Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 18:1
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.
Ch. Jos 18:1-10. Erection of the Tabernacle at Shiloh
1. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel ] The descendants of Judah and of Joseph had now taken up their respective inheritances, the one in the south, the other in the north of the country. But “the murmuring,” it has been remarked, “of the children of Joseph, and the spirit from which it proceeded, gave sad indications of danger in the near future. National disintegration, tribal jealousies, coupled with boastfulness and unwillingness to execute the work given them of God, were only too surely foreboded in the conduct of the children of Joseph. If such troubles were to be averted, it was high time to seek a revival of religion.” Dr Edersheim’s Israel in Canaan under Joshua and the Judges, p. 94. The camp at Gilgal, therefore, was broken up, and the people removed to Shiloh, which was situated within the territory of Ephraim, Joshua’s own tribe.
The whole congregation of the children of Israel. This formula often recurs. Thus in Exo 16:1 we read, “And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin;” and again, Exo 16:9, “And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel.” Sometimes it is more brief, “ the congregation of Israel,” as in Exo 12:3, “Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel.” Sometimes more briefly still, “ the congregation,” as in Lev 4:15, “And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the Lord.” The Greek word here used is the same as that used by our Lord, Mat 16:18, “Upon this rock I will build My Church.” Originally it denoted an assembly of persons called out from among others by the voice of a herald, as, at Athens, for the purpose of legislation. It is applied to the Israelites, as being a nation called out by God from the rest of the world, to bear witness to His unity, to preserve His laws, to keep alive the hope of Redemption, and to exhibit the pattern of a people living in righteousness and true godliness. Hence, St Stephen says of Moses, that he was “in the Church (or congregation) in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina” (Act 7:38); again, David says in Psa 22:22, quoted in Heb 2:12, “I will declare Thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church (or congregation) will I sing praise unto Thee;” and again he says in Psa 26:12, “My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the Lord.”
assembled together at Shiloh ] Few places in respect to situation are described so accurately as Shiloh. In Jdg 21:19 it is said to have been situated “on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.” “In agreement with this, the traveller at the present day, going north from Jerusalem, lodges the first night at Beitn, the ancient Bethel; the next day, at the distance of a few hours, turns aside to the right, in order to visit Seiln, the Arabic for Shiloh; and then passing through the narrow Wady, which brings him to the main road, leaves el-Lebbn, the Lebonah of Scripture, on the left, as he pursues the ‘highway’ to Nblus, the ancient Shechem.” Smith’s Bibl. Dict. It was one of the earliest and most sacred of the Hebrew sanctuaries. “Its selection,” observes Dean Stanley, “may partly have arisen from its comparative seclusion, still more from its central situation. The most hallowed spot of that vicinity, Bethel, which might else have been more naturally chosen, was at this time still in the hands of the Canaanites (Jdg 1:23-27); and thus, left to choose the encampment of the Sacred Tent, not by old associations, but according to the dictates of convenience, the conquerors fixed on this retired spot in the heart of the country, where the allotment of the territory could be most conveniently made, north, south, east, and west, to the different tribes; and there the Ark remained down to the fatal day when its home was uprooted by the Philistines.” S. and P. p. 232. “It was a central point for all Israel, equidistant from north and south, easily accessible to the trans-Jordanic tribes, and in the heart of that hill-country which Joshua first subdued, and which remained, to the end of Israel’s history, the district least exposed to the attacks of Canaanitish or foreign invaders.” Tristram’s Land of Israel, p. 162. Here ( a) “the daughters of Shiloh” were seized by the Benjamites (Jdg 21:19-23); here ( b) Samuel spent his boyhood in the service of the Lord, and as an attendant upon the aged Eli (1Sa 3:19-21); here ( c) the wicked conduct of the sons of that pontiff occasioned the loss of the Ark of the Covenant, and Shiloh from that day forward sank into insignificance (1Sa 2:17; 1Sa 4:12), for the Lord “forsook the tabernacle” there, “the tent that He had pitched among men; He refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim ” (Psa 78:60; Psa 78:67). “Shiloh is a mass of shapeless ruins, scarcely distinguishable from the rugged rocks around them. No one relic could we trace which in any way pointed to earlier times among all the wasted stone-heaps which crowded the broken terraces. So utterly destroyed is the house of the ark of God, the home of Eli and of Samuel. ‘Go ye now unto My place which was in Shiloh, where I set My Name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of My people Israel’ (Jer 7:12).” Tristram’s Land of Israel, p. 161.
the tabernacle of the congregation ] i.e. the tabernacle, or, tent of meeting. The phrase has the meaning of a place of or for a fixed meeting. This thought comes out in Exo 25:22, “there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat;” in Exo 30:6, “before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee;” and especially in Exo 29:42-43, “This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord; where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee: and there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory.” “Not the gathering of the worshippers only, but the meeting of God with His people, to commune with them, to make Himself known to them, was what the name embodied.” See Smith’s Bibl. Dict. After the catastrophe when the Ark fell into the hands of the Philistines, the Tabernacle was removed (i) to Nob (1Sa 21:1), and (ii) when that place was destroyed by Saul (1Sa 22:19), to Gibeon (1Ki 3:4).
was subdued before them ] The word rendered “subdued” denotes to “ tread under the feet.” Comp. Gen 1:28, “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it;” and Jer 34:16, “But ye turned and polluted My name, and caused every man his servant to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.” The verse seems to imply that immediately after the conquest of the land, it was the intention of the Israelites to set up the sacred Tent, but that this purpose could not be carried into effect until the tribe, in the midst of which the Lord had intended it to stand, had received its inheritance. See Keil’s Commentary.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
After all overt resistance was overcome, the tabernacle with its sacred contents was removed from its place of safety at Gilgal, in a corner of the land near the Jordan, to a central place, Shiloh, the modern Scilun, which is two or three miles east of the main road, and rather more than half way between Jerusalem and Nablous. Its choice as the national sanctuary may indeed have been determined by Joshua, no doubt under divine direction Deu 12:11, because of its insignificance, in order to avoid local jealousies, as well as because of its position in the very center of the whole land, and perhaps also because of its seclusion. Its very name (rest) was probably bestowed at this juncture when God had given the people rest from their enemies. The tabernacle with its contents continued at Shiloh during the whole period of the Judges, until its capture by the Philistines. Shiloh 1Sa 4:3-4 seems to have fallen into desolation at an early date Jer 7:12; Jer 26:6.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Jos 18:1-28
The whole congregation . . . assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle.
Religion in the new land
An event of great importance now occurs; the civil arrangements of the country are in a measure provided for, and it is time to set in order the ecclesiastical establishment. First, a place has to be found as the centre of the religious life; next, the tabernacle has to be erected at that place–and this is to be done in the presence of all the congregation. It is well that a godly man like Joshua is at the head of the nation: a less earnest servant of God might have left this great work unheeded. How often, in the emigrations of men, drawn far from their native land in search of a new home, have arrangements for Divine service been forgotten! In such cases the degeneracy into rough manners, uncouth ways of life, perhaps into profanity, debauchery, and lawlessness, has usually been awfully rapid. On the other hand, when the rule of the old puritan has been followed, Wherever I have a house, there God shall have an altar; when the modest spire of the wooden church in the prairie indicates that regard has been had to the gospel precept–Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you–a touch of heaven is imparted to the rude and primitive settlement; we may believe that the spirit of Christ is not unknown; the angels of virtue and piety are surely hovering round it. The narrative is very brief, and no reason is given why Shiloh was selected as the religious centre of the nation. We should have thought that the preference would have been given to Shechem, a few miles north, in the neighbourhood of Ebal and Gerizim, which had already been consecrated in a sense to God. That Shiloh had been chosen by Divine direction we can hardly doubt, although there may have been reasons of various kinds that commended it to Joshua. Situated about half-way between Bethel and Shechem, in the tribe of Ephraim, it was close to the centre of the country, and, moreover, not difficult of access for the eastern tribes. Here, then, assembled the whole congregation of the children of Israel, to set up the tabernacle, probably with some such rites as David performed when it was transferred from the house of Obed-Edom to Mount Zion. Hitherto it had remained at Gilgal, the headquarters and depot of the nation. The whole congregation that now assembled does not necessarily mean the whole community, but only selected representatives, not only of the part that had been engaged in warfare, but also of the rest of the nation. (W. G. Blaikie, D. D.)
How long are ye slack to go to possess the land?—
Joshuas remonstrance
I. Is not the goodly portion freely provided, and waiting your acceptance? Hath not the Lord God of your fathers freely given you a title to the country of peace and rest in heaven? May not an entrance be ministered unto you abundantly? &c. His hand broke asunder your chains, when ye lay helpless in the land of your spiritual bondage–when Satan was your taskmaster, sin your service, and death your wages. He paid the full ransom of your deliverance. The same hand which took you forth from the captivity and death of sin has still led you onward, cheered with increasing hope of reposing in the kingdom and glory of Jesus Christ. As your day, so has your strength been. Is there then, in the little circle of perishing enjoyments around you, is there, even among the present spiritual privileges with which Divine love has invested you, anything sufficiently great to satisfy the aspirations of one who looks for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life?
II. Is not the attainment of salvation the great business of life, to which ye should be devoted? Your life, in its best and only worthy acceptation, consists not in seeking what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, and wherewithal ye shall be clothed, and how ye shall enjoy the present, and be aggrandised for the future; but in holy resolve and aim to seek the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. Be your portion of present advantages, whether temporal or spiritual, what it may, let it not absorb your minds, that ye may rest upon it, and seek nothing beyond. Do not live so much beneath your privileges as to be satisfied with the mere shadow of good; while the pure, perfect, unsatiating, and everlasting reality solicits you in vain.
III. Have ye not lost time enough already? If we look inward to the experience of our own hearts–if we recollect the testimony of years past and gone, they will surely speak of long and guilty inattention to the duty of serving God who hath called us to His kingdom and glory. How many opportunities have ye possessed of walking with God, like Enoch, and of illustrating the holy character of His religion so unequivocally, that men must have taken knowledge of you that you had been with Jesus! What then remains? Redeem the time by an increasing zeal and diligence to do the work of God, and to attain by His grace a meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light. (R. P. Buddicom, M. A.)
Slack to possess
The weakness of our nature discovers itself, even under the most prosperous and encouraging circumstances. This degrades our conquests and diminishes the glory of our triumphs. Either self-indulgence, indolence, or indifference was the cause why they were slack to go to possess the land. The luxury of new and undisturbed possessions succeeding to the incessant toils and privations of warfare too long, and it may be too immoderately, entwined about their earthly affections, and retained them in the lap of indulgence. A condition like this, so congenial with the fleshly desires of the heart, induced a frame of indolence which was not only indisposed but might render them indifferent to new achievements, How unfavourable to those energies and exertions which require the mortification of self-indulgence as a condition of uninterrupted prosperity! This has often been found attended with more dangerous results than even the most pressing adversity. Who has not needed this reproof again and again? Why are ye slack to go to possess the land? Present gratifications have made us indifferent to future interests; and private satisfactions to public duties. Let the Christian remember that he owes much to the interests of others, not only to the present, but even to future generations, as far as concerns the Church of God; and therefore, to live to himself, inclosed within the narrow limits of his own person and concerns, is unworthy the greatness of his character, and far beneath the dignity of his being. Though nothing were wanting to render complete our personal estate or family patrimony, yet let us remember that we have much to achieve for others, for our brethren, and the cause of truth, that require self-denying and self-sacrificing exertions. (W. Seaton.)
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Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
CHAPTER XVIII
The tabernacle is set up at Shiloh, 1.
Seven of the tribes having not yet received their inheritance, 2.
Joshua orders three men from each tribe to be chosen, and sent
to examine the land and divide it into seven parts, which
should be distributed among them by lot, 3-7.
The men go and do as commanded, and return to Joshua, 8, 9.
Joshua casts lots for them, 10.
The lot of Benjamin, how situated, 11.
Its northern boundaries, 12-14.
Its southern boundaries, 15-19.
Its eastern boundary, 20.
Its cities, 21-28.
NOTES ON CHAP. XVIII
Verse 1. Israel assembled together at Shiloh] This appears to have been a considerable town about fifteen miles from Jerusalem, in the tribe of Ephraim, and nearly in the centre of the whole land. To this place both the camp of Israel, and the ark of the Lord, were removed from Gilgal, after a residence there of seven years. Here the tabernacle remained one hundred and thirty years, as is generally supposed, being the most conveniently situated for access to the different tribes, and for safety, the Israelites having possession of the land on all sides; for it is here added, the land was subdued before them – the Canaanites were so completely subdued, that there was no longer any general resistance to the Israelitish arms.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Set up the tabernacle of the congregation there, by Gods appointment, as is manifest from Deu 12:5, &c.; Jer 7:12. Hither it was removed from Gilgal, partly for the honour and conveniency of Joshua, that he being of the tribe of Ephraim, and seating himself there, might have the opportunity of consulting with God as oft as he desired and needed; and partly for the conveniency of all the tribes, that, being in the heart and centre of them, they might more easily resort to it from all places. Here the tabernacle continued for above three hundred years, even till Samuels days, 1Sa 1:3.
And the land, or, for the land, because these words contain a reason of the former action: the particle and is oft used for for, as hath been showed.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
1. the whole congregation . . .assembled together at ShilohThe main body of the Israeliteshad been diminished by the separation of the three tribes, Judah,Ephraim, and Manasseh into their respective allotments; and thecountry having been in a great measure subdued, the camp was removedto Shiloh (now Seilun). It was twenty or twenty-five miles north ofJerusalem, twelve north of Beth-el, and ten south of Shechem, andembosomed in a rugged and romantic glen. This sequestered spot in theheart of the country might have been recommended by the dictates ofconvenience. There the allotment of the territory could be mostconveniently made, north, south, east, and west, to the differenttribes. But “the tabernacle of the congregation was also set upthere,” and its removal therefore must have been made orsanctioned by divine intimation (De12:11). It remained in Shiloh for more than three hundred years(1Sa 4:1-11).
Jos18:2-9. THE REMAINDEROF THE LANDDESCRIBED.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh,…. The whole body of the people, men, women, and children, as well as the camp, Jos 18:9; at least all that had not received their inheritances in the land. Hither they came from Gilgal, where the camp and tabernacle had been ever since their passage over Jordan; but now the land being in the main subdued, that was too far off both for the camp and tabernacle, and therefore they moved further into the land, and nearer Jerusalem, where in time the tabernacle was to be placed. The place they assembled at, Shiloh, was in the tribe of Ephraim, of which tribe Joshua was, and whose lot and inheritance was now fixed, and it was not far from Jerusalem, about two leagues. Jerom says u it was ten miles from, Neapolis or Shechem, in the country of Acrabatena; and that there were scarce any ruins of it to be seen in his day, only an altar demolished was shown w. It seems to have its name from the peaceable condition the land was now in, and very likely was now given it on that account:
and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there; no doubt by the appointment and direction of God, signified to Eleazar the high priest, either by a voice, or by Urim and Thummim; and the removal of it seemed necessary, partly that because several camps which surrounded it were now broken up and settled in their cities, as Reuben, Judah, and Ephraim; and partly that it might be near where Joshua, the governor of Israel, resided, Ephraim being his tribe; and also since Gilgal, on the borders of the land, was too far off for the people to resort to the tabernacle, and therefore it was, proper it should be more in the heart of the country: when this was done, cannot certainly be determined; Kimchi says it was fourteen years after the Israelites came into the land of Canaan; and so says x their chronology; but it is highly probable it was before that time, and not longer than seven or eight years at most; here the tabernacle continued, according to the Jewish writers y, three hundred sixty nine years, even unto the times of Samuel, when for the sins of the sons of Eli it was removed. Eupolemus z, an Heathen writer, speaks of the holy temple being fixed at Shiloh by Joshua:
and the land was subdued before them: the far greater part of it, and all so as to have no disturbance from, or war with, the inhabitants.
u De loc. Heb. fol. 94. I. w Comment. in Soph. c. 1. fol. 94. I. Epitaph. Paul. fol. 59. L. x Seder Olam Rabba, c. 11. p. 32. y Maimon. in Misn. Zebachim, c. 14. sect. 6. Bartenora in ib. sect. 7. Seder Olam Rabba, ut supra. (x) z Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 30. p. 447.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Tabernacle Set Up at Shiloh. – As soon as the tribe of Ephraim had received its inheritance, Joshua commanded the whole congregation to assemble in Shiloh, and there set up the tabernacle, in order that, as the land was conquered, the worship of Jehovah might henceforth be regularly observed in accordance with the law. The selection of Shiloh as the site for the sanctuary was hardly occasioned by the fitness of the place for this purpose, on account of its being situated upon a mountain in the centre of the land, for there were many other places that would have been quite as suitable in this respect; the reason is rather to be found in the name of the place, viz., Shiloh, i.e., rest, which called to mind the promised Shiloh ( Gen 49:10), and therefore appeared to be pre-eminently suitable to be the resting-place of the sanctuary of the Lord, where His name was to dwell in Israel, until He should come who was to give true rest to His people as the Prince of Peace. In any case, however, Joshua did not follow his own judgment in selecting Shiloh for this purpose, but acted in simple accordance with the instructions of God, as the Lord had expressly reserved to himself the choice of the place where His name should dwell (Deu 12:11). Shiloh, according to the Onom., was twelve Roman miles or five hours to the south of Neapolis (Nablus), and about eight hours to the north of Jerusalem; at present it is a heap of ruins, bearing the name of Seilun (see Rob. iii. p. 85). The tabernacle continued standing at Shiloh during the time of the judges, until the ark of the covenant fell into the hands of the Philistines, in the lifetime of Eli, when the holy tent was robbed of its soul, and reduced to the mere shadow of a sanctuary. After this it was removed to Nob (1Sa 21:2); but in consequence of the massacre inflicted by Saul upon the inhabitants of this place (1Sa 22:19), it was taken to Gibeon (1Ki 3:4: see Keil, Bibl. Arch. i. 22). From this time forward Shilloh continued to decline, because the Lord had rejected it (Psa 78:60; Jer 7:12; Jer 26:6). That it was destroyed by the Assyrians, as Knobel affirms, is not stated in the history.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| The Tabernacle at Shiloh. | B. C. 1444. |
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.
In the midst of the story of the dividing of the land comes in this account of the setting up of the tabernacle, which had hitherto continued in its old place in the centre of their camp; but now that three of the four squadrons that used to surround it in the wilderness were broken and diminished, those of Judah, Ephraim, and Reuben, by the removal of those tribes to their respective possessions, and that of Dan only remained entire, it was time to think of removing the tabernacle itself into a city. Many a time the priests and Levites had taken it down, carried it, and set it up again in the wilderness, according to the directions given them (Num. iv. 5, c.) but now they must do it for good and all, not one of the stakes thereof must any more be removed, nor any of the cords thereof broken, Isa. xxxiii. 20. Observe,
I. The place to which the tabernacle was removed, and in which it was set up. It was Shiloh, a city in the lot of Ephraim, but lying close upon the lot of Benjamin. Doubtless God himself did some way or other direct them to this place, for he had promised to choose the place where he would make his name to dwell, Deut. xii. 11. It is most probable God made known his mind in this matter by the judgment of Urim. This place was pitched upon, 1. Because it was in the heart of the country, nearer the centre than Jerusalem was, and therefore the more convenient for the meeting of all Israel there from the several parts of the country; it had been in the midst of their camp in the wilderness, and therefore must now be in the midst of their nation, as that which sanctified the whole, and was the glory in the midst of them. See Ps. xlvi. 5. 2. Because it was in the lot of that tribe of which Joshua was, who was now their chief magistrate, and it would be both for his honour and convenience and for the advantage of the country to have it near him. The testimony of Israel and the thrones of judgment do well together, Psa 122:4; Psa 122:5. 3. Some think there was an eye to the name of the place, Shiloh being the name by which the Messiah was known in dying Jacob’s prophecy (Gen. xlix. 10), which prophecy, no doubt, was well known among the Jews; the setting up of the tabernacle in Shiloh gave them a hint that in that Shiloh whom Jacob spoke of all the ordinances of this worldly sanctuary should have their accomplishment in a greater and more perfect tabernacle, Heb 9:1; Heb 9:11. And Dr. Lightfoot thinks that the place where the tabernacle was set up was therefore called Shiloh, because of the peaceableness of the land at this time; as afterwards in Salem was his temple, which also signifies peaceable.
II. The solemn manner of doing it: The whole congregation assembled together to attend the solemnity, to do honour to the ark of God, as the token of his presence, and to bid it welcome to its settlement. Every Israelite was interested in it, and therefore all testified their joy and satisfaction upon this occasion. See 2 Sam. vi. 15. It is probable those tribes that were yet encamped when the tabernacle was removed to Shiloh decamped from Gilgal and pitched about Shiloh, for every true Israelite will desire to fix where God’s tabernacle fixed. Mention is made, on this occasion, of the land being subdued before them, to intimate that the country, hereabouts at least, being thoroughly reduced, they met with no opposition, nor were they apprehensive of any danger, but thought it time to make this grateful acknowledgment of God’s goodness to them in the constant series of successes with which he had blessed them. It was a good presage of a comfortable settlement to themselves in Canaan, when their first care was to see the ark well settled as soon as they had a safe place ready to settle it in. Here the ark continued about 300 years, till the sins of Eli’s house forfeited the ark, lost it and ruined Shiloh, and its ruins were long after made use of as warnings to Jerusalem. Go, see what I did to Shiloh,Jer 7:12; Psa 78:60.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Joshua – Chapter 18
Land Still Unallotted, vs. 1-10
The time of the event now under consideration occurred when the war of conquest had ended and the tribes of Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh had received their allotments. Shiloh was chosen as the permanent site of the tabernacle, now that the wilderness wandering is at an end and the land is being divided. Shiloh was near the center of the land on the west of Jordan, in the tribe of Ephraim, near the border of Manasseh.
There remained seven tribes which had not taken up their inheritance. The implication from the text is that they were not greatly concerned that they had not received their inheritance. It would seem that they had grown used to camping around the tabernacle and were satisfied with that mode of living. Joshua accuses them of slackness in going into their inheritance, and with this rebuke instructs them to prepare to decamp.
This they would do first, by choosing three men of each of the seven tribes to travel over the unallotted lands, surveying and describing them, subject to their assignment by lot.
Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh and the three and a half tribes on the east of Jordan were not involved in this. The survey parties are to bring back their descriptions to Joshua, at Shiloh, and there he would cast lots to determine which tribe received each allotment.
He emphasized once again the unique allotment of the Levites. It could not be over-emphasized that this tribe had a very important place, scattered in various cities. throughout all the tribes, of maintaining’ worship of the Lord according to His law.
So the twenty-one surveyors for the seven tribes walked through the land, making a description of it and its cities, which they recorded in a book. This was returned to Joshua at Shiloh, and he made the allotment to each of the tribes according as its lot came up. That record now follows.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
1. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel, etc Here we have a narrative of the celebrated convention held in Shiloh, where it was deliberated, as to the casting of the remaining lots. For although with pious zeal they had attempted the casting of lots, yet the proceeding had been interrupted, as if victory behooved to precede the distribution which depended solely on the mouth of God. They assemble, therefore, in Shiloh to determine what was necessary to be done in future. And there is no doubt that Joshua summoned this meeting in order to raise them from their lethargy. For they do not come forward spontaneously with any proposal, but he begins with upbraiding them with having been sluggish and remiss in entering on the inheritance which God had bestowed upon them. It is easy to infer from his speech that they had shown great alacrity at the outset, but that there had been no perseverance.
And yet that obedience, which shortly after grew languid, was honored with the approbation of the Holy Spirit. It is to be observed that the people are blamed, not for neglecting to proceed to the lot, but for not occupying the inheritance divinely offered to them. And, certainly, as the distribution by lot was a sign of confidence, so each district which fell out to each was a sure and faithful pledge of future possession; for the Lord was by no means deluding them in assigning to each his portion.
The word דפה, which I have translated “to cease,” signifies also to be remiss or feeble. He charges them, therefore, with base heartlessness, in that while the full time for routing the enemy had arrived, they by their delays retard and suspend the effect of the divine goodness. For had they been contented with the bare lot, and faithfully embraced the results which it gave, they would doubtless have been prompt and expeditious in carrying on the war, nay, would have hastened like conquerors to a triumph.
The ark is said to have been stationed at Shiloh, (161) not only that the consultation might be graver and more sacred, as held in the presence of God, but because it was a completely subjugated place, and safe from all external violence and injury. For it behooved to be their special care to prevent its exposure to sudden assault. No doubt the hand of God would have been stretched to ward off attacks of the enemy from any quarter; still, however, though God dwelt among them, they were to be regarded as its guardians and attendants.
But although a station for the ark was then chosen, it was not a perpetual abode, but only a temporary lodging. For it was not left to the will or suffrages of the people to fix the seat where God should dwell, but they behooved to wait for the period so often referred to in the Law, when he was to establish the memorial of his name elsewhere. This was at length accomplished when Mount Zion was set apart for the Temple. For this reason it is said in the Psalm,
“
Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.” (Psa 122:2)
These words intimate that up to that time the ark was pilgrimating. At last the ruin and devastation of Shiloh showed that no rank or dignity can screen those who corrupt the blessings of God from his vengeance. Up to the death of Eli, God allowed his sacred name to be worshipped there; but when all religion was polluted by the impiety of the priests, and almost abolished by the ingratitude of the people, that spot became to posterity a signal monument of punishment. Accordingly, Jeremiah tells the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who were proudly boasting of their Temple, to turn their eyes to that example. Speaking in the name of the Lord, he says,
“
Go you now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.” (Jer 7:12)
(161) This place, which afterwards became so celebrated as the fixed station of the ark and tabernacle during the remainder of Joshua’s life and the rule of the Judges, down to the tragical death of Eli, is described in Jud 21:19, as “On the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.” This minute description corresponds with a place now called Seilun, which is situated about twenty miles N.N.E. from Jerusalem, and has several ruins indicative of an ancient site. If this was the place, it stood nearly in the center of the country, and was thus the most convenient which could have been selected. While its locality made it easily accessible from all quarters, its site, in the heart of a basin completely enclosed by hills except on the south, where a narrow valley opens into a plain, admirably adapted it for the still and solemn performance of religious services. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
THE DIVISION OF THE LAND
Joshua, Chapters 13 to 19 and 21, 22.
Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed (Jos 13:1). This is the land that yet remaineth, etc.
MEN grow old differently. Some men remain hale and hearty. Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated (Deu 34:7). Others are weighted with years, and feebleness is their lot. Joshua has been a mighty man; and yet, more than a century has swept over his head, and the Lord is reminding him that the end is near, and what remains to be done must have prompt attention. When the field yet to be occupied is Divinely surveyed, its immensity astonishes us, and suggests an essential truth, namely, that no matter what battles have been successfully fought, and what great victories have been won, there remaineth always much land to be possessed. One of the sad things about growing old exists in that very circumstance. What man ever accomplished marvelous resultsresults that amazed his fellows, without realizing that what he has done is small beside what he would like to live to do?
Youth has its ideals, and age sometimes experiences the realization of those ideals to a large degree, but in the very process of accomplishment, larger things have loomed before the worker; greater plans have evolved, and when life is drawing to a close, one feels that he has only succeeded in laying foundations, and yearns to live that he
might build thereon. But time moves, and the man who puts his stamp permanently upon it must remember his numbered days and wisely utilize till the last.
This division of the land relates itself to the twelve tribes, and in the appointments there will necessarily result some disputations.
THE EAST SIDE
This received first attention, as is shown in chapter 13.
There were conquests yet to be accomplished. We will not attempt to follow these borders and to show the exact location and limitation of each tribal occupancy. That were a work of super-erogation. Almost any good Bible carries a map showing these tribal locations in colors, and a moments glance of the eye at such a diagram would accomplish more than extended discussion. Let us learn, rather, the spiritual significance of this further occupancy of the soil.
What man ever lives long enough to do all that he ought to do; to put down all the enemies that ought to be trampled under his feet; to occupy all the territory that he himself should conquer? Not one! On the other hand, the best that we can do is to hope in our successors. Christ Himself was shut up to that necessity. When Luke came to write the Book of the Acts, he said, The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach (Act 1:1). How strange a sentence to employ with reference to the Son of God! We thought Jesus finished. Did He not say on the cross, It is finished? Was not His work in the world complete before the last breath went from His body? Nay, verily! He completed but one task and that was to make an atonement for the people. As for His deeds and His teaching, they were only beginnings; as for the progress of His church, it was in its infancy; as for the bringing in of His kingdom, that was a far-off event. He only began to do and to teach. His disciples, His Church; they must carry on. Joshua must die, but Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, must occupy the East Side. It was theirs to complete what Moses and Joshua had commenced; it was theirs to inherit and subdue the plains of Moab on the other side of Jordan by Jericho eastward.
The pledge of Moses was now to be fulfilled to them. The Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond Jordan eastward (Jos 13:8).
Joshua, then, was not to settle the question of that section. It was settled already; but Joshua was Gods agent to make good to Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh what Moses pledged.
In Jesus, our Joshua, we find both the execution of the law and the fulfillment of prophecy. It is in Him that we have both made sure to all believers.
The Lord was to be the portion of the Levites. But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as He said unto them (Jos 13:33).
That sounds like scant treatment, but, as a matter of fact, thats a declaration of great riches. What man is to be envied as that man who has the Lord for his inheritance? Is he not the richest and the most honored of all men? Is he not to be the most envied of all heirs? Can he not sing with good occasion,
My Father is rich in houses and lands,
He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands!
Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold,
His coffers are fullHe has riches untold.
Im a child of the King, a child of the King!
With Jesus, my Saviour, Im a child of the King?
Moses fell heir to honor and fortune. His adoption into Pharaohs house made him the child of both, but the day came when he deliberately chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward (Heb 11:25-26).
Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley
THE WEST SIDE
Chapters 14 to 21.
The apportionment was in fulfillment of prophecy. If one doubts that prophecy is the mold of history, let him read the forty-ninth chapter of Genesis and follow it with chapters fourteen to twenty-one of Joshua, and he will discover that these tribes were finally located, as Jacob, the father of twelve, declared when dying.
Who will say that life is a lottery, that affairs are mere accidents? Who will doubt that the end is known to God from the beginning, or say that He operates without a plan? Who will claim that a blind force, known as Energy, or Nature, is weaving the web of human history? Certainly not the man who has intelligently studied his Bible.
The apportionment expressed the estimate of the tribe. These tribes do not fare alike. Apparently no effort whatever is made to put them on an equal basis. Back in Num 26:54-55, it was written concerning this very distribution of the land,
To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him.
Notwithstanding the Land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
There is a difference, then, between the lot of men-shuffling, and the lot that God employs. The first is a mere chance, and by it the noblest may be cheated. The last is an absolute science and expresses a perfect judgment. Gods lots work no injustice. The principle employed in the distribution of these lands to the nine and one-half tribes, or, for that matter, to the twelve tribes, is the principle of the New Testament parable of the talents, where to one the absent Lord gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability (Mat 25:15).
Thats the basis, doubtless, of the apportionment to the tribes. God knew what ones of them would conquer a mountain; what ones of them would clear a forest; what ones of them would cultivate a plain; what ones of them would make to blossom a desert, and distributed them accordingly.
The occupancy of America illustrates the fact that God does not cease to give men opportunity according to their several abilities, nor quit locating them according to character and custom. Who will doubt that the Mississippi region and almost our entire southern border was intelligently occupied by the Spanish; that the northeast states flourish the better in the possession of English, Irish and Scotch; that the central west was adapted to the German; the northwest to the Scandinavian? A little careful study will illustrate the fact that these occupations were not mere accidents, but in each and every instance the people possessing were adapted to the climatic and industrial conditions of the particular section settled.
The Levite occupied the entire land. He had no territory that he could claim, but he was given a place in certain cities and distributed among all the tribes. There was a double reason for that fact. First, every tribe needed both the service and ensample of the Levite. Any people who propose to occupy a land, and have among them no ministers, will eventually demonstrate that irreligion cannot create a successful state, and never in history has built a strong nation.
Again, distributed through the nations, they could have their living by the nations. Every community, in self-interest, should sustain a priest unto Goda minister of the Divine will, and if the law of God is regarded, every ten families in the world could maintain a minister and let him live on an absolute equality with them, for that is the law of the tithe. And when one has his living and the conscious presence of the Lord, what greater riches are needed? Let David sing of such, The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage (Psa 16:5-6).
POINTS OF DISPUTATION
The reading of these nine chapters brings us face to face with the fact that humanity is the same in all ages. It would not be expected that so intricate a service as the location of so many people could be accomplished without dispute. In some instances, that dispute would be short-lived, and for the most part, a cordial discussion; and in others, it would border on battle itself. To three of these, let us call brief attention. First,
Caleb presented an unselfish and righteous claim to the mountain. The record of this is found in the fourteenth chapter, Jos 14:6-15. In this record, Caleb reminds Joshua of Moses promise to him. It must then have been understood that Moses was Gods man and that his word was regarded of God. It is a great thing to so live that men will look on our word as Gods Word, and even after we are buried, will appeal to what we have spoken as truth too sacred to be forgotten and disregarded. Caleb claims that Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy childrens for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God (Jos 14:9).
Again, there is a bit of an old mans boast in Calebs words, I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me. We are not condemning Caleb for making it; we are admiring him, rather. It is a fine thing for an old man to feel his strength and to believe that, no matter how many years have passed over his head, he is still equal to war, still ready to meet giants and drive them out. We have a few such old men friends! They are a joy, an encouragement, an inspirationgreat men who renew their strength in God and who, to their last breath, do valiant battle.
Caleb was the one man that joined Joshua in making a report on the land of Canaan, and in that report he admitted that there were giants in the mountains, but declared, We are well able to overcome it.
Forty-five years have swept by, and the indomitable spirit still lives, and Caleb, even now, illustrates the truth of the words spoken when he was yet a young man. He conquered because he hath wholly followed the Lord God.
The fifteenth chapter records
Achsahs request for springs of water. Caleb was of the tribe of Judah, and when he went forth to conquer, and found Kirjath-sepher a stronghold difficult to take, he proposed to give his daughter in marriage to the man who should conquer it, and Othniel, his brother, accepted the challenge and effected the conquest.
Evidently Achsah was a woman of spirit and craved more than had fallen to her lot, and consequently, when her timid husband would not ask, she requested of Caleb a blessing, and an addition to her southland springs of water, and he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs. This, also, is suggestive. Who is content to dwell in an arid land when the Father has springs in His control, and who will doubt that these springs have their symbolic meaning, their spiritual suggestion?
Do we not recall that marvelous chapter in Johns Gospel when Christ met the woman at the well and asked her to give Him to drink, and she answered,
How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of Me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.
The woman saith unto Him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life (Joh 4:9-14).
Let us not hesitate to ask our Father for water, Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation (Isa 12:3).
Finally, the schismatic altar of Reuben and Gad. The record of this is in the twenty-second chapter. This was a dispute that approached the fatal. The altar erected by Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, was misjudged by the congregation of the Children of Israel. They looked upon it as a departure from the Lord and they proposed to abolish it, and, if need be, destroy their brethren rather than suffer such an altar to live. Was their spirit wrong? Yes and No. They were not wrong in deciding that no false altar should live; they were not wrong in determining that rather than permit its existence, they would indulge in a civil war. War is horrible, and of all wars, a war between brethren is the most to be deplored. But there are some things worse than war, and idolatry is one of them, and sin is one of them. They had already seen what the sin of Achan had wrought. They had witnessed thousands of their brethren perish because Gods Word had been disregarded, and they did not propose to pass through a kindred experience and be silent on the subject. In that they were righta thousand times right.
The church that supposes itself to be Christian because its officials and members are so good-natured that they will not quarrel with the false teacher in their midst, is a church guilty of the grossest folly. The time will come when that very teaching will divide and disrupt the body, and, in all probability, destroy it altogether. History has illustrations in hundreds of cases of this identical result. Far better to call a brother to account for his false altars and false philosophy and false religion than to keep the peace.
But, on the other hand, the nine and one-half tribes were mistaken in supposing this was a false altar, and mistaken in their judgment of the motive that erected it. We want to be sure that men who are not worshiping in our particular house are thereby men who have departed from God before we fight against them. The old denominational controversies that raged white-hot were, for the most part, unjustifiable. The refusal to fellowship a man, and the proposal to fight a man because he approaches God in other ceremonials than we employ, or other sanctuaries than we have erected, is far from Christian. The great question is, Does he worship God and acknowledge the Lordship of His Son Jesus Christ, and the guidance of His Holy Spirit? If so, he is our brother, and with his conduct we should be pleased, and the altar of true worship should be a witness between us that the Lord is God.
Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley
THE ENCAMPMENT AT SHILOH, AND A FURTHER DIVISION OF THE LAND
CRITICAL NOTES.
Jos. 18:1. Shiloh]=Place of rest, or of tranquillity; the word apparently pointing to the fulfilment of the promise in Deu. 12:5; Deu. 12:9-11. Shiloh is now called Seiln. In Jdg. 21:19, it is placed on the north side of Bethel, east of the road from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah. The tabernacle of the congregation] Luther = tent of the covenant; Calvin = tabernacle of convention. Prof. Plumtre, remarking that the primary force of y ad is to meet by appointment, says that hel md means a place of or for a fixed meeting. He would therefore translate, tent of meeting; to which Crosby adds the idea, where the meeting is that of God and men, rather than of men together, as in the word for congregation used in the beginning of this verse. With the view of expressing somewhat more fully the idea of meeting to commune with men, made emphatic in such passages as Exo. 25:22, Ewald suggested the phrase, tent of revelation. And the land was subdued before them] That is, there was nothing to hinder the setting up of the tabernacle, the surrounding district being entirely subjugated. Crosby strangely imagines, from this remark, that there had been some formidable insurrection of the Canaanites that broke off the division at Gilgal. Possibly there may have been, but it is not mentioned.
Jos. 18:4. Three men for each tribe] Probably meaning three men for each of the seven tribes whose inheritance had not yet been apportioned, but possibly including, also, representatives from Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh. According to the inheritance of them] The phrase, lpht nachlthm is thus explained by Clericus and Rosenmller, according to the size of the tribes, each family of which was to receive an inheritance. To this Masius has properly objected, How could the surveyors make such and such a province great or small in proportion to the size of such and such a tribe, when it had still to be decided by the lot, where each tribe was to be located? Lpht nachlhm can only mean having regard to the fact that they were to receive it as an inheritance, or. as it is explained in Jos. 18:5-6, with reference to its being divided into seven parts, which could be allotted as an inheritance to the seven tribes. [Keil.]
Jos. 18:5. Judah shall abide, etc.] The three tribes here named were to remain in the positions already chosen for them by the lot. But this did not prevent the subsequent revision of the extent of the lots, which, after the survey, was found to be necessary, when Judah had to make room for both Dan and Simeon.
Jos. 18:6. Before the Lord our God] Before the door of the tabernacle, as explained in chap. Jos. 19:51.
Jos. 18:9. Described it by cities into seven parts in a book] There is no evidence here, as many have supposed, for a careful survey of the country by actual measurement. Seeing that the Canaanites still held a considerable portion of the land (cf. chap. Jos. 13:1-6, etc.), such a survey seems highly improbable, if not impossible. Most likely the surveyors merely made catalogues of the cities, arranging them into seven groups, and making such notes of their size, and of the characteristic features and extent of the surrounding country as they were able. In any case, there is nothing in these verses to warrant elaborate speculations about maps, mensuration, and the ancient art of land-surveying. Looking at the usual method of describing the territory of the tribes; first by boundaries or borders, and then by an enumeration of the cities contained within such border-lines, we have in this alone some indication of the character of the work done by these surveyors. On the other hand, there is absolutely no trace of mensurationno allusion whatever to quantities or size.
Jos. 18:10. There Joshua divided the land, etc.] This was in addition to the casting of the lots, mentioned in the first part of this verse. That is to say, Joshua first cast lots to determine which of the seven groups of cities, with their surrounding territory, should go to each of the seven tribes; he then divided the land by readjusting the groups of cities themselves, according to the size of the tribe to which any particular group had fallen. A small tribe would have its lot made smaller, while a numerous tribe would have its lot increased by the cities and lands thus taken from the tribe of fewer people. This would be according to the law of division which God gave through Moses (Num. 33:54).
Jos. 18:11-20. The lot of the tribe of Benjamin] This, it is said, came up and came forth; both expressions allude to the drawing up or forth from the urn. The borders of Benjamin, described in these verses, have already been partly given in defining the southern border of Ephraim, on the north, and the northern border of Judah, on the south of this tribe.
Jos. 18:12-13. Their border on the north side] Cf. on chap. Jos. 16:1-3, as far as to the lower Beth-horon.
Jos. 18:14. Compassed the corner of the sea southward] Heb.=turned round on the west side toward the south, or on the sea side, i.e., on that side of the tribe which lay seaward. In the close of this verse, the word ym is rendered west; and as the territory of Benjamin did not go near the sea, the word should obviously have the same meaning here. In Exo. 27:12; Exo. 38:12, where path-ym is used in relation to the court of the tabernacle, it is necessarily translated on the west side. The sea being on the west of Palestine, ym (=the sea) seems frequently to have been used much in the same way that the phrase, toward the sun-rising, was employed to denote the east. Kirjath-jearim] One of the four cities of the Gibeonites (chap. Jos. 19:17), situated on the northern boundary of Judah (chap. Jos. 15:9), and belonging to that tribe (chap. Jos. 15:60), as stated also in this verse. It afterwards became notable in connection with the Danite encampment, and as the residence for twenty years of the ark of the Lord.
Jos. 18:15-19. The south quarter] This corresponds with the north border of Judah, as given in chap. Jos. 15:5-9, excepting that it is here taken from west to east.
Jos. 18:21. The cities of the tribe] These are divided into two groups, the first containing twelve cities, and the second fourteen. Some of them have already been noticed. The valley of Keziz] This is said to have been a city, and should therefore be read Emek Keziz. The LXX.= Fay notices that Van de Velde and Knobel refer to a Wady el-Kaziz, east of Jerusalem.
Jos. 18:22. Zemaraim] Earlier witers suppose that it stood upon Mount Zemaraim, one of the mountains of Ephraim, where Abijah besieged Jeroboam (2Ch. 13:4). In that case it must be looked for in the mountains to the south of Bethel. [Keil.] The Zemarites, once mentioned as a Canaanite tribe (Gen. 10:18), reappear in the local name of Mount Zemaraim in Benjamin, 2Ch. 13:4, and Jos. 18:22. [Dean Stanley.]
Jos. 18:23. Avim] Since Avim here follows directly after Bethel, while Ai, which stood near Bethel, is not mentioned, it is natural with Knobel to regard Avim as identical with Ai, which is also called Aiah (Neh. 13:11), and Aiath (Isa. 10:23). The signification of all these names is essentially the same; ruins, heaps, stone-heaps (Mic. 1:6; see Gesen.) [Fay.] Parah] Thought to be Frah, on the Wady Frah, to the west of Jericho. Ophrah] Perhaps the same as Ophrah in 1Sa. 13:17, Ephraim in 2Ch. 13:19, Joh. 11:54, and now known as Taiyibeh. It must not be confused with Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites, which was probably in Manasseh.
Jos. 18:24. Chephar-haammonai and Ophni] Both unknown, and not mentioned elsewhere. Gaba] Elsewhere, Geba, which, says Keil, we must distinguish from Gibeah, or the Gibeah of Saul, which is also sometimes called Geba. (Compare Isa. 10:29, 1Ki. 15:22, Jos. 21:17.) In Ezr. 2:26, Neh. 7:30, it is again called Gaba.
Jos. 18:25. Ramah]=a lofty place. Now er-Ram. It is frequently mentioned, and its position is clearly indicated by Jdg. 4:5; Jdg. 19:13, 1Ki. 15:22. It should be carefully distinguished from Ramah, the birthplace of Samuel, in Mount Ephraim. Mizpeh] Not the same with the Mizpeh of chap. Jos. 15:38, which stood in the Shephelah. There was also a Mizpeh in Moab (1Sa. 22:8), one in Gad (Jdg. 11:29), and a valley of the same name in the mountains of Lebanon (cf. Gesen., Mizpeh and Mizpah). Mizpeh of Benjamin is where Samuel judged the people (1Sa. 7:5-6; 1Sa. 7:16), and where Saul was chosen king (1Sa. 10:17). It is almost certainly the present Neby Samwil. Chephirah] Cf. chap. Jos. 9:3. The four cities which follow are unknown, and are only named in this place.
Jos. 18:28. Zelah] Mentioned in 2Sa. 21:14 as containing the sepulchre of Kish, where the remains of Saul and Jonathan were ultimately buried. Gibeath] The Gibea of Benjamin or Saul, so frequently referred to, which is still to be seen in the village of Jeba, between the Wady es-Suweinit and the Wady Frah [Keil.] Kirjath] Rosenmller and Maurer, according to Keil, identified this place with Kirjath-jearim. Smiths Dictionary also adopts this view to the extent of saying that there seems a strong probability that the latter part of the name has been omitted by copyists at some very early period. Keils remark, however, seems decisive: Von Raumer has properly opposed this conclusion, since Kirjath-jearim is not merely reckoned as one of the cities of Judah in chap. Jos. 15:60, but in chap. Jos. 18:14 is expressly called the city of the children of Judah. Knobel supposes that Kirjath may be Kerteh, west of Jerusalem, while Crosby mentions Khirbet el-Kuta, near Gibeah.
OUTLINES AND COMMENTS ON THE PARAGRAPHS
Jos. 18:1.THE ARK FINDING A RESTING-PLACE IN THE PLACE OF REST.
There can be little doubt but that the instruction to set up the tabernacle at Shiloh came from Jehovah Himself. This might be sufficiently clear from Deu. 12:5; Deu. 26:2, but it is made still more plain by the same words in Jos. 9:27. Not only Moses, but Joshua also, recognised it as the Divine will that the Lord Himself should choose the place in which He would put His name. God would have the tabernacle more permanently erected before the division of the land was completed; He would also have it set up at Shiloh, and thus make His resting-place, and the place where Israel should find rest spiritually, in a city whose very name was rest or tranquillity.
I. The time of setting up the ark.
1. It was after a long period of wandering. The stay in Egypt had been only a sojourn. To that long sojourn had succeeded the forty years wandering in the wilderness. Finally, to the wanderings in the wilderness there had been added seven years of marching and counter-marching over the land of Canaan itself. How grateful to many must have been this act of setting up the tabernacle at Shiloh! It was the initial step towards having a fixed home for themselves.
2. It was after severe and prolonged conflict. The strife which began at the overthrow of Sihon and Og, which took on new features at the fall of Jericho, and which, for the time being, was consummated in the destruction of the hosts of Jabin and the cities of northern Canaan, had been an arduous and bitter work. Many of the Israelites themselves may have fallen, although the history is singularly silent on this point, excepting that we are told, in connection with the defeat before Ai, that the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men. Any way, the setting up of the tabernacle must have been looked upon as indicating a blessed rest from the terrible conflicts of the past. The rest was not final and permanent, for there remained yet very much land to be possessed; yet, in the main, Canaan was won when the ark was thus set up at Shiloh. Such is the sense of rest when Christ is enthroned in the hearts of men individually. The peace which He gives stands in sweet contrast to the strife of the conscience with sin and unbelief. To believe in Him is not utter cessation from conflict, but it is the beginning of such a cessation to every man who is found faithful.
3. It was as the Israelites were about to enter upon their own personal inheritance. Ere most of them found a home, they set up together the tabernacle of the Lord. The way with many is to arrange business and domestic matters first, and to take afterwards, as they may find it, the religious provision of the neighbourhood in which they may have determined to settle. When starting, or starting afresh in life, they give no place whatever to religious considerations. Many ignore their spiritual wants altogether, even when they find nigh at hand facilities for the worship and service of God. There are not a few who might learn much from this ancient example.
II. The place of setting up the ark.
1. It was nearly in the centre of the land. It was as though Divine forethought would place the means of worship within reach of all the people, and render the service of the Lord as little burdensome as possible. Of Israel it should be said, God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved.
2. It was in one of the safest parts of the land. And, or For the land was subdued before them. Calvin remarks that the ark was stationed at Shiloh because it was a completely subjugated place, and safe from all external violence and injury. For it behoved to be the special care of the Israelites to prevent its exposure to sudden assault. No doubt the hand of God would have been stretched out to ward off attacks of the enemy from any quarter; still, however, though God dwelt among them, they were to be regarded as its guardians and attendants. As God kept the ark, so does He keep His truth and the honour of His name among men now. He means us to feel them to be our trust. As with the ark, God keeps the truth, but He keeps it by men. We are to feel responsible for making it as secure as possible. We are put in trust with the gospel.
3. It was in what also became the place of judgment. Here the claims of the wronged were heard. They can be heard nowhere so well as in the presence of the God of compassion and truth. Of the place where the Lord dwells, it should ever be said, There are set thrones of judgment. (Cf. also Deu. 17:9; 2Ch. 19:8.)
III. The time and place of setting up the ark, in their joint significance. After a long period of wandering and warfare, the ark was set up in a place, the very name of which pointed to tranquillity and rest. As this is the first time that Shiloh is mentioned in the Scriptures as the name of a city, it is possible that the name may have been given to the place on this occasion. This makes no difference to the significance of erecting the ark of rest in the city of rest. If the place was selected because it had previously borne this name, the circumstance is full of meaning; if, on the other hand, when it was determined to set up the tabernacle in this place, some old name was exchanged for the word Shiloh, the significance of such a conjunction is, perhaps, still more emphatic.
1. God dwells only where men rest. He makes His abode where men are at peace with Himself and at peace with each other. Where men rest in Him, there He tabernacles.
2. Men rest only where God dwells. There was only one Shiloh in Israel, and that was found in the place where Jehovah sat between the cherubim. With us, the accidents of description are changed, but the facts remain. Peace is only found through Him who said, My peace I leave with you; and where Christ dwells, surrounding enemies are not able to break the peace of His people. It is said that in the catacombs of Rome, one of the epitaphs very frequently met with is this, In Christo, in pace. Notwithstanding all the horrors of the Roman persecution, it remained truein Christ, in peace. It has always been thus: God dwells where men rest, and men rest where God dwells. In Salem (= peace) is His tabernacle; and it is there that His people learn to sing, Oh, rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.
IV. The period of the arks continuance at Shiloh, and the cause of its removal. The ark probably remained at Shiloh for rather more than three hundred years. At the end of this period the place was so polluted by the sins of Elis sons, that the Lord forsook it for ever. Though not in name, yet no less actually, Shiloh passed into Ichabod. Dean Stanley remarks: Shiloh is so utterly featureless, that, had it not been for the preservation of its name (Seitn), and for the extreme precision with which its situation is described in the book of Judges (chap. Jos. 21:19), the spot could never have been identified; and, indeed, from the time of Jerome till the year 1838, its real site was completely forgotten, and its name was transferred to that commanding height of Gibeoh, which a later age naturally conceived to be a more congenial spot for the sacred place, where for so many centuries was the tent which He had pitched among men,
Our living Dread, who dwells
In Silo, His bright sanctuary.
So complete was the desolation which God wrought, when Israel abandoned those essential conditions of piety which were necessary for His dwelling-place. Only they who walk with God in spirit, find God abiding with them. Sin, of any kind, is the sign for His departure. It may be sin of irreverence, impurity, and covetous injustice, as at Shiloh; or, as at Jerusalem in after generations, men may stand in haughty ecclesiastical pride, and cry, The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these; finding presently that they have only the temple, and no Lord at all, excepting one who jealously responds, Go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. Therefore will I do to this house as I have done to Shiloh (cf. Jeremiah 7). Only they who keep the words of the Father, know the abiding presence of the Father (Joh. 14:23). All others He forsakes. Even many years of past mercy and manifested glory fail to secure His continued stay. When His people ignore His commandments, where He once wrote Shiloh, He henceforth writes Ichabod.
Jos. 18:1, with Num. 10:33, and Jos. 6:6-7.THE ARK: GOD OUR GUIDE, DEFENCE, AND REST.
I. Is human life a journey? Place it under the guidance of God. Let the Lord God go before you to search you out a place to pitch your tents in. That is the significance of the scene at Sinai.
II. Is human life a conflict? Let the Lord God be your sword and shield. He hath provided an armour all complete, from head to foot, and offers Himself to you as the Captain of your salvation. That is the significance of the scene at Jericho.
III. Is human life a sojourn? Let the Lord God prescribe where it shall be spent, and let His rest give the appointed home all purity and peace. That is the significance of the scene at Shiloh.
How holy must that house be which the Lord hath chosen for me! As I cross its threshold, nothing unclean is to enter; as I depart from it for duty, nothing sinful is to fill my spirit. That house that is purchased by the price of iniquity is not allotted by the Lord. That house that is the scene of lust, of selfishness, of unkindness, is held by a man who has clean forgotten whose tenant he is. That house that is the abode of disorder and strife violates all the covenants on which it is held. But that house that has its altar and its Bible, by which each inmate is ever reminded of the Lord before whom its lot of assignment was taken, is a house that will ever derive peace, rest, and strength from the tabernacle of the Lord at Shiloh. These houses are hard by each other; their inmates are no strangers to each other. Man goes to the Lords house, and the Lord goes to mans house: man with his homage, and penitence, and trust, and prayer, the Lord with His benediction in all manifold grace. [G. B. Johnson, Edgbaston.]
Verse
3.MANS SLOWNESS IN POSSESSING GODS GIFTS.
I. Gods commandments as a rich inheritance. The Israelites had been solemnly charged to go up and possess the land, and to drive out the Canaanites utterly. Both Moses and Joshua had repeatedly urged this as the commandment of the Lord. Thus, in this case, to obey the Divine precepts was also to enter upon a rich inheritance. It is ever the same with all who are faithful to the words of God. To obey is to inherit. To obey continually is to inherit largely. Some of the commandments of God are of a negative character, while others are positive; some tell us of things which we must not do, and others of things which we are to do. Look at the effect of obedience in each case.
1. Such commandments as forbid sins tend to preserve us from moral and spiritual destitution. He who does the things which he ought not to do hastens to spiritual bankruptcy at a pace proportionate to the rapidity of his transgressions. Take, for instance, the ten commandments of the moral law, which are mostly negative. To have many gods is to be without God altogether. To worship graven images is to find them only graven, and only images, in the hour of real necessity. To take the name of the Lord thoughtlessly upon our lips, is to find that its sacred and mysterious power has fled from our hearts. To violate the day of rest is to need rest all the week. To dishonour parents is to become insolvent in manhood and womanhood. To kill is to die, and that before we so much as lift a hand to slay; for he that hateth is a murderer, and no murderer hath life. To commit adultery is to wrong ourselves even more than others. To steal is to lose more within than we can get without. To slander others is to lose self-respect even more than we shew disrespect. Finally, to covet what is anothers is to forfeit the generosity and kindness and peace which might still have remained our own. The man who does that which God forbids is continually forfeiting the very capital which God would have him use so as to gain a larger inheritance. He is living on his principal. He is spending himself.
2. Such commandments as enjoin duties always tend to an increase of possessions. The inheritance which comes from obeying (a) Gods commandments to believe; (b) His commandments to be holy; (c) His commandments to worship; (d) His commandments to work (cf. remarks on page 254).
II. Mans slowness in possessing this inheritance. How long are ye slack? etc. We see here:
1. Men on whose behalf God had long wrought by wonderful miracles, slothfully waiting when the miracles ceased. For forty-seven or eight years God had been working miraculously for the Israelites. From the time of the ten plagues in Egypt to the battle in which the day had been so wonderfully prolonged, God had wrought great wonders for His people. He had brought them into the land with a high hand and an outstretched arm. It is not a little significant, when we see this indolence and inactivity following such marvellous interposition. There is a place in the minds of men where miracles exhaust themselves. They no longer work faith, but inaction. Those who are continually seeking for the manifest interposition of God should remember that nothing which men have ever witnessed seems so conspicuously to have failed as the evidently supernatural. It was the men for whom the waters of the earth had parted, for whom the skies for many years had rained daily bread, before whom solid walls had fallen down, and on whose behalf the sun had stayed his setting, who were so slack to go up and possess the land to which these and many other wonders had led them. It was after witnessing for three years and a half the gracious miracles of Christ, that the multitudes at Jerusalem were turned by their exasperated leaders into a raging mob, hoarsely shouting to the Roman Governor concerning that same Jesus, Crucify Him; Crucify Him.
2. Men indolently and sinfully failing to use Gods great mercies, through treating them as tiresome duties to be done. They thought of the work which yet remained as a task, and regarding it in that light, found little heart to undertake it. They needed love, and thus wanted also the alacrity of love. Christ says to us each, Occupy till I come. He who does not think highly of Christs gift, and who does not love to occupy for Christs sake, will weary himself with his Lords commandment, instead of finding it a joyful possession. He who thought his Lord an austere man, and hid his talent in the earth, was afraid notwithstanding that it was hidden, and presently passed from fear to judgment.
III. Mans inheritance curtailed through his inactivity. The slothfulness of the Israelites was ultimately the cause of many sorrows.
1. Much of the land was never possessed at all. When we miss the opportunities which God makes for us, it is not an easy work to make fresh opportunities ourselves.
2. The land which was inherited was made insecure by that which was left in the possession of enemies. The Philistines, especially, became grievous oppressors of the Israelites for many years. As God had forewarned His people, the enemies whom they spared became as thorns in their sides (Num. 33:55). The soldier who leaves unreduced a strong fortress in his rear, exposes himself to danger. The Christian who deliberately passes by an imperative commandment of God is still more unwise. A large inheritance and great safety go only with full and loving obedience.
Jos. 18:1-3.ISRAEL AT SHILOH.
1. God brings men to Shiloh that He may set them to work. When the sinner comes to Christ, he enters into peace and rest, and yet he is not suffered to remain idle. We are saved by grace, without works; but we are also saved by grace to work, and the great work set before us is the sanctification of our souls and the service of our generation. Only through the doing of this work shall we enter upon our inheritance.
2. Nothing is so displeasing to God as slackness on our part to go up and possess His gifts. [Dr. Wm. Taylor.]
Jos. 18:5-7.THE LOT OF GOD, AND THE SURVEY OF MEN.
I. The choice of God cannot be corrected by the survey of men. Judah, Manasseh, and Ephraim were still to abide in the position already indicated by the lots previously drawn. It is true that great alterations were to be made in the extent of some of these lots, but no alteration was to be made in the general situation. The work of men in respect to these three tribes had to be corrected by the survey; the arrangement, so far as it was Gods, was to remain untouched (cf. remarks on chap. Jos. 14:2, pp. 250, 252). God makes no mistakes. He had surveyed the land long before these representatives of the tribes undertook the work. Our most minute investigations can correct no determination which is of the Lord.
