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Joshua 18

Joshua 18:9

The Remainder Divided · Joshua 18:1–10
Read Joshua 18

Translations

Modern
So the men departed and went throughout the land, mapping it city by city into seven portions. Then they returned with the document to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh.
Traditional
And 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.
Literal
And the men went and passed through the land, and they wrote it down by the cities in seven parts in a book, and they came to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh.
Latin
Itaque perrexerunt: et lustrantes eam, in septem partes diviserunt, scribentes in volumine. Reversique sunt ad Josue in castra Silo.

Original

Hebrew
English
So the men departed and went throughout the land, mapping it city by city into seven portions. Then they returned with the document to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh.

Notes

Joshua 18:9

  • The Canaanites in the hill country feared Israel. They allowed 21 men to walk through these territories and return safely (18:4).

  • The written record was likely a scroll. This scroll might have been the original source for the descriptions of the tribal allotments in chapters 18–19.

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

Joshua: Moses' assistant who led Israel into Canaan

Places

Shiloh: Israelite sanctuary and assembly point during the judges' period

Glossary

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

Topics

Civil Engineering: General Scriptures Concerning Sciences: Surveying Shiloh: City of Ephraim, North of Beth-El: Tabernacle Located At Topography of Canaan