Joshua Chapter 18 — The Survey and Benjamin's Lot
The Israelites gather at Shiloh to set up the Tent of Meeting while Joshua organizes a survey of the remaining territory for the seven tribes without land.
1The whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled themselves together at Shiloh, and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The land was subdued before them.
2Seven tribes remained among the children of Israel, which had not yet divided their inheritance.
3Joshua said to the children of Israel, “How long will you neglect to go in to possess the land, which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?
4Appoint for yourselves three men from each tribe. I will send them, and they shall arise, walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance; then they shall come to me.
5They shall divide it into seven portions. Judah shall live in his borders on the south, and the house of Joseph shall live in their borders on the north.
6You shall survey the land into seven parts, and bring the description here to me; and I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.
7However, the Levites have no portion among you; for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance. Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance east of the Jordan, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them.”
8The men arose and went. Joshua commanded those who went to survey the land, saying, “Go walk through the land, survey it, and come again to me. I will cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh.”
9The men went and passed through the land, and surveyed it by cities into seven portions in a book. They came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh.
10Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD. There Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.
11The lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families. The border of their lot went out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.
12Their border on the north quarter was from the Jordan. The border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the hill country westward. It ended at the wilderness of Beth Aven.
13The border passed along from there to Luz, to the side of Luz (also called Bethel), southward. The border went down to Ataroth Addar, by the mountain that lies on the south of Beth Horon the lower.
14The border extended, and turned around on the west quarter southward, from the mountain that lies before Beth Horon southward; and ended at Kiriath Baal (also called Kiriath Jearim), a city of the children of Judah. This was the west quarter.
15The south quarter was from the farthest part of Kiriath Jearim. The border went out westward, and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.
16The border went down to the farthest part of the mountain that lies before the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is in the valley of Rephaim northward. It went down to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Jebusite southward, and went down to En Rogel.
17It extended northward, went out at En Shemesh, and went out to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim. It went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.
18It passed along to the side opposite the Arabah northward, and went down to the Arabah.
19The border passed along to the side of Beth Hoglah northward; and the border ended at the north bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the south border.
20The Jordan was its border on the east quarter. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the borders around it, according to their families.
21Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz,
22Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
23Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,
24Chephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba; twelve cities with their villages.
25Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
26Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,
27Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,
28Zelah, Eleph, the Jebusite (also called Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Joshua 18:1
“The whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled themselves together at Shiloh, and set up the Tent of Meeting there.”
This verse marks the establishment of Shiloh as the central place of worship for the nation of Israel.
Joshua 18:3
“Joshua said to the children of Israel, “How long will you neglect to go in to possess the land, which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?””
Joshua provides a strong exhortation to the tribes who were slow to take possession of the land God had provided.
Chapter Summary
Joshua 18 describes a pivotal moment when the whole congregation of Israel assembles at Shiloh to set up the Tent of Meeting, establishing it as their spiritual center. Despite the land being subdued, seven tribes have not yet received their inheritance. Joshua rebukes their delay and instructs each tribe to appoint three men to survey and map the remaining land into seven portions. The surveyors travel through the territory, documenting cities and boundaries in a book before returning to Shiloh. Joshua then casts lots before the Lord to distribute the land fairly. The remainder of the chapter focuses on the tribe of Benjamin, detailing their specific boundaries and cities. Benjamin’s inheritance is situated between the territories of Judah and the house of Joseph. Significant cities included in Benjamin's lot are Jericho, Bethel, and the Jebusite city, which the text identifies as Jerusalem.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Israelites assembled at Shiloh to set up the Tent of Meeting, making it the central location for their religious and national life during this period.
Three men from each tribe surveyed the land and divided it into seven portions. Joshua then cast lots at Shiloh to determine which tribe would receive each portion.
The tribe of Benjamin received the first lot during this distribution, with their territory located between the lands of Judah and Joseph.
The text identifies the Jebusite city, also called Jerusalem, as one of the fourteen cities given to the tribe of Benjamin.
Study Note
The transition to Shiloh represents a shift from the temporary military camp at Gilgal to a more stable religious center for the tribes.
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