II. The choice of God cannot be omitted because of the survey of men. After the work of the surveyors was completed, they were to bring the description to Joshua, that he might cast lots for them before the Lord (Jos. 18:6). Josephus (Ant. v. 1. 21) speaks of the men sent out as geometricians who could not easily fail of knowing the truth, on account of their skill, and further says, they returned to Joshua in the seventh month. Even if they were as skilled as some think, and if they took upwards of six months for their task, the appeal to the Lord for His guidance was as necessary as ever. Our utmost care can never render us independent of prayer.
III. The choice of God and the survey of men work together.
1. Divine guidance is independent of the investigation of men. God did not need the survey to help Him in determining on His selection. We cannot do without His work, but He does not rest on ours.
2. Divine guidance does not clash with the investigation of men. God ever leaves something for us to do. A loving father does the difficult part of a work for his child. It would be less trouble to the father to complete it entirely. The easy parts left to the child would take the father but a few moments to do, whereas the child requires watching and helping for hours, and even then goes far to spoil what has been done for him. For all that, a wise and patient father says, Though this detains me, it is good for my child. God leaves us something to do, much in this spirit. It is not that we can improve or even supplement His work; it is through the kindness that would not have us children always that we are found labourers together with God. Our investigation does not suppose so much to be subtracted from omniscience; our labour is never a fraction which is necessary to make omnipotence perfect.
3. Divine guidance is made known through the investigation of men. It is as we inspect, and measure, and plan, that the Lords selection for us becomes comprehensible and plain. Before the survey, the lot notwithstanding, Judah had regarded as its own the whole inheritance of Simeon. It is just where our most careful labours end that we best begin to understand what is the meaning of God.
IV. The choice of God is never needed to correct or to supplement His own previous arrangements. Jos. 18:7. The Levites were still to find their inheritance in the Lord God of Israel. The two and a half tribes east of Jordan were to continue in their lots, according to Gods former arrangement through Moses. Judah and the children of Joseph were also in their right place. The casting of lots at Shiloh was no amended edition of Gods previous selection. God is not a man, that He should repent. Few things are more imposing than this unbending and unhesitating purpose of God. Creation is one, and has no contradictions. Nature lies in a straight line, broken nowhere by halting purposes, and free everywhere from disfiguring patches. In the kingdom of grace it is emphatically the same. From the offerings of Abel and the altars of Abraham to the cross of Calvary, there is but one voice from heaven crying out to the sons of men, and that is ever saying, Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. Gods walk through the universe, during all the ages, is a straight path. The only lane in this world which has no turning is the way trodden by the feet of the God of infinite wisdom and justice and love.
Jos. 18:8-10.DANGEROUS WORK AND DIVINE PROTECTION.
I. Men sent on a dangerous service for the people of God, and protected by God.
II. Men prospered by God, and successfully accomplishing their work.
III. Men doing their utmost to shed light on a difficult task, and needing the guidance of God notwithstanding.
THE DANGER TO WHICH THE SURVEYORS WERE EXPOSED.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 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, either under the pretext of trading, or as harmless strangers passing on their way. 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. [Calvin.]
Jos. 18:9-10.THE DESCRIPTION OF OUR HEAVENLY INHERITANCE.The heavenly Canaan is described to us in a book, the book of the Scriptures, and there is in it a record of mansions and portions sufficient for all Gods spiritual Israel. Christ is our Joshua that divides it to us; on Him we must attend, and to Him we must apply ourselves for an inheritance with the saints in light (cf. Joh. 14:2-6). [Matt. Henry.]
Jos. 18:11-28.THE SITUATION OF THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN.
In the matter of numbers, the tribe of Benjamin was amongst the smallest in Israel. As concerning the order of birth, Benjamin was the youngest of the twelve sons of Jacob. These two things, the latter of them especially, may go far to account for the considerate sympathy which was repeatedly shewn towards little Benjamin, who, after the slaughter recorded in Judges 21, became known as the smallest of the tribes of Israel (1Sa. 9:21; Psa. 68:27). Whether the name Benjamin be taken into account, or the gentle sympathy with which the tribe was often regarded be thought of, the Scripture history repeatedly leaves the impression that they were a favoured people in Israel. Even in the dark page of sin and slaughter already referred to there are traces of the same feeling: it is shewn, on the one hand, in the haughty demeanour of the spoiled children who alone recklessly set themselves in array against the overwhelming thousands of the kingdom; and, on the other hand, in the tearful inquiry of the other tribes before the Lord, in the half-hearted character of the earlier attacks, as though the avengers were at first too pitiful to smite firmly, and in the way in which the people after the victory repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day. This feeling of affectionate interest in the children of Jacobs youngest son is not only shewn towards them by their brethren, but is conspicuously marked in the inspired blessing of Moses the man of God, Of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between His shoulders.
The following interesting features, according so well with the spirit and language of this blessing, may be noticed in regard to the situation of the territory of the tribe:
1. The people had their inheritance near to the place where Benjamin, their father, was born, and where his mother Rachel died and was buried. The southern boundary of the tribe could not, at most, have been more than five or six miles from the spot (Gen. 35:16; Gen. 35:19), and probably included the actual site of Rachels tomb (cf. Jos. 18:25; 1Sa. 10:2).
2. The inheritance of the tribe was next to that of the house of Joseph, Benjamins own and only brother.
3. From the powerful and dreaded Philistines, and other enemies, it had the strong tribe of Judah to defend it on the south, and the warlike Danites to shield it on the west.
4. It was situated in a district having very great advantages for the purposes of defensive warfare (cf. Stanleys Sinai and Palestine, on The Heights and the Passes of Benjamin, pp. 199214).
5. It was immediately south of Shiloh, where, during those earlier centuries of the national history, God tabernacled with His people, and immediately north of Jerusalem, which was given to the Benjamites as a part of their possession. Thus this highly favoured tribe dwelt safely by Jehovah, and the Lord covered him all the day long, and he dwelt between the shoulders of Deity.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
The Remaining Land Divided Into Portions Jos. 18:1-10
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.
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.
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.
1.
Where was Shiloh? Jos. 18:1
Shiloh was in the midst of the territory assigned to the tribe of Ephraim. It was admirably situated near the geographic center of the land. It lay east of the road which ran along the center of the ridge which formed the backbone of the Promised Land. In Shiloh, the house of God was established; and here it stayed through the three hundred years of the time of the judges. Shiloh was the center of Israels worship down into the reign of David. Only when David made preparation for the building of the Temple was the site of Israels worship moved from this place which became hallowed to them through the worship which centered there around the Tabernacle.
2.
How many surveyors were employed? Jos. 18:4
Twenty-one men went out to survey the land which had not yet been assigned to the tribes. Their work consisted not in the taking of accurate measurements of all the borders, but in preparing a list of the towns in the different parts of the land. Probably this included an account of the size and character of these towns, They would have made a notice of the quality and condition of the soil, but it hardly would have been necessary for them to penetrate into every corner of the land and every town which was still inhabited by the Canaanites in order to accomplish their end. Since only seven tribes were involved in receiving this territory, three men were selected from each of these tribes; and the total of twenty-one workers would have been sufficient to accomplish the task in a very short time.
3.
Which tribes had already been settled? Jos. 18:5
Three tribesReuben, Gad, and Manassehhad land east of the Jordan. Judah and the children of JosephEphraim and Manassehwere settled west of the Jordan. Since Levi was to have no land as a possession, only seven tribes remained without a portion of land. These were Benjamin, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan.
4.
Why did Levi receive no inheritance? Jos. 18:7
It was understood that the priesthood of the Lord was the inheritance of Levi. They had no time or need for land in which to plant grains, vines, and trees. They were to give themselves completely to the service of God, teaching the law, protecting the rights of the oppressed, and in general, fulfilling their mission as the Lords peculiar possession. In return for these services, they were to receive forty-eight cities in which to dwell; and their livelihood was to be provided by the other tribes who gave a tithe of all their income to the Lord for the support of the Levites.
5.
How did the surveyors work? Jos. 18:8-9
The description was not a measurement made in feet and inches. The art of surveying was well known in Egypt in ancient times. The Israelites would have learned this skill while in bondage there, but their description which was written in the book was of a general nature. The men chosen for this purpose were able to perform their tasks without being hindered by the Canaanites. These Canaanites had been crushed, although not exterminated, by the victories which the people of Israel had gained. When the formal record was finished, they brought it back to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. Joshua then assigned the land as he cast the sacred lot.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
XVIII.
(1) At Shiloh.Seiln (sheet 14), about ten miles due south of Shechem, in the territory of Ephraim. The inheritance of the tribe of Judah was determined in Gilgal. The assignment of the central part of the country to Ephraim and Manasseh brought the leaders of Israel into that district, and as soon as the position of Ephraim, Joshuas tribe, was settled, the tabernacle was set up there. For the situation of Shiloh, see Jdg. 21:19.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
THE TABERNACLE ERECTED AT SHILOH, Jos 18:1.
The location of the tribes was not yet completed, but it had proceeded so far that it was desirable that the tabernacle should be permanently established in a central place. This could not well be accomplished till Ephraim, in whose borders it was to be located, had received his portion.
1. Shiloh Rest; the first national capital and sanctuary in Palestine. Bethel, “the house of God,” from its sacred name and associations, would probably have been selected if it had not been in the hands of the Canaanites. Shiloh, now Seilun, remarkable for its seclusion, not for its natural strength or beauty, is situated near the central thoroughfare of Palestine, twenty miles north of Jerusalem and ten south of Nablus. [Tristram describes the modern site as “a mass of shapeless ruins, scarcely distinguishable from the rugged rocks around them, with large hewn stones occasionally marking the site of ancient walls. There is one square ruin, probably a mediaeval fortress-church, with a few broken Corinthian columns, the relics of previous grandeur. Straggling valleys, too open to be termed glens, within an amphitheatre of dreary round-topped hills, bare and rocky, without being picturesque, are the only characteristics of this featureless scene.” This same writer thus discusses the question why so unattractive a spot as Shiloh should have been chosen as the religious centre of Israel for so many generations: “One reason may probably be found in this very natural unattractiveness, inasmuch as it was a protest against the idolatry of the people of the land, which selected every high hill and every noble grove as the special home of their gods; here being neither commanding peak nor majestic cedar, neither deep glen nor gushing fountain. Moreover, it was a central point for all Israel, equidistant from north to south, easily accessible to the trans-Jordanic tribes, and in the heart of that hill-country which Joshua first subdued, and which remained to the end of Israel’s history the district least exposed to the attacks of Canaanitish or foreign invaders.”] Here the remaining seven tribes received their allotments, here the yearly feasts were held, and here the ark remained more than three hundred and fifty years, till taken by the Philistines. 1Sa 4:1-11. The place was afterwards forsaken and accursed of God. Psa 78:60; Jer 7:12-14; Jer 26:6.
Tabernacle This was, according to the rabbinical representation, still a tent, or, rather, a low structure of stones with a tent drawn over it. “Although a city grew round it, and a stone gateway rose in front of it, yet it still retained its name ‘ camp of Shiloh’ and the ‘tent that God had pitched among men.’” Stanley. Its structure is described in Exo 25:26.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Chapter 18 The Further Seven Allotments – The Allotment to Benjamin.
In this chapter we have described the gathering at Shiloh where the Tent of Meeting (the Tabernacle) was set up, for the allotting by lot of the allotments to the remaining seven tribes. Men were to be sent out to divide up the remainder of the land, which up to now had been treated as one mainly unsurveyed section, into seven portions, and this was done. Movement through the country was easily possible, for travelling traders, and strangers passing through were a regular feature of life in Canaan. Then they returned and the remaining land was divided by lot. The lot of Benjamin is then described.
Jos 18:1
‘ And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled themselves together at Shiloh, and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And the land was subdued before them.’
The movement of the Tabernacle from Gilgal to Shiloh was an historic move. It was an indication that Israel were firmly settled in the land. It did not take place until after the victories of Joshua, even though Shechem, to the north of Shiloh, was early within the covenant (see on Jos 8:30-35). It was first necessary that the hill country should come into their safe possession. Then the people gathered at Shiloh, probably to celebrate one of the great feasts. No movement had as yet been made to settle the remaining seven tribes and this moving of the Tabernacle to Shiloh was probably partly Joshua’s method of hastening the process.
“The whole congregation of the children of Israel.” See Jos 22:12. The phrase is found regularly in the Law of Moses, eight times in Exodus, twice in Leviticus, nine times in Numbers. It comprehensively sums up the whole people as gathered together in the covenant.
“Assembled themselves together at Shiloh, and set up the Tent of Meeting there.” From now on Shiloh (modern Seilun) would be the place where the Tabernacle remained permanently until Shiloh was probably destroyed by the Philistines in the days of Eli, when Samuel was a young prophet. Archaeologically speaking a destruction of Shiloh took place around 1050 BC. Shiloh, and its fate, was ever remembered as the site of the Tabernacle which finally came under the judgment of God because of Israel’s failure and sin (Psa 78:60; Jer 7:12; Jer 7:14; Jer 26:6; Jer 26:9). But that was yet in the future.
The tabernacle was variously stationed at Gilgal (Jos 5:10; Jos 10:15; Jos 10:43), Shiloh (Jos 18:1; Jos 18:9-10), possibly temporarily at Bethel (Jdg 20:18-28; Jdg 21:1-4 – although only the Ark is mentioned and that sometimes left the Tabernacle at time of war), Shiloh (Jdg 18:31; Jdg 21:19 by implication; 1Sa 1:3 to 1Sa 4:4), possibly at Mizpah (1Sa 7:5; 1Sa 7:9-10) and Gilgal ( 1Sa 10:8 ; 1Sa 11:14; 1Sa 13:8-10), Nob (1Sa 21:1-9), and finally at Gibeon ( 1Ch 16:39-40 ; 1Ch 21:29; 1Ki 3:4; 2Ch 1:3), There are hints that at Shiloh various permanent elements were added to the site of the Tabernacle but this is not certain (1Sa 1:9; 1Sa 3:15). Such language could be used elsewhere of tents , and ‘the house of YHWH’ could equally refer to the Tabernacle. Thus it may well have been called a ‘temple’ after being there so long.
“And the land was subdued before them.” The reference here is probably twofold, firstly to the widespread victories of Joshua which had crushed resistance temporarily throughout Canaan, and then to the further victories by which Judah, Ephraim and Manasseh had taken possession of the hill country and had established themselves there, together with certain parts of the lowlands, the Shephelah, and the Negeb.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jos 18:1 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.
Jos 18:1
Comments – Shiloh was the center of Israelite worship from the time of Joshua (1400 B.C.) until the days of Eli and his sons Hophni and Phinehas (1050 B.C.), which was a period of about five hundred and fifty (550) years. When Eli’s two sons took the ark into battle against the Philistines, Shiloh is no longer mentioned in Scriptures as the center of Israelite worship. Psa 78:60 says that God forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh. Perhaps this was the incident that is being referred to in the book of Psalms. Jeremiah says that Israel trusted in this building and its articles rather than in God.
Psa 78:60, “So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh , the tent which he placed among men;”
Jer 7:12-14, “But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust , and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.”
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
The Tabernacle Set Up
v. 1. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, v. 2. And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance, v. 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? v. 4. Give out from among you, select and set forth, 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, v. 5. And they shall divide it, v. 6. Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts, and bring the description, v. 7. But the Levites have no part among you,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
EXPOSITION
THE CONTINUED DIVISION OF THE LAND.
Jos 18:1
Congregation. The word signifies a body of persons gathered together at a spot before indicated. The LXX. renders by . The idea is evidently that of an assembly gathered together for some specific acts of worship. This passage teaches the duty of a national recognition of religion. Whatever evils there might be in Israel at that time, the absence of a general and formal acknowledgment of God was not one of them. When that public acknowledgment of Him ceased, the downfall of the nation was at hand. It was the absence of such acknowledgment that was the ruin of Israel, while the hypocritical and purely external recognition of God by Judah was equally offensive in God’s sight. Assembled. Literally, was summoned; by whom, we are not told. But this general gathering to set up the tabernacle was at once an act of due homage to Him by whose power they had done so many great deeds, and also the establishment of a centre of national life. As long as the worship of God was maintained in its purity, the unity of Israel would be preserved, in spite of the twelve-fold division into tribes, and without the need to introduce the monarchical power. When fidelity to the outward symbol of Israelitish unity, the tabernacle at Shiloh, relaxed, then dissension and weakness crept in, and Israel became a prey to her enemies. A remarkable instance of an opposite character meets us in the history of our own country. The prey of various unconnected Teutonic tribes, the island was one vast scene of anarchy and confusion, until the great Archbishop Theodore came over and founded a National Church. It was this religious unity and cooperation which tended to harmonise the conflicting forces in the land and steadily pioneered the way to an union of the rival tribes under one head. Without attempting to say whose fault it is that this religious unity is lost, or how it may best be reestablished, it surely is the duty of every patriot and every Christian to cooperate to the best of his ability and knowledge, with all the forces that he sees tending towards unity, and both pray and labour for the coming of the day when men may once more “with one mind and with one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” and be willing to meet together “with one accord in one place.” Shiloh. In Deu 12:5, Deu 12:11, Deu 12:14, we find God prescribing that only in a place chosen by Himself shall the public worship of the congregation be paid to Him. Thither were all the males to resort three times a year. It is obvious how such a regulation tended to keep alive national feeling among the Israelites. The reason for the choice of Shiloh is to be found in its central position, five hours south of Shechem, and eight hours north of Jerusalem. Its situation is minutely described in Jdg 21:19. It is difficult to understand why; since Shiloh must have been well known to all the dwellers in Israel at that time, unless it was to explain to those who were not acquainted with the localities in the tribe of Benjamin the reason for the selection of Shiloh, namely, that it lay close by the road between Bethel and Shechem (see, however, note on Jos 24:1). The place has been identified. It is the modern Seilun, but only a few ruins remain to mark the place once so famous in the history of Israel, where Eli abode, where Samuel spent his early years. Rejected by God Himself, as the Jewish Psalmist relates with patriotic pride (Psa 78:60, Psa 78:67-69), it fell into utter neglect, and even in the days of Jeremiah it seems to have become a by word. Whether it was named Shiloh on account of the word used in Gen 49:10, it is impossible to say. The name appears to signify rest, and was an appropriate name to be given to the visible symbol of rest from warfare which Joshua had obtained for Israel (see Jos 11:23; Jos 14:15; Jos 21:44; Jos 22:4). The difficult passage in Gen 49:10 is not of course included in this interpretation of the meaning of the word Shiloh. Congregation The word here differs slightly from the word translated “congregation” in the first part of the verse, but it comes from the same root. And the land was subdued before them. That is, the land in which the tabernacle was set up. We know from the next verse that the land as a whole was not subdued.
Jos 18:3
How long are ye slack? This “slackness” (the translation is a literal one) in the arduous conflict against the powers of evil is not confined to Jews. The exhortation needs repeating to every generation, and not less to our own than any other, since the prevalence of an external decency and propriety blinds our eyes to the impiety and evil which still lurks amid us unsubdued.
Jos 18:4
Give out from among you. Calvin enlarges much upon the boldness of these twenty-one men in venturing upon the task of the survey, rightly supposing that the difficulty of the task was enhanced by the number who undertook it (see note on Jos 14:12). And here it is impossible to come to any other conclusion than that the twenty-one commissioners went together, for the object of their selection was to obviate complaints of a kind which, as we have already seen, the Israelites were not slow to make (see Jos 17:14-18). But the Israelites had inspired quite sufficient awe into the inhabitants of the land to make such a general survey by no means a difficult task. Nor is it probable that the commissioners were unprovided with an escort. Three men for each tribe. Literally, for the tribe. This selection, which was intended to secure an impartial description of the country, would render impossible all future complaints, since the boundaries would be settled according to reports sent in by the representatives of each tribe.
Jos 18:6
Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts. Literally, ye shall write the land, seven parts. Similarly in Jos 18:8. That is to say, a written report was to be brought up in seven parts, a fair and equal division of the land having previously been agreed upon among the commissioners. This report having been accepted, division was afterwards made (Jos 18:10) by lot. Bishop Horsley and Houbigant here, as elsewhere, would rearrange the chapter, supposing it to have been accidentally transposed. But there seems no ground for the supposition. The repetition, with its additional particulars at each repetition, is quite in the style of the author (see Jos 2:1-24 and notes). That I may cast lots. Or, and I will cast a lot. The somewhat unusual word to throw, is used here. The more usual word is caused to fall, though other expressions are also used.
Jos 18:7
But the Levites (see Jos 13:14, Jos 13:33). The priesthood of the Lord. An equivalent expression to that in Jos 13:1-33. Here the office of the priesthood, there, more accurately, the sacrifices which it was the privilege of that tribe to offer up, are said to be the possession of the tribe of Levi. By cities. It was evidently not a land survey, entering into such particulars as the physical conditions of the ground, its fitness for agriculture, for pasture and the like. The division was made by cities. These cities had been taken and destroyed by Joshua, and now it was the intention of the Israelites to be guided by the ancient political system of the country, to occupy those cities, and to cultivate the adjacent land, as the Phoenicians had done before them. Thus, not so much the area of the land, as the size and importance of its cities, was to be the leading principle of the division. And not unwisely. The Israelites were about to relinquish their nomad life, and if they settled in Palestine, how, without walled cities, could they hold their own against the powerful nations round about them? And came again to Joshua. “The result of this examination, which was unquestionably a more careful one than that made by the spies of Moses, was that the unsubdued territory was found to be too small for the wants of seven tribes, while that apportioned to Judah was seen to be disproportionately large. To remedy this difficulty a place was found for Benjamin between Judah and Ephraim, and the portion of Simeon was taken out of the southern portion of Judah, while both Judah and Ephraim had to give up some cities to Dan” (Ritter).
Jos 18:8
Shiloh (see note on Jos 18:1 and Jos 24:1). The seat of the tabernacle became, for the present at least, the headquarters of the Israelites.
Jos 18:10
Cast lots. Here, and in Jos 18:8, yet another phrase is used to describe the casting of the lots.
Jos 18:11
The children of Benjamin. Lying as their inheritance did between that of Ephraim and Judah, the chief places of note on their border have been already mentioned either in Jos 15:1-63. or in Jos 16:1-10.
Jos 18:14
And the border was drawn thence, and compassed the border of the sea. This is a serious mistranslation, arising from the same word being used for sea and west in Hebrew. The LXX. has (some copies have ) . The literal translation is, and the border extended, and deflected to the western side. What is meant is that the further portion of the border now described was the western side of Benjamin. Southward. The western border of course ran in a southerly direction. Quarter. This is the same word that is translated border above, in the phrase, “border of the sea.” Kirjath-Jearim. Any one who will take the trouble to examine a map will see how much more probable the site Kuriet el Enab is here, than any place “four miles from Beth-shemesh,” as suggested by Lieut. Conder. The distance from nether Beth-horon to Kuriet el Enab is not great. It is improbable that the boundary should have run double that distance without any mention of locality.
Jos 18:17
Geliloth (see Jos 15:7).
Jos 18:23
Avim. Most probably Ai (see note on Jos 7:2).
Jos 18:24
Ophrah. Not the Ophrah of Gideon, who (Jdg 6:11; Jdg 8:2, Jdg 8:32) was a Manassite. Gaba. Some (as Knobel) think this the same as Gibeah of Saul. But see below, Jos 18:28. Also Isa 10:29. Gibeah and Gaba, however, must have been near together, for Ramah is near both of them (see Ezr 2:26).
Jos 18:26
Ramah. Now er-Ram. This would seem, from Jer 31:15, and from a comparison of Jer 1:1 and Jer 40:1, to have been the Ramah of later history, famous as the dwelling place of Samuel (1Sa 1:1, etc; for Mount Ephraim is applied to territory in Benjamin. Cf. Jdg 4:5; 2Sa 20:1, 2Sa 20:21). It was near Gibeah (Jdg 19:13; Isa 10:29), and not far from Bethel (Jdg 4:5). It was rebuilt by Baasha (1Ki 15:17, 1Ki 15:21). Mizpeh. This is the Mizpeh, or Mizpah, of Benjamin, whither the tribes were wont to gather together, and where the tabernacle appears to have been removed (see Jdg 20:1, Jdg 20:3; Jdg 21:1-8). If, as Lieut. Conder supposes, Nob and Mizpeh were identical, and were near Jerusalem, this would explain the presence of the tribes within the border of Benjamin on this occasion. They were near the border; and the Benjamites had retired to their mountain fastnesses. This seems almost implied in Jdg 20:3. Similar gatherings are recorded in the Book of Samuel (1Sa 7:5-7, 1Sa 7:11, 1Sa 7:12, 1Sa 7:16; 1Sa 10:17). Mizpeh was the seat of Gedaliah’s administration, and of the tragedy of his assassination (2Ki 25:23-25; Jer 40:10-13; Jer 41:1-18).
Jos 18:28
Gibeath. Almost certainly the same as “Gibeah of Saul” (1Sa 11:4). It was Saul’s home (1Sa 10:26; 1Sa 13:2, 1Sa 13:15, 1Sa 13:16). It was near Saul’s home, at the time his temporary refuge, that the Philistines encamped when Jonathan (1Sa 14:1-52) made his daring attack on them. It was the scene of the terrible outrage recorded in Jdg 19:1-30. Lieut. Conder has identified it with Jeba, not far from Miehmash, situated on one of the branches of the precipitous Wady Suwaynit. The situation explains the otherwise unintelligible narrative in 1Sa 13:14. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin. Dean Stanley (‘Sinai and Palestine,’ 1Sa 4:1-22) reminds us how the very names suggest the “remarkable heights” which constitute the “table land” of which the inheritance of Benjamin consists. Thus Gibeon, Gibeah, Geba, or Gaba, all signify hill. Ramah signifies high place, and Mizpeh, watch tower, which of necessity must be situated on an eminence. Only by narrow passes along deep torrent beds could access be obtained to this mountainous region. Thus it was that the otherwise inexplicable resistance to all Israel in arms, recorded in Jdg 20:1-48; Jdg 21:1-25; was maintained. In a country like this the skill of the Benjamites with the sling (Jdg 20:16) and the bow (2Sa 1:22) could be used with terrible effect upon foes powerless to come to a hand-to-hand conflict. To Dean Stanley’s vivid description of the physical geography of the country the student is referred for a detailed account.
HOMILETICS
Jos 18:1-28
Progress in the great work.
The tribes gathered together at Shiloh, set up the common tabernacle for worship, and then proceeded, at Joshua’s instance, to complete the division of the land. Several detached considerations may be derived from this chapter.
I. THE DUTY OF A PUBLIC RECOGNITION OF GOD. The duty of public worship has been universally recognised in all religions, and is founded in a natural tendency of mankind. Philosophical sects, in which religious observances are neglected or proscribed, show by that very fact their exclusiveness. Religions, however perverted, exist for mankind as a whole; philosophies, for the cultivated few. Christianity has provided fewer forms than perhaps any other religion for the gratification of this instinct, but the principle is clearly acknowledged. At first, the disciples met together weekly to “break bread.” At the Reformation, the abuses that had crept into the doctrine and practice of the Lord’s Supper led to its more infrequent reception. Yet still the precept, “not forgetting the assembling of yourselves together,” has continued to be recognised, and the man who habitually neglects public worship is scarcely regarded as a Christian at all. The duty of a public national recognition is a matter of more difficulty in the midst of our present religious divisions. Yet it is practically not neglected. The fact that the nation as such recognises Christianity is proved by the spectacle presented by our country every Lord’s Day, a spectacle which drew from a distinguished French Roman Catholic writer the admission that England was the most religious country in the world. And in times of national rejoicing, or national distress, the various religious bodies in the country do not fail, according to their various forms, to unite in common thanksgiving, or common humiliation and intercession. A more complete external agreement in the manner of such national recognition of religion may or may not be desirable. But it would be folly to conclude that no such recognition exists because it is not externally organised into a system. Perhaps in God’s eyes the agreement is greater than it seems to us: that where we discern conflicting institutions and rival denominations. He sees the tribes of Israel gathered together at Shiloh, and offering up united praises and supplications to Him for His mercy and His bounty. Be it ours to recognise more and more a real union under seeming disagreement, and to abstain from all uncharitable expressions, which are out of harmony with the voice of praise and thanksgiving, of prayer and intercession, addressed to our common Father in heaven.
II. BEHOLD HOW GOOD AND JOYFUL A THING IT IS, BRETHREN, TO DWELL TOGETHER IN UNITY. This consideration has been partially anticipated already. It was the whole congregation that assembled together. None stayed away, still less refused to come. And though perhaps, in view of the wide freedom allowed in the Christian Church, the minor differences of ceremonial do not prevent us from coming as one body before the throne of grace; yet, in so far as these divisions of opinion produce jealousy, suspicion, unkindness, bitter accusations and revilings, they exclude those who are so affected by them from a part in the common worship. Such persons are unclean, and cannot enter into the congregation of the faithful; they are unloving, and can have neither part nor lot in the worship of Him who came to call us to unity and peace. We may be sure that as there is no more certain method of checking the progress of the Church on earth than a contentious spirit, so there is nothing more sure to deprive us of the favour of God. Let the spectacle, then, of an united Israel, worshipping peacefully before God in Shiloh, lead us to beware how we promote disunion among God’s people, remembering the exhortation, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice,” and “walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.”
III. REST IN GOD. Shiloh means rest, or peace. And rest and peace is only to be found in the presence of God. “Peace on earth,” cried the angels at His birth. “I will give you rest.” “My peace I give unto you,” said He Himself. “He is our peace,” said the apostle. Through Him we possess the “peace that passeth all understanding.” And, thanks be to Him, we are never far from His tabernacle. The tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell with them, and wherever a soul pours itself out in prayer to Him, there is His tabernacle and Shiloh, or restful dependence on Him.
