Joshua 18 KJV: Centralizing Worship and Mapping the Future
Joshua 18 documents the assembly of Israel at Shiloh to set up the Tabernacle and the innovative survey conducted by 21 men to map the remaining territory. Joshua uses these survey books to cast lots before the Lord, ultimately assigning the strategic 'buffer' territory to the tribe of Benjamin.
v1: The Tabernacle is Established at Shiloh
v2-10: Joshua Commissions a Survey of the Seven Remaining Tribes
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.
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.
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.
Ye 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.
But 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.
And 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.
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.
And 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.
And 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.
And 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.
And 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,
And 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,
And 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.
And 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.
And 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.
Witness the 'administrative' side of faith as Joshua sends a mapping team to describe the land 'in a book' before dividing it. Begin your study with joshua 18 summary.
Benjamin’s lot fell between the powerful tribes of Judah and Joseph, placing them in a strategic yet vulnerable position that included the future site of Jerusalem. The Word Secret is Shiloh, meaning 'Tranquility' or 'Place of Rest,' the site where God chose to put His name for several centuries. Discover the riches with joshua 18 commentary, containing expert led word study (original greek/hebrew) and passage level analysis.
Unlock the hidden joshua 18 1 meaning and summary by exploring context, analyzing original greek and hebrew words, and studying cross references of each verse.
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