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.
Ver. 1. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh— After a stay of seven years at Gilgal, Joshua took, and (without doubt at the express command of God,) performed the resolution, to remove the camp to Shiloh. It belonged to the Lord only, to mark out the place where he thought proper to fix the residence of his tabernacle; Deuteronomy 12:8-10. And in all probability he made known his will in this respect by Urim and Thummim. Shiloh was the place pitched upon. This city, which the learned Archbishop Usher alleges to have been the same with Salem, was situate upon a hill, in the tribe of Ephraim, about fifteen miles from Jerusalem, in the heart, as it were, of the whole country. There, consequently, the tabernacle was more safe than any where else; and for the same reason, it was more within reach of each of the tribes who were to present their religious services to God. Here this sacred edifice remained for about three hundred and fifty years, till the time of Samuel, or at least three hundred and twenty-eight years, as the Archbishop observes, whose chronology we follow. See Annals, to the year of the world 2560. Lastly, at Shiloh Joshua was himself better accommodated for the convenient dividing of the lands which still remained to be distributed. All Israel, therefore, decamped from Gilgal, and came to Shiloh; the Canaanites, either subdued or terrified, not daring to interpose the least obstacle in their way. For, as the historian adds, the land was subdued before the children of Israel.
Note; The name was given to the place, probably, from the peace which they now enjoyed, and might typify the place of rest for all true believers in heaven, when, after all their spiritual enemies shall be finally subdued, they shall rest with Christ, the ark of the covenant, in glory for ever.
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.
Ver. 5. Judah shall abide in their coast on the south, and the house of Joseph—on the north— The meaning is, "The territory of the tribes of Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh, which are now provided for, shall no more be meddled with; there is no need to measure it anew. If it be necessary to retrench it, or add any thing to it, there will always be time to do so afterwards, when a more exact plan shall be taken of all the rest." Joshua speaks agreeably to the situation of Shiloh, the place where he then was; which stood a good way within the tribe of Ephraim, and pretty near to that of Judah; one lying on the north, the other on the south. See Calmet. We shall find in the sequel, that the tribe of Judah did in fact, and doubtless with common consent, give up a part of its territories to the tribes of Dan and Simeon, who found their station too scanty, ch. Joshua 19:29; Joshua 19:41.
REFLECTIONS.—Though seven tribes were yet unsettled, there was such plenty from the spoil of the Canaanites, and they were so taken with the state of peace which they enjoyed after the toils of war, that they seem to have been not at all solicitous to proceed in the division of the land; in doing which they must not only be separated from each other, and many a comfortable connection be dissolved, but must renew their warfare, to rescue the cities in their several lots, which were in the hands of their enemies. Note; (1.) The sweets of worldly comforts and connections are very apt to draw off our minds from desire after our inheritance in heaven. (2.) The difficulties which appear in the way to heaven are often discouragements from labouring thither, though they are usually the mere creatures of our unbelief and sloth. Joshua, observing this, reproves their negligence. While they were trifling, the Canaanites might recover courage and strength, and they might have all their work to do over again. Note; To do things by halves, is always the way to have double trouble: once well done, is done for ever.
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.
Ver. 11. And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up, &c.— By a very peculiar direction of Providence, the name of Benjamin, the only brother of Joseph, and, like him, descended from Rachel, the beloved wife of Jacob, was first drawn. Thus this tribe stood the first after those of the sons of Joseph, and by the side of them, to receive the country which God assigned to it, and which was afterwards divided in a more particular manner among the families of which it was composed.
And the coast of their lot came forth, &c.— A fresh token of the direction of Providence. In the benedictions of Moses, Deuteronomy 33:12. Benjamin had been placed between Judah and Joseph; and the event now justifies that prediction.
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 Beth-aven.
13.
And the border went over from thence toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is Bethel, southward; and the border descended to Ataroth-adar, near the hill that lieth on the south side of the nether Beth-horon.
14.
And the border was drawn thence, and compassed the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lieth before Beth-horon southward; and the goings out thereof were at Kirjath-baal, which is Kirjath-jearim, a city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter.
15.
And the south quarter was from the end of Kirjath-jearim, 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 En-rogel,
17.
And was drawn from the north, and went forth to En-shemesh, 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 Arabah northward, and went down unto Arabah:
19.
And the border passed along to the side of Beth-hoglah northward: and the outgoings of the border were at the north bay 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 Beth-hoglah, and the valley of Keziz,
22.
And Beth-arabah, and Zemaraim, and Bethel,
23.
And Avim, and Parah, and Ophrah,
24.
And Chephar-haammonai, and Ophni, and Gaba; twelve cities with their villages:
Ver. 24. Chephar-haammonai— The village of Haamonai. Hiller. Onomast. p. 13.
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.