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Joshua 18

Joshua 18:11

Benjamin’s Inheritance · Joshua 18:11–28
Read Joshua 18

Translations

Modern
The first lot came up for the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph:
Traditional
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.
Literal
And came up the lot of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin by their clans, and the territory of their lot came out between the sons of Judah and between the sons of Joseph.
Latin
Et ascendit sors prima filiorum Benjamin per familias suas, ut possiderent terram inter filios Juda et filios Joseph.

Original

Hebrew
English
The first lot came up for the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph:

Notes

Joshua 18:11

Benjamin was Jacob’s twelfth and last son. He was the second son of Rachel, Jacob’s favorite wife. Those descended from him received a small but important piece of land between Judah and Joseph.

Joshua 14:1–19:51

  • The allotment of land to the tribes on the west side of the Jordan describes what God intended for each tribe to possess.

  • The one narrating the story begins this section with Caleb receiving land and ends with Joshua receiving land (14:6–15; 19:49–51). Only Caleb and Joshua had shown faith in God that Israel could conquer the land (Numbers 13:30; 14:6–9).

Joshua 13:1–21:45

  • As he had promised, God brought Israel into the land. Joshua then focused on dividing the land among Israel's tribes.

  • The tribal allowances made the covenant of the Israelites with God real. It showed the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Since God owned the land, giving it to the tribes was a gift. God gave them the land to live in and guided its distribution.

  • In these lists of tribal allowances, the author describes some borders in great detail, allowing them to be mapped. With others, they are less plainly defined.

Theme notes and profiles

Joshua Inheriting the Land

People

Benjamin: Youngest son of Jacob and Rachel Joseph: Son of Jacob, ruler in Egypt Judah: Israelite tribe, kingdom, and province

Glossary

Allotment of the Land Benjamin, Tribe of Joshua (Person) Joshua, Book of Judges, Book of Shiloh Tribe of Dan

Topics

Tribe of Benjamin: Census of Allotment in the land of Canaan Tribe of Benjamin: Cities and Bounds of Inheritance