Joshua 18:24

18:11-28 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.

And Chepharhaammonai, and Ophni,.... Of the two first of these no mention is made elsewhere: and Gaba is the same with Gibeah, a well known place, because of the foul fact committed there, which had like to have been the ruin of this tribe, Judges 19:14; and for being the native place of King Saul, hence called "Gibeah of Saul", 1 Samuel 11:4; it was about six or seven miles from Jerusalem; see Gill on Hosea 5:8; twelve cities with their villages; which agrees with the account of them.

11. the lot of … Benjamin came up—It has been supposed that there were two urns or vessels, from which the lots were drawn: one containing the names of the tribes, the other containing those of the seven portions; and that the two were drawn out simultaneously. the coast of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph—Thus the prophecy of Moses respecting the inheritance of Benjamin was remarkably accomplished. (See on [199]De 33:12).

Gaba - This name, like Gibeah, Gibeon, etc. Joshua 9:3 , indicates a town placed on a hill, and occurs repeatedly in various forms in the topography of Palestine. Gaba is the Gibeah (if 1 Samuel 13:15-16 ; 1 Samuel 14:5 , where the Hebrew has גבע Geba‛, which is undoubtedly the correct reading throughout. The city was one of those assigned to the Levites Joshua 21:17 , and lay on the northern border of Judah. It is identified with the modern "Jeba," lying on the side of a deep ravine opposite to Michmash ("Mukhmas"). The famous "Gibeah of Saul," or "Giheah of Benjamin" (the Gibeath of Joshua 18:28 ) lay at no great distance southwest of Geba, on the high road from Jerusalem to Bethel, and is probably to be looked for in the lofty and isolated "Tulcil-el-Ful."

Verse 24. - Ophrah . Not the Ophrah of Gideon, who ( Judges 6:11 ; Judges 8:2, 32 ) was a Manassite. Gaba . Some (as Knobel) think this the same as Gibeah of Saul. But see below, ver. 28. Also Isaiah 10:29 . Gibeah and Gaba, however, must have been near together, for Ramah is near both of them (see Ezra 2:26 ). Joshua 18:24

Chephar-haammonai and Ophni are only mentioned here, and are still unknown. Gaba, or Geba of Benjamin ( 1 Samuel 13:16 ; 1 Kings 15:22 ) which was given up to the Levites ( Joshua 21:17 ; 1 Chronicles 6:45 ), was in the neighbourhood of Ramah ( 1 Kings 15:22 ; 2 Chronicles 16:6 ). It is mentioned in 2 Kings 23:8 ; Zechariah 14:10 , as the northern boundary of the kingdom of Judah, and was still inhabited after the captivity ( Nehemiah 7:30 ). It is a different place from Gibea, and is not to be found, as I formerly supposed, in the Moslem village of Jibia, by the Wady el Jib, between Beitin and Sinjil (Rob. iii. p. 80), but in the small village of Jeba, which is lying half in ruins, and where there are relics of antiquity, three-quarters of an hour to the north-east of er-Rm (Ramah), and about three hours to the north of Jerusalem, upon a height from which there is an extensive prospect (vid., Rob. ii. pp. 113ff.). This eastern group also included the two other towns Anathoth and Almon ( Joshua 21:18 ), which were given up by Benjamin to the Levites. Anathoth, the home of the prophet Jeremiah ( Jeremiah 1:1 ; Jeremiah 11:21 .), which was still inhabited by Benjaminites after the captivity ( Nehemiah 11:32 ), is the present village of Anta, where there are ruins of great antiquity, an hour and a quarter to the north of Jerusalem (Rob. ii. pp. 109ff.). Almon, called Allemeth in 1 Chronicles 6:45 , has been preserved in the ruins of Almt (Rob. Bibl.

An altar, or sacrifice, is authorized by a theophany, or special command, Genesis 35:7 , Joshua 8:30 f. (on mount Ebal; see Deuteronomy 27:5-7 a), Jdg 2:5 ; Jdg 6:24 ; Jdg 6:26 f., 1 Samuel 16:1-3 , 2 Samuel 24:18 ; 2 Samuel 24:25 , by a victory, Exodus 17:15 , 1 Samuel 14:35 : in other cases the occasion is not stated, though the places mentioned are often ancient sanctuaries, consecrated by traditions of the patriarchs, Joshua 24:1 ; Joshua 24:26 (the ‘sanctuary’ at Shechem, cf. Genesis 33:20 ), 1 Samuel 7:9 f. (at Mizpah, v. 6; cf. Jdg 20:1 ‘ unto Jehovah at Mizpah,’ 1 Samuel 10:17 ), 1 Samuel 7:17; 1Sa 9:12 f., 1 Samuel 10:3 (at Bethel, Genesis 28:11-22 ; Genesis 35:1 ), 1 Samuel 10:8 (at Gilgal—like Bethel, known independently to have been a sanctuary; so 1 Samuel 11:15 ), 1 Samuel 14:35 (the first of the altars built by Saul), 1 Samuel 20:6 , 2 Samuel 15:7 f., 2 Samuel 15:12 (at Hebron, Genesis 13:18 ), 2 Samuel 15:32 (‘where men used to worship God’), 1 Kings 3:4 ; 1 Kings 18:30 ; 1 Kings 19:10 ; 1 Kings 19:14 .

[Reformed Biblical] ## Joshua ## THE BOOK OF JOSHUA ## THE ARGUMENT IT is not material to know who was the penman of this book, whether Joshua, as seems most probable from #Joshua 24:26 , or some other holy prophet. It is sufficient that this book was a part of the Holy Scriptures, or oracles of God, committed to and carefully kept by the Jews, and by them faithfully delivered to us, as appears by the concurring testimony of Christ and his apostles, who owned and approved of the same Holy Scriptures which the church of the Jews did. But this is certain, that divers passages in this book were put into it after Joshua’s death, as #Joshua 10:13 , compared with #2 Samuel 1:18 Joshua 19:47 , compared with #Jude 18:1 ; and #Joshua 24:29,30 . And such like insertions have been observed in the five books of Moses. ## JOSHUA CHAPTER 1 God commands Joshua to lead the people unto the land of Canaan, #Joshua 1:1-3 . Its borders, #Joshua 1:4 . God promises to assist him, #Joshua 1:5,6 ; commanding him to observe the law, #Joshua 1:7-9 . He prepares the people to pass over Jordan, #Joshua 1:10,11 . Reminds the Reubenites, Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh of their promise to Moses, #Joshua 1:12-15 ; which they are ready to do, and all promise to obey, #Joshua 1:16-18 . ## Ver. 1. After the death of Moses; either immediately after it, or when the days of mourning for Moses were expired.