Joshua 18

The Tabernacle at Shiloh

1After the Israelites had conquered the land, all of them gathered at Shiloh, # 18:1 After seven years of conquest, the Israelites moved the tabernacle that Moses had constructed in the wilderness from Gilgal to Shiloh, where it remained for 369 years. Shiloh became the center of worship throughout the time of the judges (also the time of the book of Ruth). Shiloh means “whole,” “sound,” “quiet,” “secure,” “health,” or “abundance.” It was the place where Hannah prayed to have a son and then dedicated her miracle son, Samuel, to God (see 1 Sam. 1:3–24). He became the first of the prophets of Israel. The origins of the prophets can be traced back to the ancient pre-Jerusalem capital of Israel, Shiloh. See Judg. 18:31; 21:12–21; 1 Sam. 3:21; 4:3–12; 1 Kings 2:27; 14:2–4; Ps. 78:60. Jesus is our Shiloh (see Gen. 49:8–12). and the priests set up the tabernacle. 2-3Joshua addressed the seven tribes that remained # 18:2–3 Judah plus Gad, Reuben, and the (eastern) half-tribe of Manasseh were the four tribes so far possessing their inheritance. Benjamin (see vv. 11–28), Simeon (see 19:1–9), Zebulun (see 19:10–16), Issachar (see 19:17–23), Naphtali (see 19:32–39), and Dan (see 19:40–48) were the “remaining seven” tribes. Levi, of course, did not inherit land (see vv. 4–7). In addition, Joshua inherited a city, Timnath Serah (see 19:49–51). who had not yet received their inheritance: “How much more time will you waste until you go out and possess the land that Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, has given you? 4-7The tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their allotted land east of the Jordan which Moses, Yahweh’s servant, assigned them. The tribe of Judah already has its territory in the south, and the descendants of Joseph have their territory in the north. So let each of the seven remaining tribes select three men and send them to me. I will send them out to survey and make a map of the entire land. Divide the territory into seven districts and bring the description of each district to me. Then I will draw lots before Yahweh our God to determine which section he has chosen for each tribe to receive. But the Levites will not have an allotted portion among you, for their inheritance is to serve as Yahweh’s priests.”

8-9The tribes each selected three men, and as they set out on their journey, Joshua told them, “Go through all the land and write down its description. When you bring the description back here to me, I will ask Yahweh in Shiloh to divide the land among your tribes.” So the men went through all the land and divided it into seven sections. They wrote a description of each section and also made a list of the towns within each section and returned to Joshua at Shiloh. 10Then Joshua cast lots in Yahweh’s presence at Shiloh and assigned a section of the land to each of the remaining tribes of Israel.

The Tribal Land of Benjamin

11The first lot came out for the families of Benjamin. So the first tribe that received territory was the tribe of Benjamin. Joshua assigned them land which lay between the tribe of Judah on the south and the descendants of Joseph on the north. 12Their northern border began in the east at the Jordan River and went up the slope north of Jericho and westward through the hill country as far as the desert near the city of Beth Aven. 13The border then went to the slope on the south side of Luz (that is, Bethel) then down to Ataroth Addar on the mountain south of Lower Beth Horon. 14The border then turned south from the western side of this mountain and went to the city of Kiriath Baal, which is also called Kiriath Jearim, a town of Judah. 15From the outskirts of Kiriath Jearim, the boundary extended to Mount Ephron # 18:15 The Hebrew text is uncertain. The Masoretic text reads “westward,” which is not correct. The Septuagint is transliterated as “toward Gasin.” Some translations omit “westward” or “Mount Ephron” entirely. Other scholars suggest “toward Iyyim” or “toward the ruins of Mount Ephron” as the intended meaning of the text. and went from there to the fountain of the Waters of Nephtoah. 16It continued down to the foot of the mountain on the north side of the Valley of Rephaites, where the Hinnom Valley begins. From there it went south through the Hinnom Valley to the south slope of Jerusalem # 18:16 Or literally “the slope of the Jebusites.” and then downward to En Rogel. # 18:16 En Rogel is identified with the modern ’Ain Ummel-Daraj, a name which means “the fountain of the virgin.” David’s spies hid at En Rogel during Absalom’s uprising. See 2 Sam. 17:17. 17From there the boundary turned sharply northward to En Shemesh and on to Geliloth, facing the ascent of Adummim, and descended to the Boulder of Bohan, son # 18:17 Or possibly “grandson.” Bohan apparently distinguished himself by fighting the Canaanites at this large rock. of Reuben. 18Then it passed north of the ridge # 18:18 Or possibly a place named “Cheteph.” overlooking the Jordan Valley. From there it descended into the valley, 19passing north of the ridge of Beth Hoglah. The southern border ended where the Jordan River empties into the Dead Sea. 20The eastern border was the Jordan River. The families of the tribe of Benjamin received as their possession the land within these borders.

21-24There were twelve cities, along with the towns around them, which belonged to the tribe of Benjamin:

Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz,

Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,

Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,

Chephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba.

25-28There were another fourteen cities, along with the towns around them, which also belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. These cities were

Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,

Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah,

Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,

Zela, Haeleph, Jebus (or Jerusalem), # 18:25–28 It is interesting that Jerusalem was not given to the tribe of Judah but to the tribe of Benjamin. Gibeah, and Kiriath. Joshua assigned this land and all these cities to the tribes of Benjamin.

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Joshua 18: TPT

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