Joshua 18

King James Version

Full text for Joshua Chapter 18

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.

2¶ And 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.

11¶ And 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 Bethaven.

13And the border went over from thence toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which [is] Bethel, southward; and the border descended to Atarothadar, near the hill that [lieth] on the south side of the nether Bethhoron.

14And the border was drawn [thence], and compassed the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that [lieth] before Bethhoron southward; and the goings out thereof were at Kirjathbaal, which [is] Kirjathjearim, a city of the children of Judah: this [was] the west quarter.

15And the south quarter [was] from the end of Kirjathjearim, 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 Enrogel,

17And was drawn from the north, and went forth to Enshemesh, 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 Bethhoglah 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 Bethhoglah, and the valley of Keziz,

22And Betharabah, and Zemaraim, and Bethel,

23And Avim, and Parah, and Ophrah,

24And Chepharhaammonai, 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The children of Israel assembled at Shiloh, where the tabernacle was set up, though seven tribes still lacked their inheritance. Joshua rebuked their idleness and commanded them to send men to survey the remaining land, divide it into seven parts, and record it. After the survey, Joshua cast lots before the LORD in Shiloh, and the inheritance for the tribe of Benjamin was determined, with its borders and cities meticulously described.

Medium Summary

The entire congregation of Israel gathered at Shiloh, establishing the tabernacle there, as the land was subdued. However, seven tribes had not yet received their territorial inheritance. Joshua challenged their idleness, commanding them to select three men from each tribe to survey the remaining land, describe it by cities, and divide it into seven portions. These men diligently executed the task, recording their findings in a book, and returned to Joshua at Shiloh. Subsequently, Joshua cast lots before the LORD, distributing the land according to these divisions. The first lot drawn was for the tribe of Benjamin, whose territory was precisely defined. Its borders were detailed, establishing its position between the lands of Judah and Joseph, and the chapter concludes with a comprehensive list of its allotted cities.

Long Summary

The chapter begins with the significant assembly of the whole congregation of the children of Israel at Shiloh, where they established the Tabernacle of the Congregation, signifying a central place of worship and governance now that the land was largely subdued. Despite this, seven tribes among the Israelites had yet to receive their promised inheritance, prompting Joshua to address their procrastination directly. He challenged them, asking how long they would delay in possessing the land the LORD God had given them. To rectify this, Joshua commanded them to appoint three men from each of these seven tribes. These appointed men were to traverse the land, meticulously describe it according to its potential for inheritance, and then divide it into seven distinct parts. They were to return their detailed descriptions to Joshua, who would then cast lots for them before the LORD in Shiloh. Joshua clarified that the Levites would receive no land, as the priesthood was their inheritance, and the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh had already received their portions east of Jordan from Moses. The chosen men diligently undertook their mission, walking through the land and describing it by cities in a written record. Upon their return to Joshua at Shiloh, he proceeded to cast lots before the LORD. Through this divine process, Joshua divided the land among the children of Israel according to their respective divisions. The first lot drawn was for the tribe of Benjamin, and its boundaries were extensively delineated. The description included its northern border extending from Jordan, its western border encompassing significant landmarks, and its southern border running through notable valleys and features, ultimately reaching the Salt Sea. This detailed account precisely defined Benjamin's territory, situated strategically between the already established lands of Judah to the south and Joseph to the north. The chapter concludes by enumerating the specific cities and their associated villages that comprised the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, including significant places like Jericho and Jebusi (Jerusalem), solidifying their allocated territory.

Core Concepts

  • Assembly at ShilohThe gathering of the entire Israelite congregation at Shiloh and the establishment of the Tabernacle there, signifying a central religious and administrative hub for the nation after the initial conquest.
  • Unclaimed InheritanceThe state of seven Israelite tribes who had not yet taken possession of their allotted land, despite the overall subduing of the territory.
  • Land Survey and DivisionJoshua's command for selected men to meticulously survey the remaining land, describe its features, and divide it into seven distinct portions to facilitate equitable distribution.
  • Casting LotsThe method employed by Joshua, before the LORD at Shiloh, to divinely determine the specific territorial inheritance for each of the remaining tribes.
  • Benjamin's InheritanceThe detailed description of the boundaries and cities allotted to the tribe of Benjamin, establishing its precise geographical position between Judah and the house of Joseph.
  • Levitical PriesthoodThe reaffirmation that the Levites would not receive a land inheritance, as their portion was the priesthood of the LORD, distinguishing them from the other tribes.
  • Joshua's LeadershipJoshua's active role in organizing the distribution of the land, rebuking idleness, issuing clear instructions, and overseeing the divine process of lot casting.