Joshua chapter 18
Relocating to Shiloh. The portion for Benjamin.
RELOCATING TO SHILOH
VERSE 1. The 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.
In the previous chapter, the sons of Joseph expressed dissatisfaction with their portion.
That was an ominous moment. It showed they are not concerned for the common good. Instead, they are taken over by self-interest.
So Joshua resets the situation:
assembled themselves together at Shiloh. Before the final portioning of the land is done, the entire nation moves about 20 miles northwest. They go from Gilgal to Shiloh, from the Jordan Valley to the hill country.
set up the Tent of Meeting there. Why did they move? Perhaps to set up the Tent of Meeting in a central location. Maybe it will foster a sense of unity within the nation.
VERSE 2. Seven tribes remained among the children of Israel, which had not yet divided their inheritance.
Seven tribes remained. Seven tribes have not yet taken their portion of the Promised Land.
Maybe they were weary of war.
VERSE 3. Joshua said to the children of Israel, “How long will you neglect to go in to possess the land, which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?
How long will you neglect to go. That is, how long will you delay? They were putting off taking the steps to possess the land.
There’s no time like right now, to walk with the LORD God, to take those long-needed steps of faith and to see your dreams come true.
God calls us to act, to do things, to take steps toward the goals and dreams he inspires within us.
We are called to Action-Faith.
VERSE 4. Appoint 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; then they shall come to me.
three men from each tribe. Joshua directs the appointment of a commission of 21 men, three from each of the seven unassigned tribes.
they shall arise, walk through the land. Joshua sent the 21 to make a topographical survey of the remaining land.
The historian Josephus wrote that these men were experts in geometry.
VERSE 5. They 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.
VERSE 6. You shall survey the land into seven parts, and bring the description here to me; and I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.
survey the land into seven parts. These will be the allotments for the remaining seven tribes.
VERSE 7. However, the Levites have no portion among you; for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance. Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance east of the Jordan, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them.”
VERSE 8. The 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 the LORD in Shiloh.”
VERSE 9. The 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.
in a book. They wrote their expert observations on a scroll.
VERSE 10. Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD. There Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.
THE PORTION FOR BENJAMIN
VERSE 11. The 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.
The Tribe of Benjamin was assigned the land between Judah and Joseph.
It is 25 miles from east to west and 15 miles from north to south.
VERSE 12. Their 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.
VERSE 13. The 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.
VERSE 14. The 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.
VERSE 15. The 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.
VERSE 16. The 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.
VERSE 17. It extended northward, went out at En Shemesh, and went out to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim. It went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.
VERSE 18. It passed along to the side opposite the Arabah northward, and went down to the Arabah.
VERSE 19. The 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.
VERSE 20. The 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.
VERSE 21. Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz,
the cities. Benjamin received several cities that are prominent in biblical history:
- Jericho
- Bethel
- Gibeon
- Ramah
- Mizpah
- Jerusalem
The future temple in Jerusalem was in the tribe of Benjamin. That fulfills a prophecy of Moses:
Deuteronomy 33:12. About Benjamin he said, “The beloved of the LORD will dwell in safety by him. He covers him all day long. He dwells between his shoulders.”
VERSE 22. Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
VERSE 23. Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,
VERSE 24. Chephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba; twelve cities with their villages.
VERSE 25. Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
VERSE 26. Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,
VERSE 27. Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,
VERSE 28. Zelah, 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.
JOSHUA
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize
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