History · Chapter 18 of 24

Joshua 18

At Shiloh the whole congregation gathers and sets up the tabernacle, for the land is now subdued. Seven tribes still lack their inheritance, and Joshua rebukes their delay. He sends men to survey the remaining land, dividing it into seven portions, and casts lots before the Lord. Benjamin's allotment falls first, its borders and towns carefully listed between Judah and Joseph.

What happens in Joshua 18

Israel assembles at Shiloh, where the tent of meeting is erected, marking a new center of worship now that the land lies largely subdued. Yet Joshua confronts a problem: seven tribes have not yet taken possession of their inheritance. He challenges their slackness, asking how long they will wait to claim what God has given. He commissions three men from each tribe to walk through the land and write a description of it, dividing it into seven parts, while Judah, Joseph, and the Levites' arrangement stand apart.

The men survey the territory city by city and return with their record. Joshua then casts lots at Shiloh before the Lord. The lot for Benjamin comes up first, and the chapter details its borders lying between Judah and the house of Joseph, followed by a full list of its cities.

Joshua 18 in context

With major campaigns finished, the focus shifts from conquest to settlement. Shiloh becomes the tabernacle's resting place and Israel's worship center for generations, until the days of Samuel. The rebuke of the seven slack tribes highlights a recurring theme: God had given the land, yet the people were slow to take hold of it.

Benjamin, though small, receives a strategic portion containing Jerusalem's future site.

Main themes of Joshua 18

Joshua 18 (KJV)

1And 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. 2And 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. 11And 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.

Verses to carry from Joshua 18

“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.”Joshua 18:1

“And 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?”Joshua 18:3

“And 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.”Joshua 18:10

Reflection

What inheritance has God already given me that I have been slow to possess? Like the seven tribes I can hold a promise in hand yet linger outside it, waiting without moving. Christ has opened the way and dwells with me. Today I can rise and take hold of the rest and the calling He has set before me.

A prayer from Joshua 18