1
So the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh, and they set up the Tent of Meeting there, because the land had been subdued before them.
2
At that time there remained among the Israelites seven tribes that had not yet received their inheritance.
3
So Joshua said to the Israelites, “How long will you be slack, so that you do not go in to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?
4
Appoint three men from each tribe; and I will send them out, that they may arise and go through the land, write a description of it according to their inheritance, and then return to me.
5
After that they shall divide it into seven portions among themselves. Judah shall remain in its territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall remain in their territory on the north.
6
You shall write a description of the land in seven portions and bring it here to me; then I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.
7
For the Levites have no portion among you, because the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance; and Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave them.”
8
Then the men set out and went, and Joshua commanded those who went to write a description of the land, saying, “Go, travel through the land, write its description, and return to me; and here at Shiloh I will cast lots for you before the LORD.”
9
So the men went and passed through the land; they wrote its description in a record, city by city, in seven portions, and returned to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh.
10
Then Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD, and there Joshua divided the land among the Israelites according to their divisions.
11
The lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families, and the territory assigned to them lay between the territory of the children of Judah and the territory of the children of Joseph.
12
Their northern boundary began at the Jordan; then the boundary went up to the slope north of Jericho, went up westward into the hill country, and went out to the wilderness of Beth Aven.
13
From there the boundary continued to Luz, to the south, to the slope of the hill near Luz, that is, Bethel; then the boundary went down to Ataroth Addar, on the hill country south of Lower Beth Horon.
14
Then the boundary turned and went from the mountain that lies opposite Beth-horon on the south, and it ended at Kiriath-baal, that is, Kiriath-jearim, a city of the sons of Judah. This was the west side.
15
The south side began at the end of Kiriath-jearim, and the boundary went out westward, and also to the spring of Me-neftoah.
16
Then the boundary went down to the end of the mountain that lies before the Valley of Ben-Hinnom, north of the Valley of Rephaim; then it went down to the Valley of Hinnom, along the slope of the Jebusite hill on the south, and went down to En-rogel.
17
Then it turned northward, going to En-shemesh and going on to Geliloth, opposite the ascent of Adummim, and it went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben,
18
and passed along to the slope of the mountain opposite Beth-arabah on the north, and went down to the Arabah.
19
Then the boundary continued to the slope of the mountain north of Beth-hoglah, and the boundary ended at the northern bay of the Salt Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan on the south. This was the south boundary.
20
The Jordan was its boundary on the east side. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, according to its boundaries all around, by their clans.
21
Now the cities of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, according to their clans, were Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz,
22
Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
23
Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,
24
Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba; twelve cities with their villages.
25
Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
26
Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah,
27
Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,
28
Zelah, Eleph, and Jebus, that is, Jerusalem, Gibeah, and Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin according to their clans.
🧭🏕️🗺️ Summary of Joshua 18 – The Remaining Land, Responsibility, and Distribution by Lot
Joshua 18 describes a major step in completing the division of the covenant land. The people of Israel gathered at Shiloh, set up the Tent of Meeting, and began dividing the remaining seven portions of land that had not yet been possessed by the seven tribes. Joshua rebuked them for delaying to take hold of their inheritance, and commanded that the land be surveyed so it could be divided fairly.
📌 1. All the People Gathered at Shiloh (verse 1)
- The Tent of Meeting was set up at Shiloh, marking a new center of worship (before it was eventually moved to Jerusalem).
- This became the starting point for the final division of the land.
🎯 Worship and the Lord’s promise must be at the center of the people’s life.
📌 2. Joshua Rebukes the Delay of the Seven Tribes (verses 2–6)
“How long will you be slack to go in and possess the land…” (verse 3)
- There were still 7 tribes that had not yet received land because they had not moved.
- Joshua instructed three men from each tribe to measure and record the land, and then lots would be cast before the LORD.
🎯 The LORD has already provided the promise, but the people must move in faith to receive it.
📌 3. Measuring the Land and Dividing by Lot (verses 7–10)
- The surveyors went around the land, recorded it, and handed it over to Joshua.
- Joshua divided the land by lot before the LORD in Shiloh.
🎯 The LORD is a just God — each tribe received its portion according to His will.
📌 4. The Tribe of Benjamin Receives Its Portion (verses 11–28)
- Benjamin received its portion between the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Joseph (the central region).
- Important cities included Jericho, Bethel, Gibeon, Mizpah, and Jerusalem (a small part).
🎯 Benjamin received a small territory, yet a strategic one — a place that would later become the center of the kingdom of Israel.
📖 Main Lessons
- Do not delay in obeying God’s call — move in faith.
- God delights in order, justice, and a transparent process.
- Worship and God’s promise must be at the center of every important step in life.
- The land or blessing is already available, but we must take steps to measure it and receive it.
- Even a small portion (such as Benjamin’s territory) can have a great impact in God’s plan.
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
“Therefore, let us be watchful, lest there be found among you anyone who falls short…”
“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only…”
“Now is the acceptable time… now is the day of salvation!”
🎯 Do not delay in obeying the Lord — true faith moves and acts.
“How long will you be slack…” – Joshua 18:3
“I will cast lots for you before the LORD…” – Joshua 18:6
“Then the lot was cast for the tribe of Benjamin…” – Joshua 18:11