IV. WHAT HAS TO BE DONE SHOULD BE DONE THOROUGHLY. Many a Christian has fallen into serious trouble by neglecting this precept. Some think that a certain profession of religion ought to excuse all shortcomings. Some even go so far as to think that the careful and punctual performance of duty is a legal work, below the attention of a redeemed and sanctified man. Such a view receives no confirmation from Scripture. Our Lord did not neglect the lighter matters of the law Himself, nor advise others to do so. St. Paul did not consider the minutest details beneath his attention. And here the survey was made with the most scrupulous exactness, and recorded in a book. Let Christians learn hence the duty of performing, accurately and punctually, whatever falls to their lot to do. Christ did not give His Spirit to men to make them slovenly, careless, indifferent to what they undertake, but the reverse. Both the Old Testament and the New combine to enforce on us the lesson, “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.”
HOMILIES BY J. WAITE
Jos 18:1
Shiloh, the sanctuary.
The choice of Shiloh as a resting place for the tabernacle was not left at Joshua’s discretion: it was a matter of Divine appointment (Deu 12:10-12). At the same time it was not without its natural reason. The situation was both central and secluded; in the midst of the land, as the tabernacle had always been “in the midst of the camp” in the wilderness (Num 2:17), and yet removed from the main routes of the country’s traffic. Its name, dating probably from this time, while expressive of the fact that God had now given His people rest from their enemies, was also suggestive of the deeper thought of His settled dwelling among them, and was in harmony with the retired and tranquil aspect of the scene. Shiloh, the sanctuary, the place of rest. In this establishment of the tabernacle at Shiloh the Israelites were performing the highest function of their life as a people. It was a devout recognition of God; the majesty of His being, His sovereignty over them, their dependence on Him as the living root of all their social order and prosperity, that testimony for Him which it was their high calling to present before the nations. The tabernacle at Shiloh stands as a type of all places where people assemble to pay their homage to the Supreme.
I. THE SANCTITY OF THE SCENE OF WORSHIP. The tabernacle was the centre and home of all devout thought and feeling. The highest acts of worship could alone be performed there. It represented the unity of the religious life of the people, as opposed to a scattered and divided worship. It was called “the tabernacle of witness” (Num 17:7; Act 7:44). In several ways is every scene of worship, every “house of prayer,” a witness.
1. As a symbol of the presence of God with His people. It bears witness to the fact of His spiritual nearness and accessibility. It could have no meaning if personal and “congregational” communion with God were not a blessed reality. The fundamental idea of the tabernacle was that it is the place where man “meets with God,” and finds a gracious response to his seeking. “In all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee” (Exo 20:24). “There will I meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat” (Exo 25:22). And Christ perpetuates and confirms the promise with a freer, richer grace: “Wheresoever two or three,” etc. (Mat 18:15). This gives sanctity to any place; makes it a true sanctuary. What other consecration can be needed than the realised presence of the living God?
2. As a memorial of the hallowed traditions of the past. The historic associations of the tabernacle were distinctive, wonderful, supernatural. Its origin: made “after the pattern shown to Moses in the mount” (Exo 26:1-37); the “glory cloud” that rested upon it; its varying fortunes; the changing scenes through which it had passedscenes of human shame, and fear, and sorrow, and scenes of joyous triumph and marvellous Divine interpositionall this invested it with extraordinary interest. Every true house of prayer has its hallowed memories. Some small chapter at least of the sacred story of the past is enshrined in it. It speaks to us of struggles for truth and liberty, purity of faith and worship, freedom of conscience, in former days. It represents the earnest thought and self-denying labour of devout men and women who have long, perhaps, been numbered with the dead. It has been the scene of many a solemn spiritual transaction: revelations of truth, searchings of heart, stirrings of sympathetic emotion, heavenly aspirations, visions of God. However lowly a place it may be, the memory of these lingering about it gives it an interest and a distinction that no outward charm can rival.
3. As a prophecy of the better future. The tabernacle, though it had come now to a resting place after all its wanderings, was still only a temporary provision, a preparation for something more substantial and enduring. The time came when “Ichabod” must be pronounced on Shiloh. The ark of God was taken, the sanctuary was desecrated, and the faded glory of the sacred tent was lost at last in the greater splendour of the temple; until that also should pass away, to be followed by a nobler shrine. So is it with all earthly scenes of worship. They are but temporary and provisional. They are expressive, after, all, of our human weaknessdimness of spiritual vision, imperfection of spiritual life. They remind us ever of the “vail that hangs between the saints and joys Divine.” They “have no glory by reason of the glory that excelleth.” They speak to us of the “more perfect tabernacle not made with hands.” We see in them a prophecy of the nobler worship of the future, and learn through them to lift our longing eyes to that eternal city of God of which it is written, “I saw no temple therein, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it” (Rev 21:22).
II. THE PEACEFUL ASSOCIATIONS OF THE SCENE OF WORSHIP. “Shiloh” is a name that becomes every place of prayer, every scene of Divine manifestation and communion. It ought to be a place of rest in the midst of earthly agitations, a quiet resort for the spirit from the traffic and turmoil of life, a refuge for the weak and weary, a sanctuary for those who are harassed by the contradictions and pursued by the animosities of a hostile world. Unhappily the house of God is too often connected in men’s minds with far other ideas than those of tranquillity and peace. It is suggestive to them of division, and enmity, and bitter contention. The mischief done by those historic strifes about faith and worship that have raged around it, or those mean discords that have reigned within, can never be exaggerated. And yet wherever there is a place of Christian assembly there stands a testimony to the “one Lord, one faith,” etc. Beneath these superficial distractions lies the bond of a true spiritual unity. Let that essential unity become manifest, then shall the “glory of the Lord” be again upon His tabernacle, and it shall attract the world to itself as a true sanctuary and place of rest.W.
HOMILIES BY W.F. ADENEY
Jos 18:1
Shiloh.
Shiloh was at once the seat of public worship and the centre of tribal union; the symbol of established peace and the witness to that Divine law on which the maintenance of peace and prosperity depended. Christendom needs its Shilohs. It is true that our privileges of worship are not confined to consecrated buildings, holy days, priestly ministrations, and church ordinances. Anywhere, on the lonely hillside or in the busy street, at any hourin the silent night or at the noisy noonevery Christian can claim the privilege of one of God’s priests and offer up secret worship, which God will accept and bless. There is often a depth and spirituality in such worship which is not attained in the observance of public religious services. Nevertheless there are special advantages connected with public worship.
I. PUBLIC WORSHIP AFFORDS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SPIRITUAL REST. The tabernacle was set up when “the land was subdued.” The seat of worship was named “Shiloh,” the “place of peace.” Our churches should be homes of spiritual peace; our Sundays, Sabbaths of spiritual rest. The ejaculatory prayer of sudden emergencies, and the “praying without ceasing” of those who “walk with God” and enjoy constant communion with Him, are not sufficient means for withdrawing us from the spirit of the world and revealing to us the heights and depths of heavenly things. For this we want a more complete separation from common scenes, and a longer season of quiet meditation.
II. PUBLIC WORSHIP AFFORDS THE MEANS FOR THE OUTWARD EXPRESSION OF SPIRITUAL WORSHIP. All true worship must be internal and spiritual (Joh 4:24). External ordinances without this are a mockery; but spiritual worship will naturally seek some external expression. The body is so connected with the soul that all emotion tends to bodily manifestationsjoy to smiles, sorrow to tears, anger to frowns. So emotions of worship find their outlet in articulate prayers and songs of praise. Such expression is
(1) natural,
(2) helpful.
III. PUBLIC WORSHIP IS AN OCCASION FOR A PUBLIC TESTIMONY TO RELIGION. The tabernacle was set up in the sight of the people as a visible witness for God. We have our “altars of witness.” It is our duty
(1) to confess our faith (Mat 10:1-42 :82);
(2) to glorify God by declaring His character to the world and thanking Him before men for the blessings we have received;
(3) to preach Christ by making the light of His gospel shine through the worship of His Church (Mat 5:15-16).
IV. PUBLIC WORSHIP IS A STIMULUS TO PRIVATE DEVOTION. It counteracts the depressing influence of worldly occupations and the variations of private experience resulting from our own changing moods. It stimulates us
(1) by the direct influence of the religious exercises of prayer, praise, and the reading of Scripture and preaching;
(2) by mutual sympathy.
V. PUBLIC WORSHIP HELPS US TO REALISE CHRISTIAN BROTHERHOOD. The erection at Shiloh was “the tabernacle of the congregation.” There the tribes assembled together. It was to them the centre of national unity. In our worship we should forget our differences. Rich and poor meet together first as one in sin and want and helplessness, and then as one in redemption, spiritual joy, and Christian service. No duty is more important than that of maintaining a spirit of Christian brotherhood (Joh 4:20, Joh 4:21). By no means is this more fully realised than by union in the deepest emotions of the spiritual life.W. F. A.
Jos 18:2, Jos 18:3
Slackness.
I. MUCH OF THE CHRISTIAN INHERITANCE IS NOT YET POSSESSED.
(1) Multitudes of men have not yet received the advantages of the gospel which are freely offered to all. Christ died for the whole world; God desires the redemption of all men; all are freely invited (Rev 22:17). Yet some live on in sin, some in distress, some in unbelief. Let these know that the distribution of God’s grace has not ceased. There is yet abundance to be given for those who seek. The festal chamber is not full. There is yet room. The door is still open (Luk 14:22, Luk 14:23).
(2) The Church has not yet conquered the world for Christ. He claims the whole world. So long as there are heathen nations abroad and godless men at home the work of the Church militant will be incomplete. It is foolish to be satisfied with the triumphs of the past. We should rather lament the slow progress of the gospel.
(3) Christians have much of their inheritance in Christ not yet possessed. The half has not been told us. No one can conceive the fulness of the riches of Christ (Isa 64:4).
(a) Christians do not enjoy on earth all the blessings which they might have;
(b) greater blessings are reserved for heaven (1Jn 3:2).
II. IT IS OWING TO THE SLACKNESS OF MEN, AND NOT TO THE WILL OF GOD, THAT SO MUCH OF THE CHRISTIAN INHERITANCE IS NOT YET POSSESSED. Not God’s will, but man’s impenitence, delays his acceptance of the blessings of the gospel. Not God’s will, but the Church’s tardiness, hinders the spread of Christianity through the world. Not God’s will, but the Christian’s weakness, prevents him from enjoying the full privileges of redemption. This slackness to take full possession of the Christian inheritance is culpable, and arises from various causes.
(1) Satisfaction with the present. The Israelites became too well satisfied with their achievements before all the land was conquered. We are too readily tempted to “rest and be thankful” before half our work is done. Our watchword should be “Forward” (Php 3:13, Php 3:14).
(2) Indolence. Even when we know that more should be done we are slothful and unwilling to rouse our energies for continued service. This may arise
(a) from weariness when it shows the need of the Divine help for continued exertion; or
(b) from culpable remissness when it is a distinct proof of cooling zeal.
(3) Habits of delay. Some seem to follow the rule of never doing today what can be postponed till the morrow. Every day has its task. To postpone this to the morrow will hinder the task of the morrow. All is ready on God’s side; there is no excuse for delay. While we delay the opportunity may pass (Psa 95:7).
(4) Unbelief
(a) in the need of Christ,
(b) in the greatness of the Christian blessings,
(c) in the Divine power, through which they may be obtained.W.F.A.
HOMILIES BY S.R. ALDRIDGE
Jos 18:3
An exhortation to advance.
In Jos 13:1 we find an address delivered to Joshua by Jehovah, in which he was reminded how much remained to be done ere his work was finished, and his age forbade the belief that many years would intervene before his death. To the assembled tribes of Israel the exhortation of the text was consequently given. The tribes of Manasseh, Reuben, and Gad had received their inheritance on the east of the Jordan, Judah occupied the south of Palestine, and Ephraim a domain in the centre, Levi was to have no special territory assigned, and seven tribes waited for the determination of their settlements.
I. THE POSITION OF THESE ISRAELITES. After years of wandering they were permitted at last to tread the soil of the land of promise. They might well indulge feelings of gratification at the thought of their surroundings, that the wilderness was passed, and their eyes beheld the country which their fathers had in vain desired to see. A spot had been selected where the tabernacle should remain, being, according to the promise and prophecy of God, “in the midst of all their tribes.” Still the Israelites had only attained to a half-way position. The rest of arrival must be succeeded by the warfare of acquisition before they could reach the rest of enjoyment. Jehovah had granted to them the land of the enemy, had conducted them safely thither; now let them grasp the privilege placed so near. Few of God’s gifts but necessitate effort on the part of the recipients, efforts to appropriate and improve. According to the old fable, treasures are buried in the fields, and only diligent search and cultivation will bring them to light and make us master of them. What men pay for or have a hand in securing, they value; what they strive after, they esteem; hence the necessity laid upon us to labour in order to receive is a beneficial law.
II. WHAT THE REPROOF OF THE TEXT ARGUES UPON THE PART OF THE REPROVED.
(1) Indolence of disposition. It was doubtless pleasing to the Israelites to indulge for a season their love of ease. They could live for a time on the bounty of their brethren and on the fertile produce of the land which had cost them no trouble to till. They were “slack to go in to possess the land.” Indolence is one of the most difficult foes to overcome. The great majority evince a decided disinclination to energetic exercise of their powers. Indolence is not only a state of privative loss in respect both of character and happiness, it is also a dangerous state, leaving man open to any incursion of the arch enemy. History abounds in instances of failure on the part of men to become great because they relaxed their efforts and progress ceased. A little longer struggling and the summit of ambition and fame had been scaled. “Idleness,” says Seneca, “is the burying of a living man.”
(2) Insensibility to the privileges possible to be acquired. Desire of gaining an end in view is the chief incentive to exertion, and the strength of the desire depends upon the amount of appreciation of the advantages which will be thereby secured. He who is not attracted by the pictures drawn of heaven will not manifest any resolute endeavours to get there. That kind of exhortation is most successful which causes hearers to glow within them at the thought of the precious jewels which may be obtained by seeking. Emotions are regulated by the keenness or dulness of our perceptions.
(3) Forgetfulness of direct command. Sloth was, in fact, disobedience. The very purpose for which God had preserved the tribes was, that they might, in obedience to His behests, occupy their respective territories, and drive out the inhabitants who had defiled the land. Many persons excuse their dilatoriness in complying with the precepts of Scripture by various pleas which discover an insufficient acknowledgment of the obligation resting upon them not merely to leave undone what ought not to be done, but to do at once what they ought to do. In this they are verily guilty. We must not be oblivious of the sins of omission as well as of commission. Woe to us if we know our Lord’s will and do it not! Constantly let the inquiry be made, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”
III. THE APPLICATION OF THE FOREGOING. To Christian attainments. The Christian life is described in many terms, nearly all of which represent it as a progress, a “reaching forth unto things that are before.” It is called a warfare, a race, a pilgrimage, a building, etc; denoting continuous effort, in the shape of assault or resistance to assault. There are strongholds to be taken, plains to be seized, fountains and woods and rivers to be gained, trophies to be won. The followers of Christ are expected to advance in faith, hope, and love, in knowledge, purity and holiness, in gifts and graces, in self discipline and improvement, and in usefulness to others and to the Church. To secret discipleship. There was a time when you were under the servile yoke of sin, and being released entered the wilderness of doubt to be affrighted by the thunders of the law. But you have found a High Priest, a Mediator, who has also been a Deliverer to lead you into the land of rest. You have believed in Christ, and are rejoicing in your condition. But you have not taken your rightful position among your brethren. Some are engaged in tending the ground, planting and sowing, erecting houses and expelling the enemy, whilst you are content to remain by the tabernacle of the Lord. You do not enjoy the privileges of communion at the table of the Lord, and of occupying your station in the Church of Christ. To stay where you are is an injury to yourselves, it is a loss to the Church, and dishonours the Redeemer.A.
Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary
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; Deu 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.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
3. The Territories of the Seven remaining Tribes: Benjamin, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, Dan; and the Possession of Joshua
Joshua 18, 19
a. Setting up of the Tabernacle at Shiloh. Description of the Land yet to be divided
Jos 18:1-10
1And the whole congregation of the children [sons] of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there: and the land was subdued before them. 2And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet [omit: yet] received their inheritance. 3And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land which the Lord [Jehovah] God of your fathers hath given you? 4Give out from among [for] you three men for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall rise, and go [about] through the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of them [their possession]: 5and they shall come again [omit: again] to me. And they shall divide it into seven parts: Judah shall abide in their coast [stand on his border] on the south, and the house of Joseph shall abide in their coasts [stand on their border] in the north. 6Ye shall therefore [And ye shall] describe the land into seven parts, and bring the description [so Bunsen, but properly: them or it] hither to me, that I 7may cast lots for you here before the Lord [Jehovah] our God. But [For] the Levites have no part among you; for the priesthood of the Lord [Jehovah] is their inheritance [possession]: and Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, have received their inheritance [possession] beyond [the] Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the Lord [Jehovah] gave them. 8And 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 [Jehovah] in Shiloh. 9And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by [the] cities into seven parts in a book, and came again [omit: again] to Joshua to the host [camp] at Shiloh. 10And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord [Jehovah]: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.
b. The Territory of the Tribe of Benjamin
Jos 18:11-28
. Its boundaries
Jos 18:11-20
11And the lot of the tribe of the children [sons] of Benjamin came up according to their families: and the coast [border] of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph. 12And their border on the north side was [De Wette: began; but properly: There was for them the border, etc.] from [the] Jordan, [Fay: at the Jordan]; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side [omit: side], and went up through [on] the mountains westward; and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Beth-aven. 13And the border went over from thence toward Luz, to the side of Luz (which is Beth-el) southward; and the border descended to Ataroth-adar, near [on] the hill [mountain] that lieth on the south side of the nether Beth-horon. 14And the border was drawn thence, and compassed the corner of the sea [and bent around toward the west side] southward, from the hill [mountain] that lieth before Beth-horon southward; and the goings out thereof were at Kirjath-baal (which is Kirjath-jearim), a city of the children [sons] of Judah. This was the west quarter [side].
15And the south quarter [side] was from the end of Kirjath-jearim, and the border went out on [toward] the west, and went out to the well [fountain] of the waters of Nephtoah. 16And the border came [went] down to the end of the mountain that lieth before the valley [ravine] of the son of Hinnom, and [omit: and] which is in the valley of the giants [Rephaim] on the north, and descended to the valley [ravine] of Hinnom, to the side [prop.: shoulder] of Jebusi on the south [De Wette: on the south side of the Jebusite; Fay: on the side of the Jebusite toward the south], and descended to En-rogel, 17and was drawn from [on] 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, 18And passed along toward the side [shoulder] over against [] [the] Arabah [Jordan-valley] northward and went down unto [the] Arabah: 19And the border passed along to the side [shoulder] of Beth-hoglah northward: and the outgoings of the border [it, the border] were at the north bay [tongue] of the salt sea, at the south end of [the] Jordan. This was the south coast [border].
20And [the] Jordan was the border of it [bordered it], on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children [sons] of Benjamin, by the coasts [borders] thereof round about, according to their families.
. Cities of the Tribe of Benjamin
Jos 18:21-28
21Now [And] the cities of the tribe of the children [sons] of Benjamin, according to their families, were Jericho, and Beth-hoglah, and the valley of [Emek] 22Keziz, And Beth-arabah, and Zemaraim, and Beth-el, 23And Avim, and Parah, and 24Ophrah, And Chephar-haammonai, and Ophni, and Gaba; twelve cities with 25[and] their villages: Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth, 26And Mizpeh, and Chephirah, 27and Mozah, And Rekem, and Irpeel, and Taralah, 28And Zelah, Eleph, and Jebusi (which is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kirjath; fourteen cities with [and] their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.
c. The Territory of the Tribe of Simeon
Jos 19:1-9
1And the second lot came forth to [for] Simeon, even [omit: even] for the tribe of the children [sons] of Simeon according to their families: and their inheritance [possession] was within the inheritance [possession] of the children of Judah. 2And they had in their inheritance [possession], Beer-sheba, and Sheba, and 3Moladah, And Hazar-shual, and Balah, and Azem, 4and Eltolad, And Bethul, and 5 6Hormah, And Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah, And Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities and their villages: 7Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages: 8And all the villages that were round about these cities to Baalath-beer, Ramath of the south. This is the inheritance [possession] of the tribe of the children [sons] of Simeon, according to their families. 9Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance [possession] of the children [sons] of Simeon: for the part of the children [sons] of Judah was too large for them; therefore [and] the children [sons] of Simeon had their inheritance [possession] within the inheritance [possession] of them.
d. The Territory of the Tribe of Zebulun
Jos 19:10-16
10And the third lot came up for the children [sons] of Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid: 11And their border went up toward the sea [westward], and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river [water-course] that is before Jokneam: 12And turned from Sarid eastward, toward the sun-rising, unto the border of Chisloth-tabor, and then goeth 13[and went] out to Daberath, and goeth [went] up to Japhia, And from thence passeth [it passed] on along on the east [toward the east, toward the rising of the sun] to Gittah-hepher, to Ittah-kazin, and goeth [went] out to Remmon-methoar 14[Remmon which stretches] to Neah; And the border compasseth [bent around] it on the north side [northward] to Hannathon: and the out-goings thereof are [were] in the valley of Jiphthah-el: 15And Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, 16and Beth-lehem; twelve cities with [and] their villages. This is the inheritance [possession] of the children [sons] of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with [and] their villages.
e. The Territory of the Tribe of Issachar
Jos 19:17-23
17And [omit: and] the fourth lot came out to [for] Issachar, for the children 18[sons] of Issachar according to their families. And their border was toward Jezreel, 19 20and Chesulloth, and Shunem, And Hapharaim, and Shihon, and Anaharath, And Rabbith, and Kishion, and Abez, 21And Remeth, and En-gannim, and En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez; 22And the coast [border] reacheth to [struck] Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Beth-shemesh; and the out-goings of their border were at [the] 23Jordan; sixteen cities with [and] their villages. This is the inheritance [possession] of the tribe of the children [sons] of Issachar, according to their families, the cities and their villages.
f. The Territory of the Tribe of Asher
Jos 19:24-31
24And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children [sons] of Asher according to their families. 25And their border was Helkath, and Hali, and Beten, and Achshaph, 26And Alammelech, and Amad, and Misheal; and reacheth to [it struck] 27Carmel westward, and to [omit: to] Shihor-libnath; And turneth [turned] toward the sun-rising to Beth-dagon, and reacheth to [stuck] Zebulun, and to [omit: to] the valley [ravine] of Jiphthah-el, toward [on] the north side of Beth-emek, and Neiel, and goeth [went] out to Cabul on the left hand, 28And Hebron, and Rehob, 29and Hammon, and Kanah, even unto great Zidon; And then [omit: then] the coast [border] turneth [turned] to Ramah, and to the strong [fortified] city Tyre; and the coast [border] turneth [turned] to Hosah; and the out-goings thereof are 30at the sea from the coast to Achzib [in the district of Achzib]: Ummah also [and Ummah], and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty and two cities with [and] their villages. 31This is the inheritance [possession] of the tribe of the children [sons] of Asher according to their families, these cities with [and] their villages.
g. The Territory of the Tribe of Naphtali
Jos 19:32-39
32The sixth lot came out to [for] the children [sons] of Naphtali, even [omit even] for the children [sons] of Naphtali according to their families. 33And their coast [border] was from Heleph, from Allon to Zaanannim, [the oak of Zaanannim], and Adami, Nekeb [or Adami-nekeb], and Jabneel, unto Lakum; and the 34out-goings thereof were at [the] Jordan: And then [omit: then] the coast [border] turneth [turned] westward to Aznoth-tabor, and goeth [went] out from thence to Hukkok, and reacheth to [struck] Zebulun on the south side, and reacheth to [struck] Asher on the west side, and to [omit: to] Judah upon [the] Jordan toward the sun-rising. 35And the fenced [fortified] cities are Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, 36 37Rakkath, and Cinneroth, And Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor, And Kedesh, and Edrei, and En-hazor, 38And Iron, and Migdal-el, Horem, and Beth-anath, 39and Beth-shemesh; nineteen cities with [and] their villages. This is the inheritance [possession] of the tribe of the children [sons] of Naphtali, the cities and their villages.
h. The Territory of the Tribe of Dan
Jos 19:40-48
40And [omit: and] the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children [sons]of Dan, according to their families. 41And the coast [border] of their inheritance 42[possession] was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh, And Shaalabbim, and Ajalon, 43 44and Jethlah, And Elon, and Thimnathah, and Ekron, And Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath, 45And Jehud, and Bene-berak, and Gath-rimmon, 46And Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border before [over against] Japho. 47And the coast [border] of the children [sons] of Dan went out too little for them [Fay: went out from them (i.e., the children of Dan extended their border further); De Wette: and the border of the sons of Dan went out (afterwards) further from them; Bunsen: and the border of the children of Dan went yet further than this; Zunz: went beyond these]; therefore [and] the children [sons] of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father. 48This is the inheritance [possession] of the tribe of the children [sons] of Dan according to their families, these cities with [and] their villages.
i. Joshuas Possession
Jos 19:49-50
49[And] when they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts [according to its borders], the children [sons] of Israel gave an inheritance 50[possession] to Joshua the son of Nun among them: According to the command [mouth] of the Lord [Jehovah] they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnath-serah, in mount Ephraim; and he built the city, and dwelt therein.
j. Conclusion
Jos 19:51
51These are the inheritances [possessions], which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, divided for an inheritance [possession] by lot in Shiloh before the Lord [Jehovah], at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So [And] they made an end of dividing the country [land].
c. The Territory of the Tribe of Simeon
Jos 19:1-9
1And the second lot came forth to [for] Simeon, even [omit: even] for the tribe of the children [sons] of Simeon according to their families: and their inheritance [possession] was within the inheritance [possession] of the children of Judah. 2And they had in their inheritance [possession], Beer-sheba, and Sheba, and 3Moladah, And Hazar-shual, and Balah, and Azem, 4and Eltolad, And Bethul, and 5 6Hormah, And Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah, And Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities and their villages: 7Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages: 8And all the villages that were round about these cities to Baalath-beer, Ramath of the south. This is the inheritance [possession] of the tribe of the children [sons] of Simeon, according to their families. 9Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance [possession] of the children [sons] of Simeon: for the part of the children [sons] of Judah was too large for them; therefore [and] the children [sons] of Simeon had their inheritance [possession] within the inheritance [possession] of them.
d. The Territory of the Tribe of Zebulun
Jos 19:10-16
10And the third lot came up for the children [sons] of Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid: 11And their border went up toward the sea [westward], and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river [water-course] that is before Jokneam: 12And turned from Sarid eastward, toward the sun-rising, unto the border of Chisloth-tabor, and then goeth 13[and went] out to Daberath, and goeth [went] up to Japhia, And from thence passeth [it passed] on along on the east [toward the east, toward the rising of the sun] to Gittah-hepher, to Ittah-kazin, and goeth [went] out to Remmon-methoar 14[Remmon which stretches] to Neah; And the border compasseth [bent around] it on the north side [northward] to Hannathon: and the out-goings thereof are [were] in the valley of Jiphthah-el: 15And Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, 16and Beth-lehem; twelve cities with [and] their villages. This is the inheritance [possession] of the children [sons] of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with [and] their villages.
e. The Territory of the Tribe of Issachar
Jos 19:17-23
17And [omit: and] the fourth lot came out to [for] Issachar, for the children 18[sons] of Issachar according to their families. And their border was toward Jezreel, 19 20and Chesulloth, and Shunem, And Hapharaim, and Shihon, and Anaharath, And Rabbith, and Kishion, and Abez, 21And Remeth, and En-gannim, and En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez; 22And the coast [border] reacheth to [struck] Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Beth-shemesh; and the out-goings of their border were at [the] 23Jordan; sixteen cities with [and] their villages. This is the inheritance [possession] of the tribe of the children [sons] of Issachar, according to their families, the cities and their villages.
f. The Territory of the Tribe of Asher
Jos 19:24-31
24And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children [sons] of Asher according to their families. 25And their border was Helkath, and Hali, and Beten, and Achshaph, 26And Alammelech, and Amad, and Misheal; and reacheth to [it struck] 27Carmel westward, and to [omit: to] Shihor-libnath; And turneth [turned] toward the sun-rising to Beth-dagon, and reacheth to [stuck] Zebulun, and to [omit: to] the valley [ravine] of Jiphthah-el, toward [on] the north side of Beth-emek, and Neiel, and goeth [went] out to Cabul on the left hand, 28And Hebron, and Rehob, 29and Hammon, and Kanah, even unto great Zidon; And then [omit: then] the coast [border] turneth [turned] to Ramah, and to the strong [fortified] city Tyre; and the coast [border] turneth [turned] to Hosah; and the out-goings thereof are 30at the sea from the coast to Achzib [in the district of Achzib]: Ummah also [and Ummah], and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty and two cities with [and] their villages. 31This is the inheritance [possession] of the tribe of the children [sons] of Asher according to their families, these cities with [and] their villages.
g. The Territory of the Tribe of Naphtali
Jos 19:32-39
32The sixth lot came out to [for] the children [sons] of Naphtali, even [omit even] for the children [sons] of Naphtali according to their families. 33And their coast [border] was from Heleph, from Allon to Zaanannim, [the oak of Zaanannim], and Adami, Nekeb [or Adami-nekeb], and Jabneel, unto Lakum; and the 34out-goings thereof were at [the] Jordan: And then [omit: then] the coast [border] turneth [turned] westward to Aznoth-tabor, and goeth [went] out from thence to Hukkok, and reacheth to [struck] Zebulun on the south side, and reacheth to [struck] Asher on the west side, and to [omit: to] Judah upon [the] Jordan toward the sun-rising. 35And the fenced [fortified] cities are Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, 36 37Rakkath, and Cinneroth, And Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor, And Kedesh, and Edrei, and En-hazor, 38And Iron, and Migdal-el, Horem, and Beth-anath, 39and Beth-shemesh; nineteen cities with [and] their villages. This is the inheritance [possession] of the tribe of the children [sons] of Naphtali, the cities and their villages.
h. The Territory of the Tribe of Dan
Jos 19:40-48
40And [omit: and] the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children [sons]of Dan, according to their families. 41And the coast [border] of their inheritance 42[possession] was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh, And Shaalabbim, and Ajalon, 43 44and Jethlah, And Elon, and Thimnathah, and Ekron, And Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath, 45And Jehud, and Bene-berak, and Gath-rimmon, 46And Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border before [over against] Japho. 47And the coast [border] of the children [sons] of Dan went out too little for them [Fay: went out from them (i.e., the children of Dan extended their border further); De Wette: and the border of the sons of Dan went out (afterwards) further from them; Bunsen: and the border of the children of Dan went yet further than this; Zunz: went beyond these]; therefore [and] the children [sons] of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father. 48This is the inheritance [possession] of the tribe of the children [sons] of Dan according to their families, these cities with [and] their villages.
i. Joshuas Possession
Jos 19:49-50
49[And] when they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts [according to its borders], the children [sons] of Israel gave an inheritance 50[possession] to Joshua the son of Nun among them: According to the command [mouth] of the Lord [Jehovah] they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnath-serah, in mount Ephraim; and he built the city, and dwelt therein.
j. Conclusion
Jos 19:51
51These are the inheritances [possessions], which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, divided for an inheritance [possession] by lot in Shiloh before the Lord [Jehovah], at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So [And] they made an end of dividing the country [land].
