Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 18:4
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. Give out from among you ] If the territory was to be distributed, it was necessary that the more distant portions of the country should be surveyed. Joshua therefore directs the tribes to appoint a commission of twenty-one members, three from each tribe, who should undertake the duty and report to him at Shiloh. Their duty apparently was not so much to carry out an actual measurement of the country, as the preparation of a list of the cities (see Jos 18:9), and the procuring information respecting the peculiar characteristics of different districts, such as, “what lands were barren and what fertile, whether a district was hilly or flat, whether well-watered or destitute of springs, and anything else which served to shew the goodness of the soil, and the comparative worth of different localities.” Rosenmller.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Three men for each tribe – i. e. 21 in all. Their duty would be to describe the land, especially with reference to the cities it contained Jos 18:9, that Joshua might have the means of making a first apportionment among the tribes according to their varying numbers.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 4. Three men for each tribe] Probably meaning only three from each of the seven tribes who had not yet received their inheritance. It is likely that these twenty-one men were accompanied by a military guard, for without this they might have been easily cut off by straggling parties of the Canaanites.
They shall – describe it] It is likely they were persons well acquainted with geography and mensuration, without which it would have been impossible for them to have divided the land in the way necessary on this occasion.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Three men; three, not one, for more exact observation both of the measure and quality of the several portions, and for greater assurance and evidence of their care and faithfulness in giving in their account.
Of each tribe; either one of each of these tribes, who were yet unprovided for; or rather, two of all the tribes, even of them who had already received their portions; which was highly expedient, that in case it should appear that there was not a sufficiency for each of these tribes who wanted their portions, their brethren might be more ready either to assist them in procuring more land, or to part with some of their own portion to them.
Go through the land; which they might now safely do, because the terror of the late war was yet upon the Canaanites, who were loth to rouse so near and potent an enemy.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4-9. Give out from among you threemen for each tribeThough the lot determined the part of thecountry where each tribe was to be located, it could not determinethe extent of territory which might be required; and thedissatisfaction of the children of Joseph with the alleged smallnessof their possession gave reason to fear that complaints might arisefrom other quarters, unless precautions were taken to make a properdistribution of the land. For this purpose a commission was given totwenty-one personsthree chosen from each of the seven tribes whichhad not yet received their inheritance, to make an accurate survey ofthe country.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Give out from among you three men for [each] tribe,…. That is, for each of the seven tribes, in all twenty one; though some think they were to be taken out of all the nine tribes and a half, and were thirty six; and so Josephus a seems to understand it; but then he makes but one out of each tribe to be sent, and but ten in all, which is a great oversight in that historian:
and I will send them; Joshua would not take upon him to name the persons, but left it to their own choice for their greater satisfaction; but when chosen and presented to him, he would give them a commission and directions what to do:
and they shall rise; gird themselves, and prepare for their journey, and set out:
and go through the land; of Canaan; not the whole of it, but that part which as yet was not disposed of; though some think they were to go through and describe the whole land; but I see no reason for that, for what was described was to be divided into seven parts only, and what belonged already to Judah and Joseph, seem plainly to be excepted in
Jos 18:5:
and describe it according to the inheritance of them; take the dimensions of it, and divide it into seven parts, according to the number of the tribes that had not received their inheritance. Jarchi thinks this description and division were not to be made equally, but according to the largeness and smallness of the tribes; but this could not be done by the measurers, since the inheritance of each depended on the lot that was afterward to be cast, which by this means would have been rendered needless:
and they shall come [again] to me; which seems to be not only a precept or instruction to them, that when they had done their business, they should come to Joshua and give him an account of it; but an assurance also of their safety, that they should receive no disturbance nor hurt from the remaining Canaanites, but should return safe and well.
a Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 21.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
4. Give out from among you three men, etc Caleb and Joshua had already surveyed those regions, and the people had learned much by inquiry: Joshua, however, wishes the land to be divided as if according to actual survey (162) and orders three surveyors to be appointed for each of the seven tribes, in order that by the mouth of two or three persons every dispute may be settled. But nothing seems more incongruous than to send twenty-one men, who were not only to pass directly through a hostile country, but to trace it through all its various windings and turnings, so as not to leave a single corner unexamined, to calculate, its length and breadth, and even make due allowance for its inequalities. Every person whom they happened to meet must readily have suspected who they were, and for what reason they had been employed on this expedition. In short, no free return lay open for them except through a thousand deaths. Assuredly they would not have encountered so much danger from blind and irrational impulse, nor would Joshua have exposed them to such manifest danger had they not been aware that all those nations, struck with terror from heaven, desired nothing so much as peace. For although they hated the children of Israel, still, having been subdued by so many overthrows, they did not dare to move a finger against them, and thus the surveyors proceeded in safety as through a peaceful territory, under the pretext either of trading, or at least of making a harmless visit. (163) It is also possible that they arranged themselves in different parties, and thus made the journey more secretly. It is certain, indeed, that there was only one source from which they could have derived all this courage and confidence, from trusting under the shadow of the wings of the Almighty, and thus having no fear of blind and stupid men. Hence the praise here bestowed on their ready will. For had they not been persuaded that the hands of those nations were tied up by supernal power, they would have had a just and honest cause for refusing. (164)
(162) Latin, “ Quasi ex praesenti aspectu.” French, “ Comme s’ils eussent este presens sur le lieu;” “As if they had been present on the spot.” — Ed.
