Joshua18

The children of Israel assembled at Shiloh, where the tabernacle was set up, though seven tribes still lacked their inheritance. Joshua rebuked their idleness and commanded them to send men to survey the remaining land, divide it into seven parts, and record it. After the survey, Joshua cast lots before the LORD in Shiloh, and the inheritance for the tribe of Benjamin was determined, with its borders and cities meticulously described.
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The Tabernacle Set Up at Shiloh

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Then the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And though the land was subdued before them, ​
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there were still seven tribes of Israel who had not yet received their inheritance. ​

Joshua Rebukes the Seven Tribes

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So Joshua said to the Israelites, “How long will you put off entering and possessing the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you? ​
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Appoint three men from each tribe, and I will send them out to survey the land and map it out, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me ​
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and divide the land into seven portions. Judah shall remain in their territory in the south, and the house of Joseph shall remain in their territory in the north. ​
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When you have mapped out the seven portions of land and brought it to me, I will cast lots for you here in the presence of the LORD our God. ​
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The Levites, however, have no portion among you, because their inheritance is the priesthood of the LORD. And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have already received the inheritance that Moses the servant of the LORD gave them beyond the Jordan to the east.” ​
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As the men got up to go out, Joshua commanded them to map out the land, saying, “Go and survey the land, map it out, and return to me. Then I will cast lots for you here in Shiloh in the presence of the LORD.”
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So the men departed and went throughout the land, mapping it city by city into seven portions. Then they returned with the document to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh. ​
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And Joshua cast lots for them in the presence of the LORD at Shiloh, where he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their divisions. ​

The Inheritance of Benjamin

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The first lot came up for the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph: ​
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On the north side their border began at the Jordan, went up past the northern slope of Jericho, headed west through the hill country, and came out at the wilderness of Beth-aven.
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From there the border crossed over to the southern slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth-addar on the hill south of Lower Beth-horon.
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On the west side the border curved southward from the hill facing Beth-horon on the south and came out at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the sons of Judah. This was the western side.
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On the south side the border began at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim and extended westward to the spring at the Waters of Nephtoah.
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Then it went down to the foot of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim and ran down the Valley of Hinnom toward the southern slope of the Jebusites and downward to En-rogel. ​
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From there it curved northward and proceeded to En-shemesh and on to Geliloth facing the Ascent of Adummim, and continued down to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.
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Then it went on to the northern slope of Beth-arabah and went down into the valley.
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The border continued to the northern slope of Beth-hoglah and came out at the northern bay of the Salt Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan. This was the southern border.
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On the east side the border was the Jordan. These were the borders around the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.

Cities of Benjamin

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These were the cities of the clans of the tribe of Benjamin:
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Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, ​
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Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,
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Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—twelve cities, along with their villages.
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Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
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Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,
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Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,
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Zelah, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath-jearim—fourteen cities, along with their villages. This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. ​

Study Notes for Joshua 18

Verse 1

Shiloh became the central sanctuary for Israel during the period of the judges (1 Sam 1:3). Setting up the Tabernacle here signaled that the central phase of settlement had begun, providing Israel with a unified religious center, even while conquest remained incomplete.

Verse 2

Only the tribes of Judah, Ephraim, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had fully received their territorial allotment. The remaining seven tribes had yet to claim their inheritance, despite the land being 'subdued' (V. 1).

Verse 3

Joshua challenges the 'slackness' (lethargy or hesitation) of the tribes. They had won the major battles but were failing to act on God’s promise by physically possessing and settling the land, perhaps due to fear or weariness.

Verse 4

This innovative approach commanded a detailed, written survey of the territory. This ensured a fair, systematic division based on observable data, complementing the divine guidance provided by the lot (V. 6).

Verse 5

The remaining land was divided into seven portions corresponding to the seven remaining tribes. Judah and Joseph (Ephraim/Manasseh) were already settled and provided fixed boundaries for the new divisions.

Verse 6

The lot was an accepted method in ancient Israel for discerning God’s will regarding division or decision-making (Proverbs 16:33). The survey provided the map, and the lot determined the assignment.

Verse 7

The Levites were consecrated to the priesthood and received no tribal territory, subsisting instead on tithes and scattered cities (Joshua 21). The Transjordanian tribes had already received their inheritance from Moses.

Verse 9

Recording the land description 'in a book' emphasizes the orderly, administrative seriousness of the settlement process, moving Israel from military conquest toward civil establishment.

Verse 10

The division took place 'before the LORD' at Shiloh, ensuring that the distribution was ratified and sanctioned by God at the place of worship, confirming the covenantal nature of the land grant.

Verse 11

The tribe of Benjamin received a strategically vital, though geographically small, territory situated between the powerful tribes of Judah to the south and Ephraim (part of Joseph) to the north.

Verse 16

This description mentions the Valley of Hinnom (later Gehenna) and outlines the area around 'Jebusi' (Jerusalem). This indicates that the original city of Jerusalem lay directly on the crucial border between Benjamin and Judah.

Verse 22

Bethel ('House of God') was one of the most significant sites in Israel’s history, associated with Abraham and Jacob (Gen 12, 28). Its inclusion in Benjamin’s territory highlights the region’s importance.

Verse 28

The listing of Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, confirms its assignment to Benjamin. However, the Benjamites failed to dispossess the Jebusites (Judg 1:21), requiring King David to conquer it centuries later.

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