Joshua 18

The Tabernacle at Shiloh and Land Survey

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 the LORD, 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; then 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 the LORD our God.

⁷However, 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.”

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 the LORD 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 the LORD. There Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.

The Territory of Benjamin

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 opposite the ascent of Adummim. It went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.

¹⁸It passed along to the side opposite 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.

Previous Joshua 17

Next Joshua 19

Joshua establishes the Tabernacle at Shiloh and addresses seven tribes who have not yet received their territorial inheritance. He commissions surveyors to map the remaining land into seven portions, which are then distributed by casting lots before the LORD. The chapter details Benjamin's territorial boundaries, strategically positioned between the powerful tribes of Judah and Joseph, including significant cities like Jericho and areas near Jerusalem.

Context

This chapter marks the transition from conquest to settlement, following the initial territorial distributions in chapters 13-17 and preceding the completion of land allocation in chapters 19-21.

Key Themes

Outline

1-2
Assembly at Shiloh Israel gathers at Shiloh to establish the Tabernacle, with seven tribes still lacking their inheritance.
3-7
Joshua's Challenge and Survey Commission Joshua rebukes the tribes' delay and commissions surveyors to map the remaining land into seven portions.
8-10
Land Survey and Lot Casting The surveyors complete their work and Joshua distributes the territories by casting lots before the LORD.
11-28
Benjamin's Territorial Boundaries Detailed description of Benjamin's inheritance, located strategically between Judah and Joseph's territories.

The Tabernacle at Shiloh and Land Survey

18:1–18:10

narrative instruction solemn

The Israelites set up the Tabernacle at Shiloh, and Joshua organizes a survey of the remaining land to be divided among seven tribes. The passage emphasizes the systematic distribution of the Promised Land through divine lots.

person_contrast

Joshua's rebuke in verse 3 marks the only instance where he directly challenges Israel's passivity, contrasting sharply with his typical role as military commander.

The Territory of Benjamin

18:11–18:28

narrative narration solemn

Detailed description of the territorial boundaries allocated to the tribe of Benjamin, positioned between Judah and Joseph's tribes. The passage provides specific geographical markers defining Benjamin's inheritance.

person_contrast

Benjamin's territory uniquely bridges the dominant tribes of Judah and Joseph, positioning this smallest tribe as the geographical hinge between Israel's two most powerful lineages.

Insight Character Study

Joshua's rebuke in verse 3 marks the only instance where he directly challenges Israel's passivity, contrasting sharply with his typical role as military commander.

Insight Character Study

Benjamin's territory uniquely bridges the dominant tribes of Judah and Joseph, positioning this smallest tribe as the geographical hinge between Israel's two most powerful lineages.