Joshua 18:2

Modern

…there were still seven tribes of Israel who had not yet received their inheritance.

Traditional

And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.

Literal

And there remained among the sons of Israel seven tribes that had not yet received their inheritance.

Latin

Remanserant autem filiorum Israël septem tribus, quæ necdum acceperant possessiones suas.

Hebrew

English

…there were still seven tribes of Israel who had not yet received their inheritance.

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).

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

Israel: Patriarch, son of Isaac, father of twelve tribes