(163) Latin, “ Innoxii hospites.” French, “ Estrangers innocens qui passent leur chemin;” “Innocent strangers passing on their way.” — Ed.
(164) These observations are made on the understanding that the survey made on this occasion was very minute, embracing, as Calvin here expresses it, all the “various windings and turnings,” so as not to leave a single corner unexamined, and extending with the same minuteness, not only to the lands actually conquered, but to those still in the undisputed possession of the original inhabitants. Assuming this to be the fact, the dangers to be encountered by the surveyors are certainly not exaggerated in the very graphical description of them here given, and nothing but a series of miraculous interposition’s could have saved them. It may be suggested, however, that the object of the surveyors was only to obtain such a general measurement as might suffice, in the manner already explained, for the taking of the lot, and that such a measurement might possibly have been made without much danger of awakening the suspicion, or rousing the hostility of the actual inhabitants. That the survey was more cursory than minute seems to be indicated by the description given of it in Jos 18:9, “And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities.” — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
4. Give out Hebrews, appoint. The commission of twenty-one was fairly constituted; each tribe was equally represented.
[Describe it Write down in a book (compare Jos 18:9) a list of the cities, and a description of the different localities, and, as Rosenmuller observes, “what lands were barren, and what were fertile; whether a district were hilly or flat, whether well watered or destitute of springs, and any thing else which served to show the goodness of the soil, and the comparative worth of different localities.”
According to the inheritance of them That is, with reference to its being divided as an inheritance of the remaining seven tribes.] Josephus says, “Joshua thought the land should be divided by estimation of its goodness, rather than the largeness of its measure.” For the adjustment of the lots to the size of the tribes, see on Jos 13:6.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“ Appoint for yourselves three men for each tribe, and I will send them and they will arise and walk through the land and describe it according to their inheritance, and they shall come to me, and they will divide it into seven portions. Judah shall abide in his border on the south, and the house of Joseph shall abide in their border on the north, and you shall describe the land into seven portions and bring it here to me, and I will cast lots for you here before YHWH your God.”
“Three men” might mean literally three, or it may mean ‘a few’ as so often with ‘three’. But the onus was thrown on the tribes for selection. As a wise leader Joshua wanted them involved in all the decisions so that then they would feel that they were theirs and would be more enthusiastic. But it was Joshua who would send them. Their final instructions and guidance would come from him. He did not want them to make mistakes and make the future more difficult by carelessness.
“And they will arise and walk through the land.” This would pose no difficulties for a few sensible travellers. They could take on various guises and routes were already well travelled by strangers and traders of all kinds passing through the land. Not that there would not be dangers. There were always dangers when travelling. That was why they needed careful instruction and guidance from an expert.
“And describe it (write it down) according to their inheritance.” Writing was a familiar art to any educated Israelite (Jdg 8:14). Careful records had to be made by these surveyors so as to divide up the remaining land of their inheritance accurately and in accordance with the situations in each. They were to divide it up into seven sections, which would then be allocated by lot in the sight and presence of God at the Tabernacle.
“I will cast lots for you.” For the princes as representing the people.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jos 18:4 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.
Ver. 4. Give out from amongst you three men. ] Geodaetae, men skilful in surveying and map making; men of courage also and vigour, that dare undertake and can carry on such a dangerous enterprise.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
men. Hebrew, plural of ish or enosh. App-14.
go through = walk to and fro.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
three: Jos 18:3, Jos 3:12, Jos 4:2, Num 1:4, Num 13:2
describe: Jos 18:6, Jos 18:9
Reciprocal: Job 42:15 – gave Mic 2:5 – cast
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
18:4 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 {c} the inheritance of them; and they shall come [again] to me.
(c) That is, into seven portions, one to every tribe.