Joshua 18:1-28 - Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

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Joshua 18:1. Israel assembled together at Shiloh. This city stood on a hill, fifteen miles from Jerusalem and ten from Shechem; and not far north of Beth-el and Ai. Here the ark rested in the centre of Israel.

Joshua 18:2. Seven tribes had as yet no inheritance, because the whole land was not surveyed as to its extent, its districts, and cosmography. The tribes had evidently strong feelings, and it was happy for them that Joshua's life was spared to consummate his work.

Joshua 18:4. Give three men for each tribe, to survey the undivided land; for the people having settled in towns, they were very reluctant to remove.

Joshua 18:17. Went forth to En-shemesh; that is, the fountain of the sun. We find also the name of Bethshemesh, the house or temple of the sun. These names of places prove that Sabianism was once the religion of the oriental world; their towns and favourite places were all dedicated to the hosts of heaven. See on Job 1:15; Jeremiah 7:18.

Joshua 18:26. Mizpeh, the central city, at which the elders of Israel were often convened on special occasions.

Joshua 18:28. Jebusi, which is Jerusalem. This is the city of the ancient Melchizedek. It is here included in the lot of Benjamin; but as they could not take it, the Jebusites possessed it till David's time; so Judah gained it by conquest. Tacitus calls it a celebrated city, strong by nature. Pliny accounts it the most famous city of the east; and Jeremiah designates it as the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth. Psalms 48:2; Jeremiah 39:3; Lamentations 2:1.

REFLECTIONS.

During the confusion and dissatisfaction which prevailed about the proportion of towns allotted to each tribe, care was taken of religion. The Lord with whom was the sole right to choose the place of his residence, removed the ark of his strength to Shiloh, where his glory abode three hundred and forty nine years, till the wickedness of Eli's sons caused the place to be abhorred. This situation was happy and central; it was contiguous to Joshua's lot, and it enabled the officers of state and the ministers of religion to act the more in union for the people's good. Tokens and marks of God's special presence are not confined to any particular place or people; for he peculiarly delights to dwell in the humblest heart, and where he is worshipped in spirit and in truth.

The people, dwelling irregularly in the camp and in cities, seemed to have sunk into a state of supineness, and were not solicitous about removing to their lot in the promised inheritance. But Joshua urged them to make an accurate survey of the country, that after the lot was drawn he might give them an exact proportion of soil and of cities. How wise and impartial was this mode of proceeding: how happy are the people at all times who have virtuous rulers to bear with their weaknesses, and care for their wants. Such a governor is God's best gift to a nation. He is the father of every family, and the friend of every individual.

The lot of Benjamin could not but be very gratifying. It fell out in the centre of his brethren, and near to Bethel, within a mile of which Rachel was buried; it lay in part along the fertile shore of Jordan; it was near the house of God, and defended on every side by powerful tribes. So the words of Moses were accomplished in this lot. “The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; the Lord shall cover him all the day long; and he shall dwell between his shoulders.” On a review of all those advantages, Benjamin could surely say, the lines are fallen to me in pleasant places, I have a goodly heritage.

Related Commentaries of Joshua 18:1

Joshua 18:1-28

1 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.

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

3 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?

4 Give 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.

5 And 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.

6 Ye 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.

7 But 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.

8 And 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.

9 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.

10 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.

11 And 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.

12 And 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.

13 And 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.

14 And 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.

15 And 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:

16 And 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,

17 And 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,

18 And passed along toward the side over against Arabaha northward, and went down unto Arabah:

19 And the border passed along to the side of Bethhoglah northward: and the outgoings of the border were at the north bayb of the salt sea at the south end of Jordan: this was the south coast.

20 And 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.

21 Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, and Bethhoglah, and the valley of Keziz,

22 And Betharabah, and Zemaraim, and Bethel,

23 And Avim, and Parah, and Ophrah,

24 And Chepharhaammonai, and Ophni, and Gaba; twelve cities with their villages:

25 Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth,

26 And Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,

27 And Rekem, and Irpeel, and Taralah,

28 And 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.