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
As chapters 16. and 17. belonged together, so do these two chapters 18 and 19, which contain the account of the allotments of the remaining seven tribes, Benjamin, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan. At the end follows a notice of the possession given to Joshua (Jos 19:49-50), with the conclusion of the whole section (Jos 18:28). There are seven tribes only left to be noticed, because the tribe of Levi was to receive no inheritance, as had been already before said (Jos 13:14; Jos 13:33) and repeated (Jos 18:7). This distribution was effected at Shiloh (Jos 18:1), while Judah and the house of JosephEphraim and Manassehhad received their possessions, as may be confidently inferred from Jos 14:6, in the camp at Gilgal (see on 14:6). But before proceeding to divide the land, twenty-one men were sent out to survey and describe it (Jos 18:3; Jos 18:10).
a. Jos 18:1-10. Erection of the Tabernacle at Shiloh. Description of the Land yet to be divided. The whole congregation comes together at Shiloh, where they set up the tent of the congregation (tabernacle). The land is completely subdued, but seven tribes still remain, which have not yet received any possession, since the most powerful tribe of Judah, Ephraim, and the half tribe of Manasseh (to say nothing of the tribes east of the Jordan, previously spoken of), had first obtained their portion (Jos 18:1-2). Joshua reproaches them for their listlessness, and, in order to discharge the remaining duty as impartially as possible, perhaps also bearing in mind the complaint of the sons of Joseph (Jos 17:14-18), he provides that twenty-one men, three from each of the seven tribes, shall first describe the land (Jos 18:3-7). This is done (Jos 18:8-9), and now Joshua casts lots and distributes the still remaining territory (Jos 18:10). Eleazar is not mentioned here, while in Jos 14:1-2 [also 19:51] he and the patriarchs of the tribes are introduced with Joshua.
Jos 18:1. And the whole congregation of the sons of Israel assembled together at Shiloh. The congregation of the sons of Israel, here as Exo 16:1-2; Exo 16:9; more briefly, congregation of Israel, Exo 12:3, or merely the congregation, Lev 4:15. The same is the congregation of Jehovah ( from , for , by aphresis, Gesen.). It is called also (, convocation, from , to call together, in Kal not used while Hiphil is found Num 8:9; Num 10:7; Num 20:8; and Niphal, Num 16:3, and in this passage, Gesen.), Deu 31:30; , Num 16:3; Num 20:4, or simply , Lev 4:13, precisely like . Shiloh ( or , 1Ki 2:27, or , Jdg 21:21, , Jdg 21:19, shortened from , from , to rest, a place of rest), in Joseph. Ant. v. 1, 20, 21. (hence pointing back to the form , from which , 1K. 11:29; 12:15; Neh 11:5, with which Gesen. very aptly compares and , Jos 15:51; 2Sa 15:12), now Seilun, first correctly made out in modern times by Robinson (iii. 84 ff.) from its position, which is accurately given Jdg 21:19. Eusebius and Jerome already give the distances from Neapolis (Onom. art. Selo) incorrectly; the knights of the cross, also, found Silo at Neby Samwil, where the monks and pilgrims continued, with little variation, to seek the place until the middle of the sixteenth century. About this time there appears in Bonifacius (De Perenni Cultu) a more correct view concerning the sites of the holy places, but it was soon lost (Rob. iii. 89). Among the ruins, to which one ascends by a gentle slope, whose fertile soil, when Furrer visited Shiloh, was covered with wheat fields (p. 225), there are still found (Rob. l. c.) many large stones, and some fragments of columns which indicate the site of an ancient town. The tabernacle stood here from Joshua to Samuel (Jos 18:1; 1Sa 4:3). Afterward Shiloh was rejected by God (Psa 78:60-68; 1Sa 3:4; Jer 7:12; Jer 7:14; Jer 26:6), and at a very early period utterly destroyed; for Jerome says: Silo tabernaculum et arca Domini fuit, vix altaris fundamenta monstrantur (von Raumer, p. 221; Rob. l. c.). Josephus (Ant. v. 1, 19) assumes that Joshua brought the tabernacle ( ) to Shiloh, because the place by its beauty seemed to him appropriate, until an opportunity should be offered them to build a temple ( , , ). The site in the midst of the land was very suitable and also very beautiful, so that Josephus may at bottom have very nearly hit the truth. How Gen 49:10 is to he explained does not concern us here. See Lange, Com. on Gen., in l., on the various interpretations of this difficult passage. Finally, let it be noticed that Shiloh lies eight and a half hours north of Jerusalem, and nearly five hours south of Shechem (Furrer, p. 413).
And set up the tabernacle of the congregation there; and the land was subdued before them. As regards the , Luthers translation Stiftshtte, i.e. tent of the covenant, is, as Gesen. remarks, the Greek , Lat. tabernaculum testimonii, according to a derivation from , testari; cf. , tent of the law, Num 9:15. It is more probable that, with Gesen. and after him most of the moderns, is to be derived not from but from (Niph. ), and accordingly we translate tent of the congregation, place where the meets.1 If the national sanctuary is called also (Num 9:15), or (Num 9:15; Num 18:2), the two names agree well with each other, in so far as the tent where the congregation met was, at the same time, the tent in whose most holy recess the law was preserved within the (Exo 25:22). Concerning the construction and interior arrangement of the tabernacle, comp. Winer (ii. 529 ff.) as well as Riggenbach. The land was subdued ( from , prop. to tread under the feet; in the same sense as here, Gen 1:28; Jer 34:16, and with the addition , 2Ch 28:10; Jer 34:11; Neh 5:6; the Niphal, Num 32:22-29, Gesen.) before them. Because the land was subdued it might be divided.
Jos 18:3-10. The mission of the twenty-one men for the description of the land is now related. Knobel refers this section to the Jehovist, and to the second of his documents; on which compare the Introduction. But when Knobel (p. 451) further supposes it improbable that such an occupation of the land would take place under Joshua, and maintains that the taking up the land and people must have been effected at a later period, say in the time of Jdg 1:19-34 f., or Jdg 4:2 ff, we may urge, against this totally unsupported suggestion, that the time of Joshua, when the Canaanites were filled with terror and distress through the strange conqueror (Jos 2:9-11), and had lost all confidence in themselves, was much better suited for the perilous accomplishment of such a result than the following age, in which the Israelites did indeed gain victories but were then immediately enslaved again (Jdg 2:14-23; Jdg 3:8; Jdg 3:13-14; Jdg 6:1, etc.). Besides, a man of the circumspection of Joshua would, surely if any leader of the people, conceive the idea of occupying the land before he went forward hap-hazard to the division of it. For, although he acted under the divine command, he assuredly did not act without human consideration which was not at all excluded thereby. That Joshua, as Josephus (Ant. v. 1, 21) of his own invention relates, sent with these men some skilled in the art of mensuration (. , ), our text is altogether ignorant. Josephus may, indeed, as Keil also (in loc.) observes, have rightly judged when he makes the men attentive to the quality of the soil of Palestine, and assumes that the several inheritances were rather estimated than measured ( ,on account of the diverse quality of the soil , (Ant. v. 1, 21).
Jos 18:3. A reproof to the remaining seven tribes who doubtless could not yet effectually resolve to give up their previous nomadic life, and accustom themselves to settled abodes, especially when these would in great part have yet to be conquered.
Jos 18:4. Joshua will not longer tolerate this lethargy, and therefore demands of each tribe to choose three men whom he will send out, and these shall rise () and go through the land and describe it according to their possession. There were accordingly 7 X 3 = 21 men, and not merely ten as Josephus reports, reckoning one to each tribe (Ant. v. 1, 20), but in all ten (v. 121), because three surveyors were included in the total number. In the description was included particularly, according to Jos 18:9, an accurate designation of the cities, while at the same time situation and soil might be more particularly taken into account. , i.e. with reference to its being taken in possession by the seven tribes (Knobel).
Jos 18:5. More minute statement of the errand of the men sent out, Jos 18:4. They should divide the remaining land into seven parts, yet Judah should remain on his border in the south, and the house of Joseph in the north on his border, that is to say, no change should be made in the possessions of these tribes. With them it should remain as it was.
Jos 18:6. When they had described the land thus into seven parts, they should bring the same, i.e. the list as Bunsen for distinctness translates, to Joshua at Shiloh (Jos 18:4), and then would he cast the lots before Jehovah their God. This last should be done at a consecrated place before Gods face, that it might stand fast inviolably.
Jos 18:7. Reason why there should be only seven parts. First,the Levites have no part among you; for the priesthood of Jehovah is their possession. Essentially the same reason for the lack of a possession as is given, Jos 13:14; Jos 13:33; yet here instead of the sacrifices of Jehovah, 13:14, or simply Jehovah God of Israel, 13:33, we have the priesthood of Jehovah, as Num 16:10; Exo 29:9; Exo 40:15; Num 3:10; Num 18:1-7; Num 25:13 (Knobel). Second,Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, have received their possession beyond the Jordan on the east, etc.
Jos 18:8. At the departure of the men Joshua repeats his command.
Jos 18:9. They go and describe the land according to the cities into seven parts in a book,i.e. they describe it and divide it with special reference to the cities found therein, into seven parts. Rosenmller, incorrectly: , per urbes, i.e. additis etiam et adscriptis urbibus, qu in quaque regione erant; the cities rather give the proper ground of division. How long a time the messengers spent in this service we are not informed. Josephus makes up a story of seven months (Ant. v. 1, 1: , , ). The Jewish historian appears to have been led to the seven months by the seven parts into which the land was divided. The statement is of no value (Bunsen), and is of no more consequence than the assertion of the Rabbins that the division at Shiloh was made seven years after that at Gilgal (Keil).
Jos 18:10. After they have returned Joshua casts lots and effects the division. On , comp. Jos 11:23; Jos 12:7.
b. Jos 18:11-28. The Territory of the Tribe of Benjamin. First are given . its boundaries, Jos 18:11-20, then . its cities, Jos 18:21-28. It was in general mountainous, in part very desert, but in part also, as in the neighborhood of Jericho and Jerusalem (Joseph. Ant. v. 1, 21; Bell. Jud. iv. 8, 3), a well cultivated, fruitful land. The land of Benjamin now makes the impression of solitude and desolation, as if the breath of death rested upon it (Furrer, p. 218327 [Stanley, S. & P. has an instructive chapter on the Heights and Passes of Benjamin]).
a. Jos 18:11-20. Its Boundaries, Jos 18:11. The territory of Benjamin lay, according to this verse, between the sons of Judah on the south, and the sons of Joseph on the north.
Jos 18:12. The border which is here drawn is the north border, on the north side. It went out from the Jordan, and ascended, north of Jericho, on to the mountains westward,i.e. ascended north of Jericho, on the mountain lying west (and northwest) of this city, and already familiar (Jos 16:1). Its goings out were at the wilderness of Beth-aven. In Jos 7:2, Beth-aven is clearly distinguished, as lying east of Beth-el, from this latter city which itself is often called by the prophets (Idol-house, Amo 4:5; Hos 4:15; Hos 5:8; Hos 10:5; Hos 10:8). Since Michmash again, according to 1Sa 13:5, lay east of Beth-aven, this place must have been situated between Beth-el and Michmash. Kiepert has introduced Beth-aven on his map somewhat to the northeast of Michmash, whose immediate surroundings, contrasted with the bare and rocky heights to the east and north, might be called green and fertile (Furrer, p. 217). The bare and rocky heights to the east and north of Michmash are no other than those of Beth-aven.
Jos 18:13. And the border went over from thence toward Luz, to the side of Luz (which is Beth-el) southward. Here the difficulty which we met in Jos 16:2 from the distinction between Beth-el and Luz falls away, since it is said that the border between Benjamin and Ephraim went over out of the wilderness of Beth-aven toward Luz, that is Beth-el, and more particularly on the south side of Luz, thus excluding Beth-el from the cities of Benjamin, while yet, in Jos 18:22, it belongs to them. In this way contradiction would arise which Knobel seeks to obviate, thus: The author does not say that the border went merely to the south side of Beth-el; it went to the south side of the ridge () of Beth-el, i.e. toward Bethel. Beth-el (, Gen 28:11-19; Gen 31:13, earlier = almond-tree), familiar through all the history of Israel, from the patriarchs to the Maccabees (1Ma 9:50), and even later (Joseph. Bell. Jud. iv. 9, 9), now a seat of the worship of God, again a place of idolatry, lies on the right of the road from Jerusalem toward Shechem (von Raumer, p. 178), is now called Beitin (Robinson, p. 225 ff.), and was first recognized by the Missionary Nicolayson in 1836 (von Raumer, p. 174). Ruins cover three or four acres, and there are interesting remains of a great reservoir which Furrer saw (p. 221). Beitin lies 1,767 feet high, three and three-quarters or four hours from Jerusalem (von Raumer, p. 179; Furrer, p. 413). From this position of Beth-el we may understand how the border went down () from thence toward Ataroth-addar, which is identical with the place of the same name, Jos 16:2, but different from the Ataroth, Jos 16:7. Robinson found an Atara about six miles south, and a second one about four miles north of Gophna. The southern one appears to be the same as Ataroth-addar, past which ran the north border of Benjamin from Beth-el toward lower Beth-horon, Jos 16:2-3; Jos 16:5; Jos 18:13-14. So von Raumer, (p. 175), with whom Knobel agrees, while Robinson himself, according to the passage cited by Knobel (ii. 315), holds that this southern Atara cannot be Ataroth-addar, because it lies too far within the territory of Benjamin. He has been followed by Kiepert, Van de Velde, and Menke on their maps. Von Raumer, also has only marked this northern Ataroth, and entirely omitted the southern one which, according to his view and that of Knobel, should be = Ataroth-addar. We, like Keil (on Jos 16:2), adopt the view of Robinson.
From Beth-el the border went thus northwestwardly toward Ataroth-addar, and thence on toward the southwest, upon (De Wette: on; Bunsen: over) the mountain that lieth on the south side of the nether Beth-horon. This is the north border of Benjamin, which, as far as lower Beth-horon, coincides with the south border of Ephraim. Beth-horon ( = house of the hollow) mentioned, Jos 10:11, in the history of the battle of Gibeon, and in Jos 16:3-5, as here, as a border city between Benjamin and Ephraim, a city of Levites, Jos 21:22, fortified by Solomon, 1Ki 9:17; 2Ch 8:5), spoken of in the Maccaban wars (1Ma 3:15-24; 1Ma 7:39 ff; 1Ma 9:50), and in the history of the wars of the Jews (Joseph. Bell. Jud. ii. 19, 18). There was, as appears from Jos 16:3; Jos 16:5; 1Ki 9:17; 1Ch 7:24; 2Ch 8:5, as well as from the passage before us, an upper and a lower Beth-horon. Both places are still recognized. The upper is now called Beit ur el-Forka, the lower Beit ur et-Tahta. The latter place stands on the top of a low ridge (Robinson, iii. 58 f.) and is separated from the upper Beth-horon by a wady. Robinson and his companion passed through this, and then began to ascend the long and steep pass. The ascent is very rocky and rough; but the rock has been cut away in many places and the path formed into steps; showing that this is an ancient road.. The pass between the two places was called both the ascent () and descent () of Beth-horon, Jos 10:10-11 (Gr.: , 1Ma 3:15-24). (Robinson, 5860). Remains of ancient walls are found in both places as well as in the pass between them (3:58). Furrer (p. 14) found the hill on which stands the village of lower Beth-horon, partly covered with olive trees. The barley fields in the low ground were mingled with patches full of dark green beans. He also describes the pass as rocky, steep, and extremely laborious. Seldom does a trader drive his camels through it (contrast Israels hope, Isa 60:5-6; Isa 60:9). The land on almost all sides is burnt up like a desert, through which no one passes (Furrer, p. 15).
Jos 18:14. At this point, namely, at the mountain south of Lower Beth-horon, the boundary line of Benjamin bends southwardly toward Kirjath-baal, or Kirjath-jearim, separating this territory from that of Dan on the west; while the border of Ephraim runs out in a northwest direction past Gezer to the sea. Of this west border of Benjamin, of which we now read for the first time, it is said: and the border was drawn (, as Jos 15:11, and often) and bent around toward the west side southward from the mountain 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 side. = sea-side [side toward the sea]. is properly mouth = to , from (cogn. with ,) to blow; then, like Lat. ora (from os), side, which is turned to any quarter of the heavens. As here , so Jos 18:15 we have ‘ , and Exo 26:20, [comp. Jos 18:12 of this chap.]. Kirjath–baal: see Jos 15:60.
Jos 18:15-19. South Border. This coincides entirely with the north border of Judah, Jos 15:5-9. merely indicates that the south border started from the west and ran toward the east. That Kirjath-baal (Kirjath-jearim) belonged to the cities of Judah and not to those of Benjamin, is plainly apparent from Jos 15:60. The border, therefore, on Kieperts Map requires correction; Menke has drawn it right.
Jos 18:20. The east border consists of the Jordan.
. Jos 18:21-28. Cities of the Tribe of Benjamin. They fall into two groups of twelve and fourteen cities, the former lying in the east, the latter in the west. Jericho, Jos 2:1, and often. Beth-hoglah, Jos 15:6. Emek (vale of) keziz. There is a Wady el-Kaziz east of Jerusalem (Van de Velde, Mem. p. 328, apud Knobel).
Jos 18:22. Beth-arabah, Jos 15:6, now Kaffr Hajla. Zemaraim, probably a place of ruins. Sumrah, northeast of the Wady el-Kaziz, near the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, opposite the Khan Hadschur. See Van de Veldes Map. Bethel, Jos 18:13.
Jos 18:23. Avim. Since Avim () here follows directly after Beth-el, while Ai () which stood near Beth-el (Jos 7:2; Jos 12:9), and to the east of it, is not mentioned, it is natural with Knobel to regard Avim as identical with Ai, which is called also Aiah (Neh 13:11) and Aiath (Isa 10:23). The signification of all these names is essentially the same: ruins, heaps, stone-heaps, Mic 1:6 (see Gesen.). Where Ai lay is not accurately made out. Van de Velde, following Finn, supposes, as may be seen from his map, that it was the same as Tel el-Hadshar (Stone-hill), thirty-five minutes east of Beth-el (ii. 251255, and Mem. p. 282, apud von Raumer, p. 169). Robinson (ii. 119, 312 f.) sought it twice, but after all his investigation only reached the conclusion that the most probable site of Ai is the place of ruins exactly south of Deir Dirvan, one hour distant from Beth-el. The direction would be south-east. Knobel on the passage before us has not kept the two views sufficiently distinct. Furrer also visited the region, but undertook no further researches. He too speaks of many stones existing there (p. 219). [Tristram, 168 f. confidently agrees with Robinsons view.] The tent of Abraham once stood here between Beth-el and Ai (Gen 12:8; Gen 13:3). The history of the conquest of Ai has been treated above, ch. viii. Hitzig (ubi sup. pp. 99, 100) disputes the existence of a city of Ai altogether, and proposes the view that Ai signifies in Turkish moon, and can therefore have been the Scythian, perhaps Amoritish name for Jericho as Dibon was the Hebraized Dirvan Council (??). After the Exile, Benjamites dwelt there again (Neh 11:31; Neh 7:32; Ezr 2:28), so that the city had been rebuilt.
Parah, a place of ruins, Fara, west of Jericho on Van de Veldes Map. Ophrah, in Sauls time attacked by the Philistines (1Sa 13:17), perhaps, as Robinson (ii. 124) conjectures, the modern Taiyibeh. Von Raumer (p. 216, n., 235 c) suggests that Ophrah may be the same as Ephraim or Ephron (Joh 11:54).
Jos 18:24. Chephar-haamonai, Ophni, mentioned only here, and hitherto undiscovered. Gaba ( = ) height, hill. This Gaba is according to Jos 18:28 distinct from Gibeath or Gibeah, with which further 1Sa 13:2-3; Isa 10:29 are to be compared. Now since between Anathoth and Michmash (see Kieperts Map) there is a place called Jeba, the question has arisen whether this Jeba was Gaba or Gibeah. Robinson (ii. 114, 316) was at first inclined to regard Jeba as = Gibeah, the Gibeah of Saul, but afterward became satisfied (comp. Bibl. Sac., Aug. 1844, p. 598) that Gibeah of Saul was rather, as Gross suspected, to be looked for on the hill Tuleil el-Fuleh (hill of beans, Rob. p. 317), where von Raumer also, and Van de Velde, and Kiepert place it, while our Gaba, as the similarity of the name renders probable, has been preserved in the Jeba just spoken of. Knobel on the contrary identifies Gaba and Gibeah of Saul in accordance with Robinsons earlier view, and proposes a variety of conjectures in regard to Gibeath of Jos 18:28. For the distinctness of Gaba and Gibeah of Saul, Isa 10:29 is, we may remark in conclusion, decisive, a passage whose vividness of description Furrer (who likewise regards the two places as clearly different, pp. 212, 213, compared with 215, 216), was constrained on the spot to admire (pp. 216, 217). To this eastern division belong also the two cities of priests, Anathoth and Almon, Jos 21:18, of which more hereafter.
Jos 18:25-28. The fourteen west Benjamite cities.
Jos 18:25. Gibeon,, properly the same name again as , , quite familiar to us from the narrative, in this book, of the wiles of its inhabitants (Joshua 9.) and from the battle at Gibeon (Jos 10:1-15); later (Jos 21:17) a Levite city as well as Geba. It is the modern el-Jib lying on an oblong hill or ridge of limestone rock, which rises above a very fertile and well cultivated plain (Robinson, ii. 135 ff.). Of the fertile plain Furrer also (p. 16) makes mention. He found the hill on which el-Jib is situated well cultivated in terraces. Vines, figs, and olives flourish on the eastern slope, while on the north the Tel falls off somewhat abruptly (Furrer, pp. 16, 17). Historical associations with days subsequent to Joshua attach to this place where stood the Tabernacle under David and Solomon (1Ki 3:5 ff.; 1Ch 16:39; 1Ch 21:29; 2Ch 1:3; 2Sa 20:9). To Gibeon belonged Chephirah (Jos 18:26), Beeroth (Jos 18:25), Kirjath-jearim (Jos 15:9-60; Jos 18:14).
Ramah ( = height, a frequently occurring name of places, on which compare Gesen.), not to be confounded with the Ramah of Samuel or Ramathaim (von Raumer, p. 217, No. 148); near Gibeah (Jdg 19:13; Hos 5:8), noted in the contests with Syria (1Ki 15:17; 2Ch 16:1) and Assyria (Isa 10:29); the place where Jeremiah was set free (Jer 40:1, compared with 31:15); inhabited again after the exile (Ezr 2:26; Neh 7:30; Neh 11:33); now er-Ram (Robinson, ii. 315); a wretched village north of Gibeah, on a hill (Furrer, p. 214). Furrer discovered here remains of Roman milestones, and supposes that a Roman road ran from Gibeah, Rama, Geba down toward the narrow pass of Michmash (p. 215).
Beeroth mentioned, Jos 9:17, as belonging to Gibeon, or allied with Gibeon; home of the murderers of Ish-bosheth (2Sa 4:2), and of Joabs Armor-bearer (2Sa 23:37), likewise rebuilt after the exile (Neh 7:29). Robinson (ii. 132) regards the present Bireh as Beeroth, a village with old foundations, remains of a Gothic church, and about seven hundred Mohammedan inhabitants. With him agree Keil and Knobel, while von Raumer disputes the view of Robinson as contradicting the statements of Jerome (p. 197, n. 187). But compare, for a defense of Robinson, Keil on Jos 9:17.
Jos 18:26. Mizpeh, not the same as the Mizpeh in the lowland, Jos 15:38; already in the time of the Judges a place of assembling for Israel (Jdg 20:1; Jdg 21:1); but specially celebrated on account of Samuel (1Sa 7:5-15; 1Sa 10:17); after the fall of Judah, the seat of the Chaldan governor Gedaliah (2Ki 25:23; 2Ki 25:25; Jer 40:6 ff; Jer 41:1 ff.); now the Nebi Samwil, i.e. prophet Samuel, five hundred feet above the level of the plain, 2,484 feet above the sea (von Raumer, after Symonds, p. 213), with a very rich and extensive prospect (Robinson, ii. 143, 144). Here they would have it that Samuel was buried under the half-decayed mosque on the mountain. Thus Nebi Samwil would be = the Rama of Samuel. Robinson has, however, among others, shown that this is not so, but that Mizpeh is probably to be sought here. He is followed by Keil, Knobel, Tobler, Van de Velde, Kiepert, Furrer (p. 212). The last named writer from the Scopus near Jerusalem perceived Nebi Samwil in the northwest, the high watch-tower of the land of Benjamin.
Chephirah, like Beeroth belonging to Gibeon (Jos 9:17; Ezr 2:25); the present place of ruins Kefir on the mountain east of Ajalon (Jalo). See Robinson (Later Bibl. Res. p. 146). The name is related to , village, instead of which occurs, Neh 6:2. Mozah, mentioned only here and unrecognized.
Jos 18:27. Rekem, Irpeel, and Taralah, also unrecognized, and like Mozah mentioned only in this place,a proof again of the integrity of the LXX. in Jos 15:59.
Zelah (, rib, side), burial-place of Saul and Jonathan (2Sa 21:14); unknown; and so with Eleph.Jebusi, i.e. Jerusalem. See Jos 15:8.
Gibeath (). This is the Gibeah of Saul ( , 1Sa 10:26; 1Sa 11:4; 1Sa 15:34, and often); as was already shown above on Jos 18:24, to be sought on the hill Tuleil el-Ful. Here occurred before Sauls time the outrage reported in Judges 19 which resulted in the destruction of the city, and the extirpation of the Benjamites except six hundred (Judges 20). Comp. also Hos 9:9; Hos 10:9. After Sauls death its inhabitants hung seven of his descendants, on the mountain of Gibeah (2Sa 21:6-9), but Mephibosheth was spared Furrer accomplished the way from Jerusalem to Tel el-Ful, on foot, in one hour and twenty-five minutes (p. 412). He found the summit completely strown with ruins. There the traveller was rewarded with a wide and glorious prospect scarcely inferior to that of Mizpeh. The land of Benjamin with its many famous old cities lay spread out around me. Over the heights of Hizmeh, Anathoth, and Isawijeh, the eye swept downward to the Jordan valley, which here appeared more beautiful than on the mount of Olives. In the southeast the dark blue of the Dead Sea enlivened wonderfully the stiff yellow mountain rocks of its neighborhood. On the far distant horizon the mountain chains of Moab were traced in soft and hazy lines. Northward lay Ramah and the hill of Geba. Further west and around toward the south followed Gibeon, the glorious height, Mizpeh, the queen among the mountains of Benjamin, and then in the south, the most beautiful of all, the Holy City (pp. 212, 213). Excellently descriptive!
