tabernacle, and therefore they moved further into the land, and nearer Jerusalem, where in time the tabernacle was to be placed. The place they assembled at, Shiloh, was in the tribe of Ephraim, of which tribe Joshua was, and whose lot and inheritance was now fixed, and it was not far from Jerusalem, about two leagues.

18:2-10 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.

And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord,.... For the seven tribes, as he had for the two tribes and a half at Gilgal; of the manner of casting lots; see Gill on Numbers 26:55 , and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their division: the land that was divided into seven parts, he distributed to the seven tribes, as the lot came up for them, and then divided these several parts according to the families and households in each tribe.

10 . And Joshua cast lots ] After their return the Hebrew leader proceeded to a formal apportionment of the land by the sacred lot. This mode of assignment, it has been remarked, “places the conquest of Palestine, even in that remote and barbarous age, in a favourable contrast with the arbitrary caprice, by which the lands of England were granted away to the Norman chiefs.” Stanley’s Lectures , i. p. 265. in Shiloh ] Shiloh was appropriate, we have already seen, from its central situation, for the site of the Tabernacle and this apportionment of the tribes. But it has been noticed that it was appropriate also from its name, “which recalled rest (Shiloh = rest ), and the promised Rest-giver ” ( Genesis 49:10 ).