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.
1. the whole congregation . . .
assembled together at Shiloh—The main body of the Israelites
had been diminished by the separation of the three tribes, Judah,
Ephraim, and Manasseh into their respective allotments; and the
country having been in a great measure subdued, the camp was removed
to Shiloh (now Seilun). It was twenty or twenty-five miles north of
Jerusalem, twelve north of Beth-el, and ten south of Shechem, and
embosomed in a rugged and romantic glen. This sequestered spot in the
heart of the country might have been recommended by the dictates of
convenience. There the allotment of the territory could be most
conveniently made, north, south, east, and west, to the different
tribes. But "the tabernacle of the congregation was also set up
there," and its removal therefore must have been made or
sanctioned by divine intimation (). It remained in Shiloh for more than three hundred years
(1 Samuel 4:1-11).
1 Samuel 4:1-9. THE REMAINDER
OF THE LAND
DESCRIBED.
2.
And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.
2. there remained . . . seven
tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance—The
selection of Shiloh for the seat of worship, together with the
consequent removal of the camp thither, had necessarily interrupted
the casting of lots, which was commenced by fixing localities for the
tribes of Judah and Joseph. Various causes led to a long delay in
resuming it. The satisfaction of the people with their change to so
pleasant and fertile a district, their preference of a nomad life, a
love of ease, and reluctance to renew the war, seem to have made them
indifferent to the possession of a settled inheritance. But Joshua
was too much alive to the duty laid on him by the Lord to let matters
continue in that state; and accordingly, since a general conquest of
the land had been made, he resolved to proceed immediately with the
lot, believing that when each tribe should receive its inheritance, a
new motive would arise to lead them to exert themselves in securing
the full possession.
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?
3. How long are ye slack to go to
possess the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath given
you—This reproof conveys an impression that the seven tribes
were dilatory to a criminal extent.
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.
4-9. Give out from among you three
men for each tribe—Though the lot determined the part of the
country where each tribe was to be located, it could not determine
the extent of territory which might be required; and the
dissatisfaction of the children of Joseph with the alleged smallness
of their possession gave reason to fear that complaints might arise
from other quarters, unless precautions were taken to make a proper
distribution of the land. For this purpose a commission was given to
twenty-one persons—three chosen from each of the seven tribes which
had not yet received their inheritance, to make an accurate survey of
the country.
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.
9. The men went and passed through
the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a
book—dividing the land according to its value, and the worth of
the cities which it contained, into seven equal portions. This was no
light task to undertake. It required learning and intelligence which
they or their instructors had, in all probability, brought with them
out of Egypt. Accordingly, JOSEPHUS
says that the survey was performed by men expert in geometry. And, in
fact, the circumstantial account which is given of the boundaries of
each tribe and its situation, well proves it to have been the work of
no mean or incompetent hands.
. DIVIDED BY LOT.
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.
10. Joshua cast lots for them in
Shiloh before the Lord—before the tabernacle, where the divine
presence was manifested, and which associated with the lot the idea
of divine sanction.
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.
11. the lot of . . . Benjamin came
up—It has been supposed that there were two urns or vessels,
from which the lots were drawn: one containing the names of the
tribes, the other containing those of the seven portions; and that
the two were drawn out simultaneously.
the coast of their lot came
forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph—Thus
the prophecy of Moses respecting the inheritance of Benjamin was
remarkably accomplished. (See on ).
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:
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.