Kirjath, not to be confounded with Kirjath-jearim, Jos 18:14, Jos 15:60, which belonged to Judah. Perhaps, as Knobel conjectures, Kerteh, west of Jerusalem (Scholtz, Reise, p. 161).
c. Jos 19:1-9. The Territory of the Tribe of Simeon. The second lot came out for the tribe of Simeon, who, since the portion assigned to the tribe of Judah was too large for them (Jos 19:9), received their possession out of that of Judah; concerning which comp. Gen 49:7. Two groups of cities are enumerated, one of thirteen or fourteen (comp. on this difference, Jos 15:32), all lying in the land of the south, the other of four cities. Of these latter, Ashan and Ether lay, according to Jos 15:42, in the Shephelah. When now Ain and Rimmon, which in Jos 15:32 are ascribed to the Negeb, are here placed with Ashan and Ether, the author seems, as Knobel remarks, to refer them here to the Shephelah also. The dividing line between the Negeb and Shephelah was not so accurately determined. The province of Simeon, although only the cities and villages are mentioned, appears to have been a continuous one, namely the Negeb, with a small part of the Shephelah, while the Levites, as we learn from ch. xxi. acquired particular cities with their appurtenant pasture-ground throughout the whole land. The list of the abodes of Simeon is found again, 1Ch 4:28-32, with slight deviations (see Keil, p. 420). The explanations concerning the places see on Jos 15:24-32; Jos 15:42.
d. Jos 19:10-16. The Territory of the Tribe of Zebulun. The third lot fell to Zebulun (Gen 49:13; Deu 33:19), the bounds of which, from the data given, can be but imperfectly determined. Josephus (Ant. v. 1, 22) assigns the sea of Gennesaret as the eastern border, Carmel and the sea as the western. He says: , . In general this statement agrees with our book, only Zebulun appears not to have reached to the sea. His province was, especially in the interior where it embraced the beautiful valley el-Buttauf (Robinson, iii. 189), fertile, toward the sea of Gennesaret mountainous but pleasant and well cultivated, higher than the plain of Jezreel and lower than the mountains of Naphtali: a land of mountain terraces (Knobel [cf. Robinson, iii. 190]).
Jos 19:10. South Border, given as at Jos 16:6; Jos 19:33, from a central point toward west and east. It went to Sarid. Where this Sarid () lay cannot be made out. Von Raumer is entirely silent concerning it; Masius and Rosemller seek the place south of Carmel, near the Mediterranean Sea, which however does not answer well on account of Jos 19:11; Keil and Knobel, just on account of this verse, place it more in the interior,north or east of Legio (Lejijim) in the plain of Esdraelon (Keil), or one hour southeast of Nazareth (Knobel). The latter, however, supposes no place to be intended but, since Sarid may signify brook, incision (according to , perforavit, and , incidit), the southern mouth of the deep and narrow wady descending from the basin of Nazareth. It is possible that Sarid lay here, and was named after the mouth of this wady. But that this itself was intended appears to me contrary to all analogy in the other determinations of boundary.
Jos 19:11. From hence the boundary went up toward the sea (westward), and (more particularly) toward Maralah, and struck Dabbasheth, and struck the water-course that is before Jokneam. Maralah is unfortunately altogether unknown; perhaps on account of , to which Keil calls attention, to be sought somewhere on Carmel. Dabbasheth (, camels hump, Isa 30:6, therefore a name like ) perhaps situated on the height of Carmel (Keil). Knobel refers to Jebata (Robinson, iii. 201) between Mujeidil and Kaimon, near the edge of the mountains which border the plain of Jezreel, or to Tel Tureh somewhat further toward the southwest (Robinson, Later Bibl. Res. p. 115). These are pure conjectures without any firm foundation. The water-course that is before Jokneam (see Jos 12:22) is, without doubt, the Kishon, (, i.e. which curves, winds about, from ), now Nahr el-Mukatta (Mukattua) with clear, green water (von Raumer, p. 50). It flows through the slender valley which separates Carmel from the hills lying along to the north of it. Dense oleander thickets skirt the bed of the brook, and follow its pleasantly winding course (Furrer, p. 280). The Kishon is historically celebrated for the events recorded, Jdg 4:7; Jdg 4:13; Jdg 5:21 (comp. Psa 83:10), and 1 Kings 19:40. With reference to Jdg 5:9, Furrer observes, The water flowed in a swift stream of about a foot in depth, strong enough to carry away corpses. Differing from all other commentators, Knobel will see nothing of the Kishon here, but thinks of the Wady el-Milh on whose eastern bank Kaimea (Jokneam) should lie. The grounds of his view are given in his Commentary, p. 458.
Jos 19:12. As the border turned from Sarid westward, so also it turned from the same point toward the east: Eastward, toward the sun-rising, unto the border of Chisloth-tabor, and went out to Daberath, and went up to Japhia. Chisloth-tabor (, like , Jos 15:10, from , to be strong), probably =, Jos 19:18, in the tribe of Issachar; now Iksal, Ksal, Zal, on a rocky height west of Tabor, with many tombs in the rock (Rob. 3:182). The rocky height on which it stands lies more in the plain (Rob. l. c.). Daberath, a Levitical city, Jos 21:28; 1Ch 6:72, pertaining to Issachar; now Deburijeh, a small and unimportant village lying on the side of a ledge of rocks directly at the foot of Tabor (Rob. iii. 210). Furrer describes its situation thus A little valley running north and south divides Tabor from the low hills in the west. Near the mouth of this wady, in the northeast arm of the valley of Jezreel, lies the village of Deburijeh (p. 306). Japhia (, glancing, Gesen.). Jafa, somewhat over half an hour southwest of Nazareth in another valley. It contains thirty houses with the remains of a church and a couple of solitary palm trees.. The Japha fortified by Josephus was probably the same, a large and strong village in Galilee, afterward conquered by Trajan and Titus under the orders of Vespasian (Rob. iii. 200). When it is said of the border that it ascended () toward Japhia, this is correct, for Monro ascended the Galilean mountains from the plain of Jezreel, in a ravine toward Jaffa (Monro, i. 276 ap. von Raumer, p. 128). With this comp. Knobels remark: stands correctly, since according to von Schubert, iii. 169, the valley of Nazareth lies about four hundred feet higher than the plain at the western foot of Tabor.
Jos 19:13. From Japhia the border ran still in an easterly direction: Eastward, toward the rising (of the sun), to Gittah-hepher, to Ittah-kazin, and went out to Remmon, which stretches to Neah. Gath-hepher (, with local), the birth-place of the prophet Jonah (2Ki 14:25), whose grave is shown in a mosque = el Meschad, one hour northeast of Nazareth (Rob. iii. 209). Robinson says concerning it (note, p. 209): At el-Meshhad is one of the many tombs of Neby Yunas, the prophet Jonah; and hence modern monastic tradition has adopted this village as the Gath-hepher where the prophet was born (2Ki 14:25; Quaresimus, ii. 855). Ittahkazin (, with local), unknown. The name signifies, time of the judge. Remmon, a city of Levites, Jos 21:35; 1Ch 6:62, perhaps the present Rummaneh, north of Nazareth (Rob. iii. 194, 195; von Raum. p. 138). Which extends to Neah. Thus, according to the very simple and therefore obvious conjecture of Knobel: . The LXX. made a proper name out of , , Vulg. Amthar. Frst renders the participle by marked off, staked out. With him agree Knobel and Bunsen. Gesenius, Rosenmller, De Wette, on the other hand, translate it, which stretches toward. Since everywhere else is employed of the boundary, we side with Knobel.2Neah (, perhaps inclination, slope, declivity, r. , Gesen.), unknown; perhaps the same as , Jos 19:27, which lay south of Jiphtha-el, as they said also for , Jos 15:11 (Knobel).
Jos 19:14. And the border bent around it (Neah) northward to Hannathon: and the outgoings thereof were in the valley of Jiphthahel (God opens). Compassed Neah, not Rimmon (Keil), and went in a northerly direction toward Hannathon (, pleasant), in which Knobel and Keil (Bibl. Com. ii. 1, in loc.) suspect the New Testament Cana (Joh 2:1; Joh 2:11; Joh 4:46; Joh 21:2); the present Kana el-Jelil between Jefat and Rummaneh. Jiphtha–el () is perhaps the Japata defended by Josephus, now Jefat, midway between the sea of Tiberias and the Bay of Accho (von Raumer, p. 129; Knobel and Keil). The valley would be, according to this view, the great Wady Abilie, which commences above in the hills near Jefat (Rob. Later Bib. Res. p. 103 f.). It empties into the Nahr Amar (Belus), as Van de Veldes map clearly shows. Comp. Jos 19:27. Keil remarks very correctly, that this verse should describe the northern boundary, but, as is to be inferred also from the other expressions of Keil, does this very imperfectly.
Jos 19:15. This verse beginning with is evidently a fragment. There must something before have fallen out, in favor of which is the circumstance also, that at the close of the verse twelve cities and their villages are summed up, while only five are named. We must conclude, as Keil also assumes, that there is here a chasm in the text where we are left in the lurch even by the LXX., who at Jos 15:59 offered so helpful a supplement. Probably there has dropped out (a) the statement of the west border, which Knobel also feels to be wanting; (b) the enumeration of seven cities among which it is likely that Nazareth would not have failed to be. In respect to this last city, it cannot help striking one without needing to agree with Jerome on Jos 15:59, that here Nazareth is wanting as there Bethlehem. As regards the missing west border, it is indicated Jos 19:27, in connection with Asher, but in a very general and vague manner. The five cities are: Kattath, perhaps = (Jos 21:34), Kireh, a place of ruins one and a half hours south of Kaimon (Knobel, on the authority of Rob. Later Bibl. Res. p. 116). Nahallal or Nahalol, a Levitical city, Jos 21:35; Jdg 1:30; unknown. Shimron (Jos 11:1), likewise. Idalah, the same. Beth-lehem, now Beitlahm, west-northwest of Nazareth (Rob. Later Bibl. Res. p. 113); von Raumer, p. 122.
e. Jos 19:17-23. The Territory of the Tribe of Issachar. The borders of the tribe of Issachar are not particularly noted by the author, having been given by him in connection with the other tribes, except the eastern part of the north border and the east border, Jos 19:22. Issachar touched in the north on Zebulun and Naphtali; in the west on Asher and Manasseh; in the south likewise on Manasseh in part, and in part also (see the maps) on Ephraim; in the east on the Jordan. Its most important and most beautiful section of country was the fertile plain of Jezreel (von Raumer, Palest. p. 39 ff.; Ritter, xvi. 689 ff.; Furrer, p. 258 ff.). Josephus observes concerning the boundaries, merely: , , (Tabor) (Ant. v. 1, 22).
Jos 19:18. Jezreel (), i. e., Gods planting. Esdraela, among the Greeks, from which Stradela; at the time of the crusades, Little Gerinum (Parvum Gerinum); now Zerin (von Raumer, p. 157). It stands on the brow of a very steep rocky slope of one hundred feet or more toward the northeast, commanding a wide and noble view of the country around in all directions (Rob. iii. 161 ff.). The present village is small and poor. The inhabitants live in constant strife with the Bedouins of the plain of Jezreel, who, with violence or craft, practice incessant provocations and robberies on the wretched people (Furrer, pp. 262264). The splendid site induced Ahab and his house to reside here, perhaps more especially in the summer (Keil), to keep court, 1Ki 18:45-46; 1Ki 21:1 ff.; 2Ki 8:29; 2Ki 9:15-37; 2Ki 10:1-11. Hosea refers to the blood-guiltiness of Jezreel (Jos 1:4; Jos 1:11; Jos 2:22). Chesulloth = Chisloth-tabor, Jos 19:12
Shunem, (prop., according to Gesenius, two resting-places, for , for which, as Eusebius informs us, also was employed), now Solam or Sulem (Rob. iii. 169), on the declivity at the western end of Mount Duhy (little Hermon), over against Zerin, but higher. Furrer required one and a half hours between Zerin and Shunem. The ground in the broad valley rose and fell in gentle undulations. The village itself lies behind tall cactus hedges and trees (Furrer, p. 264, 265). Here the Philistines encamped before Sauls last battle (1Sa 28:4). Shunem was the home of Abishag (1Ki 1:3). In the house of a Shunamite woman Elisha often lodged, and her son he raised from death (2Ki 4:8-37; 2Ki 8:1-6). Shunem (Shulem) was probably also the birthplace of the Shulamite (Son 6:12).
Jos 19:19. Chepharaim, perhaps = Chepher, the residence of a Canaanitish king mentioned Jos 12:17; according to the Onom., Affarea, according to Knobel, Afuleh, west of Shulem, and more than two hours northeast of Lejun. Shihon, not found.
Anaharath. According to Knobel either Naurah, on the east side of Little Hermon (Rob. Later Bibl. Res. p. 339) on an elevation, orsince Cod. A of the LXX. gives instead of this name, P and, , therefore Arraneh, north of Jenin, in the plain (in Seetzen, ii. 156; Rob. iii. 157, 160).
Jos 19:20. Rabbith, conjecturably Arabboneh, somewhat further toward the northeast on Gilboa, in Rob. iii. 158 (Knobel).
Kishion, a Levitical city, Jos 21:28, is erroneously called , 1Ch 6:57 (Knobel, Keil). The site is unknown.
Abez, not identified.
Jos 19:21. Remeth, or Ramoth, or Jarmuth, belonging to the Levites (Jos 21:29, 1Ch 6:58); the name signifies height (Knobel). Concerning Knobels further conjectures, see Keil, Bib. Com. on the O. T. ii. 145, rem. Unknown.
En-Gannim,, i.e., Garden-spring, a Levitical city, Jos 21:29, without doubt, as Knobel rightly says, the present Jenin. For, according to Robinson (iii. 155), this town lies in the midst of gardens of fruit-trees, which are surrounded by hedges of the prickly pear; but having for its most remarkable feature a beautiful, flowing, public fountain, rising in the hills back of the town, and brought down so that it issues in a noble stream in the midst of the place. Furrer describes it as an important place on the border of the Samaritan mountain, and mentions not only the copiousness of the water, but the fruitfulness of the gardens there (p. 257). In Josephus (Ant. xx. 6, 1; Bell. Jud. iii. 3, 4), En-gannim is called , from which Jenin has come, as Robinson rightly conjectured (iii. 156, note 1).
En-Haddah and Beth-pazzaz, not yet identified. En-haddah may have been the same as Judeideh or Beit Kad, Kadd on Gilboa (Rob. iii. 157, Knobel.
Jos 19:22. And the border struck Tabor and Shahazimah, and Beth-shemesh; and the outgoings of their border were at the Jordan. In this the eastern part of the north border is given. The western point of beginning was Tabor, here probably not the mountain of this name, but a city lying on this mountain (Knobel and Keil), which was given to the Levites (1Ch 6:62). Remains of walls have been found there by Seetzen, Robinson (iii. 213 ff.), Buckingham, Rusegger, and most recently Furrer (p. 307 ff.). The largest and best preserved mass of ruins is found, according to Furrers representation, on the southeast corner of the plateau of the mountain, where the large closely-jointed blocks of cut stone lie firmly one upon the other, from fifteen to twenty feet high. Shahazimah (the Kethib reads ) = heights, therefore a city lying on a height, perhaps Hazetheth, on the hills east of Tabor toward the Jordan (Knobel). Beth–shemesh, not to be confounded with Beth-shemesh in the tribe of Judah (Jos 15:10, mentioned besides in Jdg 1:33), per haps = Bessum (Rob. iii. 237), a conjecture of Knobels with which Keil agrees. The eastern portion of the north border of Issachar toward Naphtali may have run from Tabor northeastward through the plain to Kefr Sabt, and thence along the Wady Bessum to the Jordan. But how far the territory of Issachar extended down into the Jordan Valley is not stated (Keil).
Sixteen cities. The number is correct if Tabor is taken as a city. This city would then be ascribed here to Issachar, while in 1Ch 6:62 it is reckoned to Zebulun; not a remarkable thing in the case of a border town.
f. Jos 19:24-31. The Territory of the Tribe of Asher. The fifth lot fell to the tribe of Asher, which received its territory on the slope of the Galilean mountains toward the Mediterranean; in general, likewise, a very beautiful and fertile region, whose olive trees (Deu 33:24) were formerly famous for their rich product. Even yet there are in that region ancient olive trees, large gardens with all kinds of southern fruit trees, and green corn-fields (Furrer, p. 291). From the Franciscan cloister at Accho the eye sweeps eastward over the wide, fertile, grassy plains up to the mountains of Galilee (ibid. p. 294). Here Asher had his beautiful possession. This was the of which Josephus speaks: , , (Ant. v. 1, 22). The description begins in the vicinity of Accho (Jos 19:25), goes first toward the south (Jos 19:26-27), then northward (Jos 19:28-30).
Jos 19:25. Helkath, a city of the Levites, Jos 21:31 = Jelka or Jerka, northeast of Accho (Robinson iii. App. p. 133), on the slope of the mountains by a little wady.
Hali, passed over by von Raumer, possibly Julis or Gulis, in the same region, somewhat to the southwest of Helkath and more toward the sea.
Beten (, Belly, = Valley, , Gesen. with which the designation used by Josephus for the whole region is suggestively accordant), not yet identified; according to the Onom. called Beth-beten or , eight Roman miles east of Ptolemais. Von Raumer (p. 121, Rem. 18, E.) inquires whether it is identical with Ekbatana not far from Ptolemais (Plin. v. 17, 5; Reland, p. 617).
Achshaph, Jos 11:1; Jos 12:20.
Jos 19:26. Alammelech. The name is preserved in the Wady el-Malek which empties into the Kishon from the northeast.
Amad. Knobel supposes this to be the modern Haifa, about three hours south of Accho, on the sea, called by the ancients Sycaminon, i e. Sycamore-town, since the Hebrew name must, according to the Arab., be interpreted by Sycomorus. Knobel further thinks that since d passes into r, for which Exo 2:15 is cited, the old name Amad may be preserved in Ammara as the country people call Haifa.
Misheal, a Levitical city (Jos 21:30; 1Ch 6:59), according to the Onom. s. v. Masan, situated on the sea, juxta Carmelum. This suits with the following statement of the direction of the boundary: and struck Carmel westward and Shihor-libnath,Shihor-libnath. The brook of Egypt was called simply , Jos 13:8. Here by is intended not the Belus (Nahr Raaman), which empties into the Mediterranean north of Carmel, but, from the direction which the description takes, and with respect to Jos 17:10, a stream south of Carmel, and quite probably the Nahr Zerka or Crocodile Brook. Its name Zerka, blue, bluish stream, as Knobel and Keil suppose, might answer both to the , black, and to the , white.
Jos 19:27. From that point the border returned toward the sunrising, to Beth-dagon. This Beth-dagon, different from the Beth-dagon in the Shephelah which was assigned to Judah, Jos 15:41, has not been discovered. Proceeding in a northeasterly direction the border struck Zebulun and the ravine of Jiphtha-el, that is, according to the explanations on Jos 19:14, the Wady Abilin, to the north of Beth-emek and Neiel.Beth–emek is not identified. Neiel is perhaps the same as Neah, Jos 19:13.From hence the border went out to Cabul on the left hand, i.e. on the north side of it. Cabul, northeast of the Wady Abilin, four hours southeast of Accho still bears the same name; in the LXX. ; in Josephus (Vit. 43). Comp. Robinson, Later Bibl. Res. p. 88.
Jos 19:28-30. The main province proper of the tribe of Asher having been marked out in the preceding verses, the northern district is now more particularly defined (Knobel).
Jos 19:28. Hebron, probably a mistake of the copyist for Abdon, which is named Jos 21:30; 1Ch 6:59, among the Levitical cities (= ). Not yet recognized; neither is Rehob, Hammon, or Kanah. See Conjectures in Knobel, pp. 464, 465; and Keil, Bibl. Com. ii. 2, in l. [also Dict. of the Bible]. The limitation even unto Great Zidon indicates that these places are to be sought for in that direction. Concerning Sidon, see on Jos 11:8.
Jos 19:29. From Sidon the border returned southward toward Ramah and to the fortified city of Tyre (Zor). Ramah is, according to Robinson (Later Bibl. Res. p. 63), Rameh, southeast of Tyre, on a solitary hill (hence the name) in the midst of a basin of green fields and surrounded by greater heights. Fortress of Zor, i.e. Tyre, is not the island of Tyre, out the city of Tyre standing on the main land, now Sur (Keil). At present the once mighty Tyre is a small and wretched town, in respect to which the predictions of the prophets have been fulfilled (Isa 23:7-8; Ezek. 26:12, 27). For the future also she seems destined to remain necessarily a miserable market spot (Furrer, p. 385). The site is a noble one. The name signifies rock = . Notice the alliteration . Comp. further, Ritter, Erdk. xvii. p. 320 ff. and Movers, Phnizier, ii. 1, 118 ff. (in Keil). Now the border turned toward Hosah, which is unknown, and finally ran out to the sea in the region of Achzib. Achziph. Hc est Ecdippa in nono milliario Ptolemaidis pergentibus Tyrum (Onom.), Now Zib, three hours north of Accho; the or of Josephus (Ant. v. 1, 22). Another Achzib belonged to Judah, Jos 15:44. The name is probably = to , Winter-brook, Gesen. In fact, Pococke saw (ap. Ritter, xvi. 811) a brook pass along on the south side, over which, a beautiful bridge having an arch crossed. By a wide circuit the author has arrived again at the vicinity of Accho.
Jos 19:30. Finally he names still three cities by themselves, Ummah and Aphek, and Rehob, of which only the Aphek on Lebanon, Jos 13:14, can with certainty be made out, as was there stated. Possibly, nay probably, Ummah and Rehob also lay in that mountain region. It is to be noted that the name Rehob (, from , to be wide, spacious) occurs twice in the territory of Asher, namely, here and in Jos 19:28 above. (It is a name precisely analogous to and ). The total twenty-two does not agree with the enumeration, as is often the case.
g. Jos 19:32-39. The Territory of the Tribe of Naphtali. The sixth lot came to the tribe of Naphtali, which is designated in Gen 49:21 as the hind let loose ( ). Their province was bounded east by the sea of Gennesaret and the Jordan, west by Asher, south by Zebulun and Issachar. In the north it reached far up into Cle-syria, and so to the very extremity of west Palestine. The possession of the tribe, through which runs the mountain of Naphtali rising to the height of 3,000 feetthe modern Jebel Safed,sinks down on the west into the plain on the sea, while in the east it falls off to the Jordan valley and the sea of Merom. The soil is, generally speaking, fruitful, the natural scenery of great beauty. Comp. besides the former travellers, Furrer, pp. 306331, for the vicinity of the sea of Merom, p. 361 ff.
Jos 19:33. Knobel assumes that here, as in Jos 19:10 and Jos 16:6, the author, proceeding from a central point, describes the west border first toward the north, then toward the south. To us it appears more simple, since Heleph is not repeated like Sarid (Jos 19:10; Jos 19:12), to understand with Keil that in Jos 19:33 the west border toward Asher, with the north and east border is described, in Jos 19:34 the south border.
Heleph is unknown. On the other hand we know from Jdg 4:11, where Allon, the Oak, i.e., according to Gen 12:6, the oak forest ( taken collect.) near Zaannanim lay, namely, by Kadesh northwest of the sea of Merom. Here Sisera was slain (Jdg 4:21) by Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, who had pitched his tent there (Jdg 4:11). The name is derived from , to wander, a place, therefore, where the tents of the wanderers, the nomads, stand Such a nomadic herdsman was Heber. Even to the present day the Bedouins more or less friendly disposed wander about in the north of Palestine, in the plain of Jezreel, on Gilboa, and on Tabor. Comp. Furrer, p. 311, and often. Robinson notices the oaks growing in this region (3. p. 370; Later Bibl. Res. p. 365 [Stanley, S. & P. pp. 142, 355 n.]). Furrer clearly perceived from Tibnin, looking eastward, near the elevated Biraschit, the mighty Messiah-tree, a solitary, majestic oak (indicated on Van de Veldes Map). Forests, however, nowhere met the view, however eagerly he sought to discern them. He is led accordingly to the remark: Other travellers have praised the abundance of trees in northern Galilee. They could not, I think, have followed my road. An atmosphere of death seemed to me to lie on the holy land here as in Benjamin (Furrer, p. 337).
Adami-nekeb (, i.e. Adami of the depth, hollow, of the pass (Knobel and Keil). The name (reddish) recalls , Jos 3:16.
Jabneel, Lakum, like the preceding, unrecognized, although Knobel thinks he has found Adami-nekeb in Deir-el-ahmar, i.e. red cloister, three hours northwest of Baalbec. See particulars, Knobel, p. 466; a different view, Keil, ii. 1, p. 149.
And the outgoings thereof were at the Jordan (Jos 19:22). The upper Jordan is meant, the Nahr Hasbany, as a source of the Jordan, comp. Num 34:10-12.
Jos 19:34. And the border returned westward,i.e. from the Jordan, the border, namely, the south border of Naphtali turned back, probably following the Wady Bessum westward to Aznath-tabor., as in Jos 19:12. Aznath-tabor is, according to the Onom. a vicus ad regionem Diocsare pertinens in campestribus. Not discovered. From this notice it stood near Diocsarea = Sepphoris = Sefurieh, perhaps, as Knobel and Keil suppose, southeast of this city, toward Mount Tabor. Thence it ran on to Hukkok, which cannot be identified.
And struck Zebulun on the south, and struck Asher on the west, and Judah; the Jordan (was) toward the sun-rising. The south and west boundary is to be understood, which grazed Zebulun in the south, and Asher and Judah in the west, while the Jordan is noticed as the east border. Great difficulties are raised by the enigmatical . The LXX. do not have it, but read: , , . Either the word was wanting in their text, or, which is more likely, they left it out because they knew not what to do with it. The Vulgate translates, disregarding the punctuation of the Masoretes: Et in Juda ad Jordanem. This Luther [and the Eng. Ver.] followed; but von Raumer (p. 233 ff.) has labored to show that this Judah on the Jordan consisted in the sixty Jair villages on the east side of the Jordan. His reason is that Jair, who is brought in, 13:40; Num 32:41, contra morem (i.e. contrary to the rule proposed Num 36:7, as a descendant of Manasseh, from Machir the Manassite) was actually, according to 1Ch 2:5; 1Ch 2:21 f., descended through Hezron, on his fathers side, from Judah, and therefore to be designated properly and regularly a descendant of Judah. Keil also has adopted this view, which, however, after all the care with which von Raumer has labored to develope it, appears not sufficiently established by that solitary passage in Chronicles combined with Josephus, Ant. viii. 2, 3. Rather it is hard to believe that the possession of Jair, which belonged, from Jos 13:30, to Manasseh, could have borne the name of Judah (Bunsen). Not more satisfactory are the attempts of older writers; of Masius, who supposes that a narrow strip of the land of Naphtali stretched along down the west shore of the Sea of Galilee to Judah; of Bachiene, who places a city Judah on the Jordan; of Reland, who says that sometimes all Palestine, the whole land of the twelve tribes, was called Juda, therefore the land east of the Jordan might be so called. Hence alterations of the text have been resorted to. From the omission of by the best Codices of the LXX. (Vat., Alex., and Ald.), Clericus had proposed to treat it simply as not belonging to the text. Maurer, followed by Bunsen, referring to Jos 17:10; Jos 19:22, would read , and, translates accordingly: et terminus eorum erat Jordanus ab oriente. Concerning the LXX. he says briefly and well: Sept. suo Marte omiserunt, cfr. ad Jos 19:15; Jos 19:30; Jos 19:38 al. Knobel thinks it would be more suitable to read , since Naphtali bordered on Issachar on the west and south. He says further, If we retain , we must assume that the part of Issachar bordering on Naphtali was called Judah, of which, however there is no evidence. But what if not an adjacent portion of Issachar, but a place in Asher, which was mentioned immediately before , was so called? And this appears in fact to have been the case, for on Van de Veldes Map there is a place north of Tibnin marked el-Jehudi-jeh, in whose name the old name has been preserved, since Jehudijeh might come from as well as from , Jos 19:45 (see below). Furrer reached this Jehudijeh from Tibnin in an hour (p. 339 1. 11, compared with 1. 4 from bottom). After first descending the steep path, which winds down along the west slope from Tibnin, he went up then out of the ravine (the Wady Ilmah is meant) toward the west, and came to the little village Jehudijeh, Jews village, surrounded by many trees. Of ruins, Furrer found there a finely chiseled block of stone which he regards as the slight trace of a synagogue. In this manner we may solve the riddle, simply and easily, as it seems to us, without any change of the text and holding fast the Masoretic punctuation. If, however, we were to change the text, Maurers conjecture would deserve the preference over that of Knobel, because , from the similarity of the letters, might very easily have arisen from , which is not the case with .
Jos 19:35-39. Fortified Cities of Galilee, ver 35. Ziddim, unknown. Zer, likewise unknown Hammath, to be kept distinct from the often mentioned Hamath, the northern boundary-town of Palestine; a Levitical city; Jos 21:32, called also Hammoth-dor or Hammon (1Ch 6:61). The name indicates warm springs, such as existed at Ammaus south of Tiberias ( in Joseph. Ant. 8:2, 3; Bell Jdg 4:1; Jdg 4:3; see Menkes Map v., side map of Galilee), and still exist.
Rakkath, situated, as the Jews have thought on the site of the later Tiberias.
Cinneroth ( or , Jos 11:2; Targ.: , ,, , Joseph. Bell. Jud. iii. 10, 7, 8), the city already mentioned, Jos 14:2, which gave name to the beautiful and fertile plain, pictured by Josephus (l. c.) in the most splendid colors, and to the sea (Jos 12:3; Jos 13:27; Num 34:11), but which has itself disappeared. Knobel supposes the Khan Minijeh to be the place where it stood. The plain, which is about an hour long and twenty minutes broad, extends from near Mejdel to Khan Minijeh. Comp. further Furrer, p. 319 ff.; Robinson, 3:290). signifies probably low ground, a hollow, , from (Knobel).
Verse 36. Adamah, unknown. Ramah, the present Rameh, southwest of Safed, on a plain, a large, beautiful village surrounded with plantations of olive trees. Hazor, see on Jos 11:1.
Jos 19:37. Kadesh, see on Jos 12:22. Edrei, not to be confounded with Edrei in Bashan, Jos 12:4, unknown. En-hazor, doubtless Ain Hazur south of Rameh.
Jos 19:38. Iron, now Jaron, Jarun, on a height northwest of el-Jisch (Giscala) in a fertile and cultivated region with ruins near by. Seetzen, ii. p. 123 f.; Van de Velde, Narr. i. 174 ff., apud Knobel.
Migdal-el (, Gods tower). The name speaks for Magdala (Mat 15:39), now el-Mejdel, which it is supposed to be by Gesen. and Robinson (iii. 278), only it is remarkable that Migdal-el was not before (Jos 19:35) included in the cities lying on the Sea of Gennesaret, rather than here among such as lie further west. On this account Knobel, contrary to the Masoretic pointing , joins it with the following , and then finds the place in Mejdel Kerum, west of Rama, three hours east of Accho (Robinson, Later Bibl. Res. p. 86). Too far west.
Horem, unless one accepts Knobels combination, not yet found. So with Beth-anath (Jdg 1:33), and Beth-shemesh, which is different from Beth-shemesh in Judah (Jos 15:10), and Beth-shemesh in Issachar (Jos 19:22). Nineteen cities. The number detailed is sixteen.
g. Jos 19:40-48. The Territory of the Tribe of Dan. This tribe received the seventh lot, which fell to them in pleasant places (Psa 16:6), west of Benjamin, north of Judah, south of Ephraim. Their country lay mostly in the Shephelah, but hindered by the Amorites (Jdg 1:34) from taking possession of their province, the warlike tribe conquered, besides, a small tract far up in the mountains of the north (Jdg 18:1 ff.). Josephus does not mention this (Ant. v. 1, 27), but our author does (Jos 19:47).
Jos 19:41. Zorah, Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh, three cities of Judah which were yielded to the Danites, but of which they did not occupy Irshemesh, a city assigned to the Levites (Jos 21:16).
Jos 19:42. Shaalabbin ( or , Gesenius: place of jackals, comp. , Jos 15:28), 2Sa 23:32; 1Ch 11:33; 1Ki 4:9; now Salbit (Robinson, Later Bibl. Res. p. 144, n. 3 [Selbit]. Ajalon, Jos 10:12.
Jethlah. According to Knobel contained in the Wady Atallah west of Jalo (Ajalon) (Robinson, Later Bibl Res. pp. 144, 145).
Jos 19:43. Elon, perhaps Ellin (Robinson, iii. Ap. p. 120). Thimnathah, Jos 15:10. Ekron, Jos 15:11.
Jos 19:44. Eltekeh, a city of the Levites, ch.21:23, otherwise unknown.
Gibbethon, Jos 21:23, a Levitical city also. Mentioned 1Ki 15:27; 1Ki 16:15; 1Ki 16:17, in the contests with the Philistines; not yet discovered in modern times.
Baalath, fortified by Solomon, 1Ki 9:18; unknown. Whether identical with Baala, Jos 15:11? (Knobel).
Jos 19:45. Jehud, very probably el-Yehudijeh, two hours north of Ludd (Robinson, 3:45), in a beautiful, well-cultivated plain.
Bene-berak, now Ibn Abrak, one hour to the west of Yehudijeh.
Gath-rimmon, a Levitical city, Jos 21:24; 1Ch 6:54, to be sought according to the Onom. in the vicinity of Thimnah, but not yet discovered (Keil).
Jos 19:46. Me-jarkon (aqu flavedinis, yellow water), unknown.
Rakkon ( from , cheek, Gesen.) unknown.
With the border before Japho. These words indicate that Me-jarkon and Rakkon are to be sought in the region of Japho.
Japho (, beauty) is mentioned elsewhere in the O. T. only 1Ki 5:9; 2Ch 2:16; Eze 3:7; Jon 1:3. Under the Greek name of Lat. Joppe, it occurs often in the books of Maccabees (1Ma 10:74; 1Ma 10:76; 1Ma 12:34; 1Ma 14:15; 1Ma 14:34; 1Ma 15:28; 1Ma 15:35; 2Ma 12:3-7), and in the Acts of the Apostles (Act 9:36-43; Act 10:5; Act 10:8; Act 10:23; Act 10:32; Act 11:5). The place is now called Jaffa, in which the old name Japho is preserved, and it has, since the times of the Crusaders to the present day been the landing-place of pilgrims who go thence to Jerusalem. The population amounts to not far from five thousand souls, including about three thousand Mohammedans, six hundred Christians, and only about one hundred and twenty Jews (von Raum. p. 205). The city is very old, built, as the ancients thought, before the Flood: Est Joppe ante diluvium, ut ferunt condita (Pomp. Mela, 1:11); Joppe Phnicum antiquior terrarum inundatione, ut ferunt (Plin. Hist. Nat. v. 13) (apud von Raumer, p. 204). On the east the town is surrounded by a wide circle of gardens and groves of noble trees. Oranges, almonds, figs, apricots, peaches, pomegranates, apples and plums, sugar-cane and cotton, all flourish admirably here (Furrer, pp. 6, 7). Even to these gardens extended, according to the passage before us, the territory of Dan. Concerning Joppa, comp. further, Ritter, 16:574 ff. [Gages transl. 4:253259]), Winer in the Realwrterbuch, Robinson,3 Tobler, Wanderung, and Nazareth, nebst Anhang u. s. w., p. 302. This author found civilization so far advanced there in 1865 that houses were numbered, and in genuine Arabic numerals, and their gates named, e.g. Tarif el-Baher, Sea-gate.
And the border of the children of Dan went out from them, i.e. the children of Dan extended their territory as is related in Judg. xviii; not, however, in the immediate vicinity, but rather, after having through five scouts become satisfied of the feasibility of their undertaking (Jdg 18:7-10), at the foot of Anti-Lebanon in Laish (, Jdg 18:7; Jdg 18:27), or , as the place is called in the latter half of our verse. The reason for this migration lay in the pressure of the Amorites who did not allow the Danites to spread themselves in the plain (Jdg 1:34). With the peaceful and quiet Sidonians they were able more easily to deal and then conquer them also. For the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem Dan, after the name of Dan their father. This Leshem or Lais which was called Dan by the Danites, and per prolepsin, is called so also in Gen 14:14, is preserved in the present name of the place, Tel el-Kadi (hill of the judge), hill of Dan, for means judge, as Wilson, 2:172, apud von Raumer, p. 125, Rem. 24 a, has pointed out, and with this Gen 49:16 may be compared. It is a pleasant green hill of not more than twenty or thirty feet in height on the north side, while toward the south it falls off to a considerably greater depth (Furrer, p. 365, 366). Furrer saw no trace of an ancient city except some heaps of stones near the southwest edge. The same traveller describes very vividly the capture of Leshem by the Danites, p. 367. Comp. Robinson, 3:351, 358; Later Bibl. Res. p. 392; Ritter, xv. p. 207 [Gages transl. 2:204207], von Raumer, p. 125. The name was most familiar from the expression from Dan to Beersheba, Jdg 20:1; 1Sa 3:20; 1Sa 30:30; 2Sa 17:11. Jeroboam established here the worship of the calves, the Neo-Israelitish worship, 1Ki 12:28-29. Jehu was still devoted to it, 2Ki 10:29; Amo 8:13-14. May not the old name Leshem have been retained in that of the middle source of the Jordan, el-Leddan (Keil, 1:2, p. 53)?
i. Jos 19:49-50. Joshuas Possession. According to his desire, the moderation of which has already been alluded to, Jos 17:14 ff., Joshua received, after the land had been divided, Timnathserah (remaining portion, Gesen.), or Timnathheres (portion of the sun), as a possession, on Mount Ephraim. There on the mountain Gaash was he buried, Jos 24:30; Jdg 2:8-9. It is now Tibneh between Gophnah and el-Mejdel, first discovered by Smith in 1843 on an affluent of the Wady Belat. The ruins are of considerable importance; the tombs there are similar to the royal tombs at Jerusalem (Bib. Sacra, 1843, p. 484 ff. in von Raumer, p. 166). Robinson, Later Bibl. Res. p. 141. Ritter, xvi. p. 562 ff. [Gages transl. 4:246 f.]. The place is not to be confounded with Timnath (Jos 19:43) Jos 15:10.
k. Jos 19:51. Conclusion. This general re mark in closing the narrative, directly refers, by the statement that the division was made in Shiloh, only to Jos 18:1, because there the majority of the tribes had received their portions.
Footnotes:
[1][Professor Plumtre (Dict. of the Bible, p. 3152) leads us rather to the Tabernacle of meeting (meeting-tent?) as the proper equivalent to the Hebrew designation, but with a deeper sense than would commonly be attached to the phrase. He well says: The primary force of is to meet by appointment, and the phrase has therefore the meaning of a place of or for a fixed meeting. The real meaning of the word is to be found in what may be called the locus classicus, as the interpretation of all words connected with the tabernacle, Exo 29:42-46. The same central thought occurs in Exo 25:22, there I will meet with thee (comp. also Exo 30:6; Exo 30:36; Num 17:4). It is clear therefore that congregation is, inadequate. Not the gathering of the worshippers only, but the meeting of God with his people, to commune with them, to make himself known to them, was what the name embodied. Ewald has accordingly suggested Offenbarungs zelt = Tent of Revelation, as the best equivalent (Alterthmer, p. 130). This made the tent a sanctuary. Thus it was that the tent was the dwelling, the house of God (Bhr, Symbolik, 1:81).Tr.]
[2][The author translates precisely with Gesenius, indeed here seems to be little difference in conception between these critics.Tr.]
[3][Robinson gives no original information concerning Joppa; see 3:31, note.Tr.]
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange
CONTENTS
This Chapter opens with an account of the setting up the tabernacle in Shiloh. The remaining part of the land is divided. Benjamin’s lot particularly marked out, with the cities belonging to it.
Jos 18:1
They who in attending to the division of the land, and have seen the several tribes moving off to their respective settlements, might well have enquired before this, Where is the ark of God to be placed? Where is the tabernacle to be erected? That is, in other words, where is Jesus in his type, which is the ark, to have a settlement? Reader! let me beg of you to read what the apostle hath said on this subject, Heb 9:1-5 , for here you will see how Jesus was shadowed out, in signs and figures. It may not be amiss, by way of information to the Reader, to observe that the ark continued in this tabernacle for the space of about 320 years, until it was taken by the Philistines. See 1Sa 4:17 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Distribution
Joshua 15-19
LOOKING at these chapters is like looking at infinite rocks. Most stony are these verses. The eye is affrighted by these Hebrew and other polysyllables. The land is being allotted and distributed. Why then dwell upon a picture whose chief feature seems to be its inhospitableness? Because the picture is full of suggestion, and full of abiding and useful truth. One tribe is ordered to the right hand, another to the left; one north, another south; one into the valley, another to the mountains; one to places where fountains spring, another is commanded to go to the wood country and cut down trees and clear a space for itself make a civilisation. This is but an analogy of higher distributions. Is there not a great law of distribution in all human life? We have but to open our eyes and look upon it. We cannot alter it. We may here and there modify it a little, or pass laws concerning it, or make it a subject of scientific inquiry: but there is the law, and there is no lasting escape from its operation. Nor need there be in order to prove the goodness of God and the riches of his mercy. The whole globe is allotted. Every continent has its own people, every island its own socialism. Wherever man can be placed he is set down there by a law which he cannot control a marvellous, but gracious predestination. We feel it to be so. Who does not know a foreigner the moment he sees him? We say within ourselves, if not in articulate speech, This man is a long way from home. Who said so? By what right do we determine his relation to the globe? We cannot tell, but we do it. Instantaneously we see that the man has come from over seas thousands of miles away; his colour, his dress, his aspect something about him says, I do not belong to this part of the land, I am a foreigner here: have regard for me upon that ground; I speak your language imperfectly: do not impose upon me because of my ignorance, but guide me, protect me, and show me hospitality whilst I linger within your borders. Who made the difference? What is the meaning of the difference? Why are some men put in tropical climates, and others are set among the eternal ice? And why this spirit of contentment more or less evident in every land? Because, whilst we would regard the man as a foreigner, we must remember that, were we visiting his country, he would regard us, even us great and glorious and all but infallible Englishmen as foreign! It is sad to think of! It is sometimes intolerable. But even an Englishman may happen to know the mystery of the misfortune of being a foreigner in some parts of the world an idea almost impossible to drive into the English mind, for an Englishman, whilst hating all boasting on the part of other people, spends his time in boasting about himself. But there is the law the unwritten law the imperious and unchangeable law. The bounds of our habitation are fixed. We are tethered to certain localities; we have a fatherland, whether it be here or there; we have an appointed place, where our dead are buried, where our battles are fought, where our progress is developed: hence the spirit of patriotism that marvellous spirit that burns within us when the country is the question. We feel, therefore, in perusing silently these wondrous chapters in Joshua that distribution is perfectly familiar to us: we see it in every part of the globe; we see it in men, in animals, in plants. There is no monotony in the divine allotment; it burns with colour; and in so far as it accepts the law, it throbs with music, with lofty, grateful song.
So it is with talent and faculty. The kingdom of heaven is as a man who took his journey into a far country, and distributed to his servants various talents to one five, to another two, to another one, to every man according to his several ability. There is the fact. Why enter into pedantic discussions about the parable, and the allotment, and the outworking of the little drama? Here in our own circle and within our own consciousness we have the parable itself in every detail and syllable. We may covet one another’s allotment, but we cannot cross the hedge, or steal the talent that we envy. Who would not play upon the musician’s harp? Who would not wear a poet’s mantle? Who would not dream great dreams, the very beauty of which creates a language of its own, purifying all common terms and making refined gold of them, and jewels precious as rubies? Who would not be a great merchantman, knowing things, as it were, without study? Where other men toil towards conclusions, the greater mind moves to them with natural ease and dignity, seizes them and applies them to wealth-producing purposes. Who would not be the heroic soul that never goes out but when the wind blows from the north, and then in great gusts and thunder-blasts? the man who would not sail over a smooth sea, but wait till the wind seizes the infinite deep and torments it into agony? Who would not be so brave as to wait till the war is at the thickest, and then plunge into the very midst of it, and ask only for the privilege of fighting the strongest man? But we cannot interfere with the operation of the law. Some men cannot sing: there is no poetry in their being; they never dream; they never see heaven opened and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God; they never rise to that high ecstasy which treats miracles as trifles, as occurrences that transpired millions of miles beneath them. Others are without courage, except the courage of subtle impertinence, which suggests that everything must be attempered to their timidity, and nothing must be done that can affright their souls. Did they but know they were mean and small and worthless, they might be forgiven, but they do not, and therefore they keep society at prayer, for nothing but the profoundest prayer can enable us to tolerate their presence. Why is not every man as able as his brother? Why is one man eloquent, and another speechless? Why is one man gifted with the power of acquisitiveness in intellectual directions, and another unable to learn his first lesson? If we imagine that all these things can be rectified, in the sense of making all men equal, we shall toil at abortive reforms, and have nothing at the end but empty hands and disappointed hearts. The question is, What can be done? What is the divine will? Or, if we shrink from theological or biblical terms, still we need not surrender our reason: we might stand back and make a philosophy of that of which we decline to make a theology: the conclusion is the same; the fact abides.
The same law applies to distribution in heaven. All the beings, white-robed, unstained, beautiful with purity, do not stand upon an equal plane in the celestial country. There are angels and archangels; cherubim and seraphim; beings all fire, beings all vision, typical of wisdom all but immeasurable; quick-flying angels speeding with messages from the throne, and brooding spirits hovering over our life, appointed to watch little children: in heaven their angels do always behold the face of Christ’s Father. In heaven there is variety of mental stature, spiritual service, a great distribution of faculty and force and ministry. And this is essential, from our point of view, to a complete and beautiful heaven. We must give up the idea of monotony. If we still think of heaven as a place of harps and harping and songs, we are quite right, the meaning being that all true life blossoms up into song: we could not complete any pillar of logic or of fact without putting upon the top of it the lilywork of music and gladness and victory. We have painted heavens the colour of which wears off, monotonous heavens that become burdensome, small heavens picked out for ourselves and our friends. We must burn these heavens, and let them pass away with a small noise, for such heavens could never make a great one. The true heaven is one of glorified earth, glorified facts as we know them; heaven of variety and position, locality, service. We know now what it is. We do not need to die to be in heaven, or to know it and speak about it familiarly: the kingdom of heaven is within, in the deepest, truest, most living sense. There are father-spirits, and mother-angels, and little people children playing. The child that does not play ought to be looked after, and the case should be inquired into with awful solemnity. Children must play everywhere at church and in heaven. A glorious paradise that, by reason of its variety, personality, faculty, and colour, and engagement! In it there is room for you, for me, for greatest, smallest, richest, poorest: “in my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.”
Remember that every man begins with gifts. This is the very law of these chapters of allotment. The people have something to begin with. No man made his first dowry; it was in him, or handed to him; he did nothing towards the first germ, the plasm of his fortune and his destiny. This is often forgotten in estimating human position and human progress. Every man has a faculty given to him a first thing a nest-egg a wonderful beginning! God gives us the light, the air, the land, the sea. We did not kindle the sun; we do not loose the winds from their tabernacles; and no man ever made one inch of land, or added one pebble to the earth’s surface. In this particular we are very limited and very small. Think! the man who built the greatest cathedral that ever domed itself out towards the skies never added an atom to the sum-total of the earth. He worked with stones that were laid up for him, banked for him in the treasure-house of the earth. So when the Lord goes into a far country he leaves with every man something which the man did not make five talents, two talents, one talent, whatever it may be; that germ or starting-point or protoplasm was given. So we begin with grace, privilege. We are trustees to start with. With all this ability and wonderful inventiveness we have never invented a new pebble, in the sense of adding to the earth’s stones something that was not in the earth and hidden there by its Maker. If we leave that central or primal thought, we get into detail that vexes us, then we begin to manipulate and rearrange and redistribute; but it all comes at last to this fact, that every man has something to start with, a wealth that cannot be communicated, a property his alone; and that must be inquired into at the final audit.
Some possessions come as rewards:
“And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife” ( Jos 15:16 ).
Compromises are sometimes inevitable. This is made clear by the sixty-third verse of the fifteenth chapter:
“As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.” ( Jos 15:63 )
Prayer
Almighty God, in whom can we put our trust but in the Living One? Death is written upon all other securities. Thou remainest evermore the same, and in thy righteousness is no change. We hasten therefore unto thee as men hasten to the rock in which they can be protected against the tempest and the storm. Thou art indeed a refuge from the tempest. Thou dost hide thy people in thy pavilion from the strife of tongues; thou dost call them into the chamber in the rock until the storm be overpast. Enable us to take refuge in the Son of God, to find our home and our heaven in his protection; and thus shall our life be spent wisely, and our strength shall go out from us to return again abundantly enriched and honoured. We would live in thy fear, we would work in thy love, we would be comforted with thy consolations and none other. Heal our diseases; direct our steps; keep us in the time of strife, and give us solidity of confidence in the day of distress. We bless thee for all thy care, so patient, so tender, so minute, covering all things, and attending to each as if it were a solitary concern. This is thy greatness, thou Infinite One, that nothing is too little for thy notice. We put ourselves into thy hands. We would have no will of our own; we would listen for thy voice morning, noon, and night, and answer it with the readiness of love We own our sins. We will not count them, for no number can set them forth; nor will we speak of them, for we cannot state them as they are in thy sight; but we will look towards the Cross of Christ; we will fix our attention upon the Son of God as he expires in agony. When sin torments us most, we will remember what Jesus, Son of man, Son of God, did in Gethsemane and on the Cross, and therein shall we find perpetual comfort. Enable thy servants to work better than they have ever done. Enable all to whom the ministry of suffering is entrusted to suffer patiently, unmurmuringly, and hopefully; yea, may they so suffer as to awaken the wonder of those who look on, because of gentleness, meekness, and patience. When we read thy Book, first read it to us, utter the music in our souls; then shall we see thy meaning, and answer it instantly and lovingly. Remain with us; yea, tarry with us, lingeringly, as if thou couldst not leave us: and in that lingering we shall see a pledge of eternal fellowship. Amen.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
The Distribution of the Land
Joshua 15-19
WE have taken our first survey of the distribution of the land, and noticed several particulars of some consequence to ourselves; other particulars are now to be noticed. The inquiry will be, How far the distribution and the particulars associated with it are true to human nature as we know it. In answering this inquiry we shall soon see whether the Bible is an old book, in the sense of being obsolete and pointless, so far as the conditions and requirements of this day are concerned. The case is a very simple one. The land is to be divided among a given number of people. How they took the distribution or accepted the circumstances is an important inquiry.
We soon come upon a line that might have been written yesterday. It was not enough to have a great general distribution, but there must be some particular and singular allotment, to one person at least. She had a petition to offer; she offered it, and the supplication was answered. She asked through another a request from her father. Her father had received his portion, even Hebron and the region round about, and his daughter Achsah would have a little gift all her own. She would say, “Give me a blessing.” That is vague. Not only would she have a benediction, but a portion quite a little one, but still a portion, belonging, as it were, to herself a jewel for her own neck, a ring for her own finger. Who does not like to have something particularly his own? It is well to have some general stake in the country, but to have a little private piece of land one little bubbling, singing, fountain; a corner quite one’s own is not that the very joy of proprietorship? No doubt there is a general sense of wealth, so general indeed as to be of little particular service under the occasional pressure of necessity: but when the child has six inches of garden-land all its own at the back-door, there is, after all, a landlordly feeling in the young heart that finds frequent expression. Caleb’s daughter would have” a field:” “she lighted off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou?” She answered, “Give me a blessing.” That she could have in a moment, but said she, Give me more, “give me also springs of water in addition to the south land.” “And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs” ( Jos 15:18-19 ). To whom did she pray? To her father. Have we not a Father to whom we can pray for springs of water? Yes, we have such a Father, and from him we can have the upper springs and the nether springs. The river of God is full of water. It cannot be drained off. It sets a-going all the fountains of creation, and is more at the end than at the beginning the very fulness of God; a contradiction in words, but a grand reality in experience. The sun lights every lamp, and not a beam the less is his infinite glory. We therefore may have a special portion, a little all our own; yea, a double portion of the Spirit may be ours. Do not let us be content with the general blessing of the Church. That, indeed, is an infinite comfort. But that general blessing is a pledge of particular donations on the part of the Father of lights. Here we can pray without covetousness; here we can be ambitious without selfishness; here we can have great desires, and be enlarged in our generosity by their very operation in the heart. Let each say to the Father, Give me a field; give me a faculty; give me some dear, sweet consciousness of thy nearness and lovingness something that nobody else can have just as I have it; whisper one word to me that no one in all the universe but myself can hear, and that whisper shall be to me an inspiration, a comfort, a security, a pledge; not that others may not enjoy the same in their own way, but I want something mine own. To that prayer who can measure the reply, if spoken in faith and love and noble unselfishness?
Now another voice is heard. Joshua was not going the right way about the work, in the estimation of some people:
“And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the Lord hath blessed me hitherto?” ( Jos 17:14 ).
“And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee” ( Jos 17:15 ).
Joshua, continuing the high satiric strain, said:
“Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only: but the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong” ( Jos 17:17-18 ).
We come now to another set of circumstances. It appears that when all was done up to this point, a good deal still remained to be accomplished. We read of this in chapter Jos 18:2-7 :
“And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance” ( Jos 18:2 ).
And has Joshua nothing in all this the great man himself, so quiet, so gentle? Caleb asked for his portion right boldly, but he asked as a heroic man should ask for difficulties. At eighty-five he wanted to prove that he was as young as he was at forty. Joshua might have taken that opportunity of saying, Caleb, I was with you in that matter of the espial of the land; if you want your portion now, I may as well have mine at the same time. Nothing of the kind. Joshua waited until the very last. So we read:
“When they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts, the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them: according to the word of the Lord they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnath-serah in mount Ephraim: and he built the city, and dwelt therein” ( Jos 19:49-50 ).
A very tender word is found in regard to some of the tribes. “Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, have received their inheritance beyond Jordan.” Sweet words! ” beyond Jordan.” By a very legitimate accommodation these words may be applied to many a Christian. Some Christians have but little portion this side of the river; their lot is a small one; their riches could all be hidden in one hand; yet how bright they are! as radiant as a summer dawn, as songful as a wood in spring-time, when all the birds are swelling their feathery throats with song. Why? Because the refrain of their hymn is “beyond Jordan.” The crown is on the other side of the river; the city lies beyond the stream; the great inheritance is at the other end of the valley of the shadow of death: they are “begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away.” So their citizenship being in heaven, they have learned in whatsoever state they are, therewith to be content. Blessed are they who are rich in faith; yea, blessed with sevenfold blessing they who can say that their souls are already in heaven, and the consciousness of the heavenly possession creates contempt for the vanities of time.
Looking at the whole matter practically, let us not forget that the land was given to be cultivated. This is not a mere matter of enjoyment. When Palestine was seized, it had to be brought under agricultural treatment, and men were to enjoy the fruit of their labour even in the Land of Promise. There was fighting to be done, there were trees to be cut down; the centre of the country was a great forest, and the foresters must go into it and bring down the timber and root out the old roots, and make flowers and fruits grow in the old forests of Palestine. Life is given to us to cultivate. We are not called upon to do merely the work if so it may be termed of appreciation and enjoyment; we are called to battle, to cultivation, to toil, to service, to disappointment, and to some fruition of our hope and love.
Nor must we forget that variety did not excite discontent. The lots were not all equal. Judah had twenty-nine cities and the villages thereof; Benjamin, fourteen cities with the villages; Joshua had Timnath-serah, in Mount Ephraim. So it is possible for us now to have variety of lot, and yet a sweet content of heart. The kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called together his servants, and gave to one five talents, to another two, to another one representing talent and opportunity and capacity. The Lord must distribute as he pleases. The great lesson for us to learn is, that it is possible for us to have little, and yet not to want more; to be called to a great opportunity, and yet not to boast over those whose limitation is so obvious. This sweet content, this hallowed peace, can only be enjoyed in proportion as we abide in Christ, like living branches in a living vine. This miracle is not a trick of the human hand; it is the miracle of the Holy Ghost.
Selected Note
Eccentric Boundaries of the Tribes (Joshua 15-19). Thomson, in “The Land and the Book,” writes: “The reason why the boundaries of the different tribes were so eccentric originally, and are now so difficult to follow, was that the ‘lots’ were not meted out according to geographical lines; but lands of certain cities lying more or less contiguous were assigned to each tribe. These cities were the capitals of small principalities or districts, just as Tibnin, and Hunin, and Bint-Jebail are now. The territory of one might extend far to the east of the city, that of the next to the west. It is now absolutely impossible to draw lines around the separate ‘lots’ with any degree of certainty. Their general positions with relation to each other, however, can be ascertained with sufficient exactness for all important purposes in the study of Biblical geography.”
Prayer
O thou who art the refuge of men, let us flee unto thee, assured that the door of thy mercy will not be closed against us. We have sung for a lifetime of Jesus as the refuge of the soul. We have found him to be a covert from the storm. We would abide in him, let come what may, strong in his strength, confident in the immutableness of his love. This is our daily thought and this our nightly rest: a very song in our mouth; a perpetual joy, like a singing angel hovering over the life, We turn and think of Christ, and behold our thought makes us glad. We muse about the Son of God in holy wonder, and as we muse the fire burns, and by its glow we know he is near who is the light of heaven. We would dwell upon the thought of his life; we would count his words as men count jewels; we would number them, and set them in order, and preserve them with all the eagerness of unutterable love, accounting each one necessary to the perfectness of the whole. Whilst we thus treasure thy Word, and find in it our true wealth, thou wilt not forsake us; thou wilt make us stronger, younger, happier, as we proceed in this faithful and delightful service. Reveal thy word to us day by day a new light, a new beauty, a new possibility; may it be unto our eyes as the dawn of heaven, and unto our ears as the music of the skies. According to our necessity may thy word present itself to us now a staff to lean upon, now a sword with which to fight, now a light that shall be as a lamp unto our feet, and now an unspeakable comfort, making even sorrow itself welcome, because sorrow brings the Saviour nearer. Thy word abideth for ever; thy word is patient like thyself, waiting for its opportunity, standing at the door of the attention and knocking and waiting until we be ready to hear what it has to say. It has waited for us many a year. When we hear it, we know it to be thy word, because there is an answering spirit in our own hearts which says, This is none other than God’s word a very speech from the heart of the universe. We thank thee for all thy mercies. Though thou hast set us in a time of depression, yet do we see that the stars are all in their places. It is indeed night-time with many, by reason of difficulty, poverty, distress, and hardship; yet not one star has gone out, and the heavens look brighter sometimes than they ever did. Thou hast not forsaken thy people, nor left in desolation those that trust in thee. This is their confidence and their song; yea, it has become their boast and their sure refuge in time of difficulty. Even now thy mercies are more than we can number: even when winter has set in and all the flowers have hidden themselves, thy mercies are full and thy compassion is near and thy kindness is lovingkindness. Even in the midnight of the year we can sing praises unto our God and shake down the prison of our distress. Help us in all things to see thy hand, and to say, All is well. Enable us to prove our faith by the nobleness and clearness of our testimony. May we be enabled to say, Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him, and though the night be dark and dreary, it is but short at most, and the morning is already dawning on the higher hills. We commend one another to thy loving care; they are well kept whom thou dost keep; in their hearts shall be no unrest, but one continual radiant Sabbath-day; no lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast go up thereon, it shall not be found there; all holy thoughts shall dwell there, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away, like birds of the night, afraid of the sunshine, terrified by the day. We are found again at the Cross. We wait at the altar of the atonement wrought by him who is thy Son, our Saviour. His blood is our prayer, bis sacrifice our plea. Amen.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
XXII
CONQUEST OF THE NORTHERN TRIBES; ALLOTMENT OF TERRITORY; ESTABLISHMENT OF A CENTRAL PLACE OF WORSHIP.
Joshua 11-21
This section commences with Joshua II and closes with Jos 21 . That is to say, we must cover in this discussion eleven chapters,, and the matter is of such a nature that one cannot make an oration on it, nor can one give a very interesting discussion on it. It would be perfect folly for me to take up the chapters verse by verse, when all you have to do is to look on your map in the Biblical Atlas and glance at any commentary and get the meaning and locality of each town mentioned. All of the matters that require comment will be commented on in these eleven chapters.
The first theme is the conquest of the tribes in the northern part of the Holy Land, just as the preceding chapter considered the central and southern part of the land. You know I told you that Joshua, by entering the country at Jericho and then capturing Ai, occupied a strategical position, the mountains on the right hand and the left hand and they forced a passway by which he could go in any direction. We found that all the southern part of the country, after the capture at Jericho and Ai, was practically brought about by one decisive battle, the battle of Beth-horon, where the Almighty thundered and sent his hailstones and where the sun stood still. Now, the northern conquest was brought about by one decisive battle, all of the details that it is necessary for me to give are these: When the northern tribes learned of the subjugation of the southern tribes they saw that it was a life and death matter.
From this viewpoint they would be conquered in detail. As Benjamin Franklin said in a speech at the Continental Congress, “Gentlemen, we cannot evade this issue; we must either hang together or hang separately, every one of us if we don’t unite will be hanged.” Now, that was in the minds of those northern kings. We have had the account of Adonizedek, the king of Jebus. Hazor was a well-known place in the history of the countries. We will have it up again in the book of Judges. It was not very far from Caesarea Philippi, where Peter made his great confession in the time of our Lord.
I will not enumerate the tribes and the names of the several kings that were brought into this second league It not only included the central and northern tribes, but they sent an invitation to the remnant of the tribes that had been conquered. The place of rendezvous, or assemblage, for all of these armies of these several kings was Lake Merom. You will recall that in describing the Jordan, rising in the mountains, after running a while, it spreads out into Lake Merom, and lower down it spreads into the Sea of Galilee. Well, now around that Merom Lake the ground is level, very favorable for calvary and war chariots. For the first time the war chariot was introduced. The war chariot was more, in general, the shape of a dray than anything else two wheels, steps behind that one could go down, and one chieftain and two or three captains stood up and drove two or three horses, and they always drove the horses abreast, no matter how many. The men who drove were very skillful but unless they were very lucky they would fall to the ground. In the time of Cyrus the Great, he built one with blades that went out from the sides, so that it not only crippled those he ran over but the scythes on each side would mow them down.
Joshua learned of this combination of tribes and, under the direction of the Almighty, he smote them before they could organize. He was a Stonewall Jackson kind of a man and struck quick and hard. He pressed and pursued them and led his army up the valley of the Jordan by swift marches and instantly attacked the enemy when he got upon the ground and before they were prepared. Their defeat was the most overwhelming in history. All of the leaders were captured and slain; they dispersed in three directions specified in the text, and he pursued them in all three directions. He gave them no time to rally, and when they had been thoroughly discomfited, he took the towns. That battle was practically the end of the war of conquest. We may say the whole thing was decided in this battle; there were some details of conquest later, but this is Joshua’s part of it. I must call attention specifically to this fact, overlooked by many commentaries, that the general statement of the conquest is given in the book of Joshua and the details of some of these general statements are given more elaborately, indeed the last great item, the migration of Dan, in the book of Judges. All that happened before Joshua died. Therefore the book of Judges and the book of Joshua overlap as to time. And for this reason, that as soon as Joshua got through with his conquest, and the distribution of territory, he retired from leadership, living years afterward. The instant the war was over, Joshua surrendered the general leadership.
Just here I wish to answer another question. While the record notes that Joshua conquered all the land that Jehovah had originally promised to those people, yet the book of Joshua also states that there remained certain portions of the land that had not been conquered. The backbone of the opposition was broken by these two battles and by the cities that he captured after these battles, but the enemy would come back and occupy their old position and some of the walled towns were not taken.
I once heard the question asked a Sunday school, Why did God permit the remnants that you will find described later on in this section, the parts not subjugated, to remain? Nobody in the Sunday school could answer. Now, you will find the answer to the question in Num 33:55 ; Jos 23:13 ; Jdg 2:3 . Moses says, “If you do not utterly destroy these people leaving none, then God will permit those remnants that you spare to become thorns in your side, and whenever you are weak they will rise against you; whenever you are disobedient to God they will triumph over you.” It is stated here that the number of the kings of the separate tribes overcome by Joshua was thirty-one Part of this section says that Joshua waged war a long time with these kings. While this battle was fought and became decisive of the general results, the going out and capturing the different towns, completing the different details, required a long time.
Now we come to the next theme of our lesson, viz.: The distribution of the land, or allotment of specific parts of the territory to the tribes. We have already found in the books of Moses just how the eastern side of the Jordan was conquered and the allotment made to Reuben just above Moab, and to Gad just above Reuben and to the half-tribe of Manasseh way up in Gilead. This is on the east side of the Jordan, and the Biblical Atlas will show you at the first glance where they are. So that is the first distribution: Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
The next distribution takes place under the commandment of God. Joshua is old, well stricken in years and wants the land divided while he lives because he knows it will be divided right, and this, too, is the land allotted to Judah and the land allotted to Joseph, or Ephraim, and the half tribe of Manasseh. So we have two and one-half tribes receiving their portion on the west side of the Jordan. That leaves seven tribes who have not yet received their land. In giving Judah his part three interesting events occurred, all of which were in connection with Caleb. Caleb is one of the original twelve men sent out by Moses to spy out the land, and because of his fidelity God promised that he should have Hebron, Abraham’s old home, which is not far from the Dead Sea. It has always been a noted place and is yet. Before this division took place, Caleb presented himself and asked for the fulfilment of the promise by Moses, that his particular part should be Hebron and when that was done, Caleb’s daughter, Achsah, steps forward and asks of her father springs of water, and he gave her the upper and nether springs.
The third fact is related at length in Judges, but it occurs at this time. Caleb having the certain portion, Kiriathsepher, the enemy of Hebron, he said that whoever should go over into that city first and capture it, he should have his daughter for a wife, and a very brave fellow, a nephew of Caleb, determined to try it and he took that city and got the girl. Now, that was a deed of daring, and like it was in the Middle Ages where a knight went forth and sought adventures that would entitle him to be his lady’s husband. All young fellows feel that they would surmount any difficulty to win a girl. I have felt that way. I felt that way when I was seven years old and about a certain young lady. There isn’t anything too dangerous or too great a sacrifice for a man to make in a case of that kind.
I told you when Judah received his part that Joseph’s tribe received theirs. Now we come to an interesting episode; the tribe of Joseph, and particularly the tribe of Ephraim, was always a tough proposition. You will find that all the way through the Old Testament and even when you come to the New Testament. Ephraim came up and when the allotment was made he said, “We are not satisfied.” Did you ever hear of people who were not satisfied about a division of land? Joshua said, “What is the trouble?” “Well, they said, “we are a big tribe, many men of war, and we are cooped up too much. We cannot go far west for there are the mountains, and then all around are woods.” Now, what did Joshua say to them? He said, “Well, you are indeed a big tribe and you have many men of war; now go up and cut down those woods and expand'” He determined to rest some responsibility upon the tribes after the allotment had been made. It is a fine piece of sarcasm. So Ephraim had to take to the woods.
Now before any other division takes place a very notable event occurred affecting the future history of the nation, and that was the establishment of a central place of worship, finding a home for the tabernacle. The tabernacle was established at Shiloh, and this brings us to another general question. How long did that tabernacle stay at Shiloh? How long did the ark stay, and when it left there, where did it go, and where was the ark finally brought? Trace the history of the ark from Shiloh to where it was set up in the tent, and then I want you to tell what became of the tent and tell how long it stayed there and what became of it. What became of the tabernacle? Some of the most interesting things in history and song are found in the answer to those questions.
I here propound another question. Which tribe had no inheritance, no section of the country allotted to it, and why? This tribe that had no particular section allotted to it was scattered over the whole nation and that leads to the next question that you are to answer. Where do you find the prophecy in the Pentateuch, in which book, and where, that this tribe and another one, Simeon, should be scattered over Israel? Where does Moses prophesy just what comes to pass? If not Moses, then somebody else, and you are to find out who did and when and where. The next general remark that I have to make is that this section tells us that Dan was shut up in a pretty tight place. Three strong tribes, Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim held them on one side and the Philistines on the other side, but Dan didn’t come to Joshua. Perhaps he thought it but took the question into his own hands. I suppose that he was afraid that as Joshua told Ephraim to go to the woods, he would tell Dan to capture those Philistine cities, and so Dan sent out some spies and found a good place to settle, and the story of the emigration of Dan is told at great length in the book of Judges. Some of it is told in the book of Joshua; that he took Laish and called it Dan and that became its name. So we say, “from Dan to Beersheba.” We will see all about how Dan improved it when we get to the book of Judges. I am showing you that it occurred, but when you get to the book of Judges you will have a detailed account of it.
The next thought in these eleven chapters is that Joshua, having ended his wars, obeyed God with singular fidelity. (I don’t believe I explained that after they came to Shiloh where he set the ark, the other tribes received their portion by lots. Now your map will show you where Shiloh was and Ephraim and Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and all the others. All you have to do is to look on your map and see their location.) He, having finished the wars, asked a small inheritance for himself, a little bit of a place. How that does shine in comparison with the other great conquerors! When they come to the division, they take the lion’s share. Joshua took a very modest little place in his own tribe. His retiring from public life devolved the work upon the tribes themselves, and to their own judgment. He remained in seclusion until he comes out to be considered in the next section.
This leaves for consideration only two other thoughts in the distribution of the territory, and I shall embody these thoughts in questions for you to answer. Look at the six cities of refuge established, three east of the Jordan and three west of the Jordan. You can find them on a good map, and as you look at them on the map, you are struck with the wisdom of their locality when you consider the purpose of these cities of refuge. And now what was the intent of these cities of refuge? A thousand preachers have preached sermons on the cities of refuge Spurgeon has one remarkable sermon. The allusions to them are very frequent, so that every one of you ought to have in your heart and on your brain a clear conception of what is meant by the cities of refuge. I am going to give you a brief answer, but you can work this answer out and make it bigger.
Under the Mosaic law there was no sheriff in cases of homicide, the killing of a man. In our cities the police go after the murderer, and the sheriff in the country, but under the Mosaic law the next of kin was made the “avenger of blood.” If I, living at that day, had been slain, without raising a question as to how it was done, my brother, J. M. Carroll, or my son, B. H. Carroll, Jr., under the law would be the sheriff, and his injunction would be to start as soon as he heard of the killing and to kill the killer on sight. Well, for us in that kind of a sheriff-law this difficulty would arise: Suppose in the assumed case Just now that, while I had been killed, it had been accidental; that we were all out hunting and a man with me accidentally discharged his gun and it killed me. Or suppose that, as Moses described it, two men were chopping and one went to make a big lick with an axe and the axe flew off and hit the other one and killed him, yet that law says that life was a sacred thing. Now, as there are several cases of manslaughter, of innocent men with no purpose to kill them, so there must be a distinction made between accidental homicide and willful murder.
The object of the cities of refuge, distributed as you see over the country, was to provide a place where one who had killed another, not intending to commit murder, might find a place of shelter until the matter could be investigated, and so, just as soon as a man killed another, he turned and commenced running. The avenger of blood, as soon as he heard of it, went after him and it was a race for life and death, to see which could get there first. Therefore the roads were kept in splendid condition, no rocks were left that the man fleeing for his life should stumble and be slain. The rabbis say they would not allow a straw to be left on the road lest they should stumble and fall.
Now, I close with just this question. I told you that one tribe had no inheritance, no lot of land all together and they had to go somewhere. So for that tribe certain cities with their suburbs were set apart. Now, on your map look for the cities of this tribe that had no inheritance.
QUESTIONS
1. Describe the strategical position of Jericho and Ai.
2. By what battle was the south country practically conquered?
3. What decisive battle brought about the northern conquest? Describe it. With whom is Joshua as a general compared?
4. What the connection between the book of Joshua and the book of Judges?
5. How do you harmonize the statements that Joshua conquered all the land that Jehovah had promised them and that there remained certain portions of the land that had not been conquered?
6. Why did God permit the remnants not subjugated to remain in the land? Where in the Pentateuch do you find the answer?
7. Explain the expression, “Joshua waged war a long time with these kings.”
8. Locate the tribes on the east of the Jordan.
9. What the second distribution, and to whom?
10. What 3 interesting events in connection with giving Judah his portion?
11. What complaint was made by Ephraim, and Joshua’s reply?
12. Where was the central place of worship located? How long did the ark stay there? When it left where did it go? Where finally brought? How long did the tent, or tabernacle, stay there? What finally became of it?
13. What tribe had no inheritance & why? Where do you find the prophecy in the Pentateuch that this tribe & Simeon should be scattered over Israel?
14. How does Joshua’s spirit compare with the spirit of the other great conquerors?
15. How did Dan get out of his straits?
16. Name and locate the cities of refuge. What the intent of these cities?
17. Locate the cities of the tribe that had no inheritance.
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
Jos 18:1 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. Assembled together at Shiloh. ] a Which, both by the signification of the name, and by the situation of the place, seemeth to some to be the same with Salem, Melchizedek’s city, whose palace, Jerome saith, was in his time to be seen in the city Salem, near whereunto John baptized, Joh 3:23 which also, Gen 33:18 according to his translation and the Seventy’s, is called the city of the Sichemites, because it stood in the country of the Shechemites, as did also Shiloh. Jos 24:25-26 ; Jos 18:1 Gen 35:4 Jdg 9:6 ; Jdg 21:9
And set up the tabernacle.
a Ut enim pacificam denotat et tranquillam, Gen 34:21 Nah 1:12 ita et . Dan 6:1 Unde et Messias “Shiloh” appellatur.
b Mr Baxter.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED TEXT): Jos 18:1-7
1Then the whole congregation of the sons of Israel assembled themselves at Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there; and the land was subdued before them. 2There remained among the sons of Israel seven tribes who had not divided their inheritance. 3So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you? 4Provide for yourselves three men from each tribe that I may send them, and that they may arise and walk through the land and write a description of it according to their inheritance; then they shall return to me. 5They shall divide it into seven portions; Judah shall stay in its territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall stay in their territory on the north. 6You shall describe the land in seven divisions, and bring the description here to me. I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God. 7For the Levites have no portion among you, because the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance. Gad and Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh also have received their inheritance eastward beyond the Jordan, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them.
Jos 18:1 Shiloh This city is in the tribal allocation of Ephraim, north of Bethel. The tabernacle resided here from Joshua’s time to Samuel’s time (cf. Jdg 18:31) because this city was centrally located.
the tent of meeting This is the first time this tent is mentioned specifically in Joshua, although its presence is assumed in Jos 3:3; Jos 8:33. This refers to the special sacrificial place set up by YHWH (cf. Exodus 25-40), where He and His covenant people could ritually meet. In design it was not radically different from other portable Near Eastern worship centers (which is also true of Solomon’s temple, which is similar to Phoenician temples).
This was the home for the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, where YHWH symbolically dwelt between the wings of the cherubim (the place where heaven and earth met).
the land was subdued before them The VERB (BDB 461, KB 460, Niphal PERFECT) does not seem to truly describe the situation. See note at Jos 16:10.
Jos 18:2-3 Apparently several tribes were not willing to take on the responsibility of capturing their own tribal allocations. The PARTICIPLE put off (BDB 951, KB 1276, Hithpael PARTICIPLE) means to show oneself lazy (lit. to relax or loosen, which means metaphorically to be slack, idle, or disheartened, cf. Pro 18:9; Pro 24:10.
Jos 18:3 which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you For the Hebrew significance of LORD (YHWH) and God (Elohim) see Special Topic: NAMES FOR DEITY .
YHWH had clearly stated His intentions to Abraham (cf. Gen 15:7; Gen 15:16; Gen 13:15; Gen 13:17; Gen 17:8) and reaffirmed them to Isaac (cf. Gen 26:4) and Jacob (cf. Gen 28:13-14). Moses had clearly stated YHWH’s intentions toward Israel (cf. Exo 13:5; Exo 13:11; Exo 32:13; Exo 33:1; Deu 1:7-8; Deu 4:38; Deu 4:40; Deu 5:31; Deu 7:13; Deu 8:1; Deu 9:6; Deu 11:9; Deu 11:17; Deu 26:1; Deu 26:9; Deu 32:52; Deu 34:4; Jos 1:2-3; Jos 1:6; Jos 1:11; Jos 1:13; Jos 1:15; Jos 2:9; Jos 2:24; Jos 18:3; Jos 21:43; Jos 23:13; Jos 24:13). Many of these promises are linked to covenant obedience.
Jos 18:4 This verse has several commands from Joshua to the seven tribes who had not yet been allotted land.
1. provide for yourselves three men from each tribe, BDB 396, KB 393, Qal IMPERATIVE
2. that I may send, BDB 1018, KB 1511, Qal IMPERFECT, but in a COHORTATIVE sense (OTPG, p. 181)
3. that they may arise, BDB 877, KB 1086, Qal IMPERFECT, but in a JUSSIVE sense (OTPG, p. 181)
4. walk through the land, BDB 229, KB 246, Hithpael IMPERFECT, but in a JUSSIVE sense (OTPG, p. 181)
5. write a description of it, BDB 507, KB 503, Qal IMPERFECT, but in a JUSSIVE sense (OTPG, p. 181)
6. then they shall return to me, BDB 97, KB 112, Qal IMPERFECT, but in a JUSSIVE sense (OTPG, p. 181)
The command sense of these VERBS is confirmed by the series of IMPERATIVES, which reflect this verse in Jos 18:8.
Jos 18:6 I will cast lots for you before the LORD our God The VERB (BDB 434, KB 436, Qal PERFECT) is related to teach (Hiphil). These lots were cast by Joshua, not the High Priest, so perhaps they were not the Urim and Thummim. Whatever they were and however they worked, they represented the expressed will of Israel’s God. This was a covenant act, both in method (lots) and result (land inheritance).
Jos 8:7 The Levites as a tribe took the place of the firstborn (cf. Exodus 13) in serving YHWH (cf. Jos 13:14; Num 18:1-32 and note at Jos 13:33).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
children = sons.
Shiloh = tranqaillity or rest. Compare Gen 49:10; eight times in this book. See Jos 18:1, Jos 18:8, Jos 18:9, Jos 18:10; Jos 19:51; Jos 21:2; Jos 22:9, Jos 22:12. See note on Jdg 18:31.
tabernacle. Hebrew ‘ohel’ = tent (App-40). It remained here (Jdg 21:12. 1Sa 1:3; 1Sa 3:3) till the Philistines took the ark (1Sa 4:11). In the days of Saul it was at Nob (of Benjamin, 1Sa 21:1; 1Sa 22:19), and at Gibson at beginning of Solomon’s reign (1Ki 3:5. 2Ch 1:3). Compare Psa 78:60, Psa 78:67, Psa 78:68. Jer 7:12.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Chapter 18
As we get into chapter eighteen we find that the tabernacle was then set up at Shiloh. Now the tabernacle, the place of the worship of God, which was with them there in the wilderness, and wherever they would go they would set up the tabernacle. It was the place where they would offer their sacrifices unto God. They were not allowed to offer their sacrifices to God just anyplace. Only one place could they really make an offering unto God, a sacrifice, and that was at the tabernacle.
So now that they’re in the land, the first place where the tabernacle was set up within the land was at Shiloh. So this is the place for the spiritual gathering together of the people. It would seem that the capital, if there were such a thing at that time, was probably in Shechem. But the spiritual center of the people was at Shiloh. That is where they set up the tabernacle; and thus, the offering of the sacrifices, the institution of the offerings of the priesthood and so forth, was made there at Shiloh.
Now at this point there remained seven tribes that had not yet received their inheritance. Only three of the tribes by this point had actually received the territory that belonged to them. So they chose three men from each of these tribes, that they might go into this territory as a survey team, and more or less mark out the territory, draw out the boundaries. Usually the boundaries were by cities and rivers, and valleys and mountains, and so forth, so that they could draw out the boundaries of the territories the tribes were to receive. So in the eighteenth chapter it deals with the drawing of the boundaries, and then of the casting of the lots for the various tribes.
In verse eleven,
The lot of the tribe of Benjamin came up according to their families: and the lot of the tribe of Judah and the children of Judah ( Jos 18:11 ).
Benjamin was to dwell right there actually around the area of Jerusalem and north of that, a narrow strip that went from Jordan on up through Bethel.
“
Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary
An important event is now recorded. The Tent of Meeting was erected at Shiloh. No reason is given for the choice of Shiloh. It certainly was central to the country and perhaps that is the simplest explanation. That which follows immediately would lead us to believe that after districts had been allotted to Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh there was some slackness in continuing the work of settlement, for Joshua definitely rebuked the seven tribes for being slow to go up and possess the land. Before doing so, however, this place of worship was erected as the symbol of the deepest truth and principle of their nationality.
In the choice of the seven lots, the first fell to Benjamin. His territory occupied the space between that of Judah and Ephraim. This nearness to Ephraim and Manasseh was according to a natural order, but in process of time Benjamin drew nearer in sympathy to Judah, and at the great division went with Judah altogether.
Benjamin was always looked upon as the least of the tribes of Israel, but it is not to be measured by its size but rather by its caliber. Among its cities it included some that became famous in subsequent history-Jericho, Beth- el, Gibeon, and Mizpeh. Dean Stanley pointed out that even in New Testament times its influence remained, this being revealed partly by the frequency of the name of Saul in Hebrew families. It is interesting that one bearing that name subsequently made his boast in that he was “of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin” (Php 3:5).
Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible
Dividing the Remaining Territory
Jos 18:1-10; Jos 19:49-51
The Tabernacle had remained in Gilgal. It must now be removed to Shiloh, a site selected by God himself, Deu 12:11; Psa 78:60. Shiloh means rest, and it commemorated the ending of the war. The honor of having Gods dwelling-place within its border was probably given to Ephraim as the tribe to which Joshua belonged.
As an inducement to occupy the land, this further commission was sent forth. How many of us are equally slack to appropriate the blessings stored up in the Savior! Well is it that God, through the ages, has sent pioneers to tell us what we are missing and to stimulate our zeal.
The veteran leader had earned a good reward. His portion was called the portion of the sun, probably because of its aspect. Let us live and walk in the light.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
6. The Portion of the Rest of the Tribes
CHAPTER 18
1. The tabernacle at Shiloh (Jos 18:1)
2. The remaining seven tribes (Jos 18:2-10)
3. The lot of Benjamin (Jos 18:11-28)
The tabernacle of the congregation is now set up at Shiloh. Shiloh means peace, security. The land was then subdued before them. Shiloh is now the center. From there the operations proceed. Seven times after this Shiloh is mentioned in the book of Joshua: Jos 18:8-10; Jos 19:51; Jos 21:2; Jos 22:9; Jos 22:12. Read these carefully and see what happened in connection with Shiloh, the place of rest. The tabernacle remained at Shiloh till the Philistines came and took the ark, as recorded in 1Sa 4:11. Then it was at Nob in the days of Saul, then at Jerusalem, at Gibeon in the beginning of Solomons reign (2Ch 1:3). It never got back to this first resting-place.
At that time seven tribes still remained without an inheritance. They seemed to be content without any inheritance whatever. Most likely they had also become tired of war. Theirs had been a strenuous experience. It was difficult work to go forth and conquer, to occupy new territory and meet the enemies. They must likewise have come into possession of many things for their comfort, which were unknown to them in the wilderness; and with the natural and plentiful resources of the land they became self-indulgent and were at ease. Joshuas earnest appeal suggests such a state of the people. How long are ye slack to go to possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you? And their negligence in not possessing the land avenged itself, for the unpossessed land with its enemies became scourges in their sides and thorns in their eyes. What ingratitude it was, after Gods wonderful power had brought them in, that they should neglect to avail themselves of so great a gift! Such is man, always a failure in himself. It needs hardly to be said, that all this finds an application with ourselves, whom the Lord has brought into a better land and richer inheritance. How slack we are to go to possess the land! How many neglect so great salvation! Joshua then gave instructions and the men selected walked through the land and made a survey of it.
The inheritance of Benjamin is described in the remaining portion of this chapter. Their lot fell into a steep, mountainous country; many of the cities they received were in high places, indicated by such names as Gibeon (hilly); Gibeath (a hill); Gaba (elevation); Ramah (the height); Mizpeh (watch-tower), etc. May we ascend the heights of glory we have in Christ, and walk in our high-places, with feet as swift as the hinds feet (Hab 3:19). And we too have our Mizpeh, the place of watching and waiting for Him, who will lead us into our wonderful inheritance in the day of His coming glory.
Benjamin was counted the least of the tribes (1Sa 9:21), and when, with other tribes, it was represented by its chief magistrate, it was rather disparagingly distinguished as little Benjamin with their ruler (Psa 68:27). Yet it was strong enough, on one occasion, to set at defiance for a time the combined forces of the other tribes (Jdg 20:12, etc.) It was distinguished for the singular skill of its slingers; seven hundred, who were left-handed, could every one sling stones at an hair-breadth and not miss (Jdg 20:16). The character of its territory, abounding in rocky mountains, and probably in game, for the capture of which the sling was adapted, might, in some degree, account for this peculiarity.
Many famous battles were fought on the soil of Benjamin. The battle of Ai; that of Gibeon, followed by the pursuit through Bethhoron, both under Joshua; Jonathans battle with the Philistines at Michmash (1 Samuel 14), and the duel at Gibeon between twelve men of Saul and twelve of David (2Sa 2:15-16); were all fought within the territory of Benjamin. And when Sennacherib approached Jerusalem from the north, the places which were thrown into panic as he came near were in this tribe. He is come to Aiath, he is passed through Migron; at Michmash he layeth up his baggage; they are gone over the pass; they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah trembleth; Gibeah of Saul is fled. Cry aloud with thy voice, O daughter of Gallim! Hearken, O Laishah! O thou poor Anathoth! Madmenah is a fugitive, the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee. This very day shall he halt at Nob; he shaketh his hand at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem (Isa 10:28-32, R.V.). In later times Judas Maccabeus gained a victory over the Syrian forces at Bethhoron; and, again, Cestius and his Roman troops were defeated by the Jews (Expositors Bible).
The tribe counted the least, little Benjamin, came into possession of the richest inheritance, which is abundantly witnessed to by the names of the different cities, if we diligently search out their meaning. God delights to take up what is little and make it great. (Saul of Tarsus, our great Apostle Paul (Paul means little), was of the tribe of Benjamin. He possessed and enjoyed his inheritance in the heavenlies.)
Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)
Shiloh: Shiloh was situated on a hill in the tribe of Ephraim, though near the borders of Benjamin, about fifteen miles north of Jerusalem, and, according to Eusebius, twelve, or according to Jerome, ten miles – south from Shechem or Nablous. It was but a little north from Bethel or Ai, and near the road from Shechem to Jerusalem – Jdg 21:19. In Jerome’s time, Shiloh was ruined; and nothing remarkable was extant, but the foundations of the altar of burnt offerings which had been erected when the tabernacle stood there. Jos 19:51, Jos 21:2, Jos 22:9
set up: Jdg 18:31, 1Sa 1:3, 1Sa 1:24, 1Sa 4:3, 1Sa 4:4, 1Ki 2:27, 1Ki 14:2, 1Ki 14:4, Psa 78:66, Jer 7:12-14, Jer 26:6
Reciprocal: Exo 26:30 – rear up the tabernacle Num 32:22 – land Deu 12:5 – But unto Deu 12:11 – a place Deu 26:2 – go unto Jos 9:27 – in the place Jos 16:6 – Taanathshiloh Jos 22:19 – wherein Jdg 19:18 – the house Jdg 20:18 – house of Jdg 20:27 – the ark Jdg 21:2 – the house Jdg 21:12 – virgins 1Sa 2:29 – habitation 2Sa 7:6 – I have not 1Ki 11:29 – Shilonite Neh 9:24 – thou subduedst Psa 78:60 – General Jer 41:5 – Shiloh Act 7:44 – the tabernacle Act 7:45 – Which
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The end of Jos 14:1-15 tells us that the land had rest from war, so, according to Deu 12:10-11 , it was now time for God to select the place for his name to dwell and people to offer sacrifices to him. The tabernacle at last found a permanent resting place in Shiloh, which is appropriate since that name means, “rest” ( Jos 18:1 ). It is interesting to note one of the promises of the coming Messiah also refers to him as Shiloh, or the source of our ultimate rest ( Gen 49:10 ).
The tabernacle remained in Shiloh until the days of Eli the priest. The men of Israel thought the power of the Lord rested in the ark of the covenant, so they went and got it when the Philistines were defeating them in battle. They were routed and the ark captured because God was not with them ( 1Sa 4:1-11 ). It was never returned to Shiloh and that city continued to decline until it was at last destroyed by the Assyrians ( Psa 78:55-61 ; Jer 7:12 ; Jer 26:6 ).
After the tabernacle was set up, Joshua turned to the job of completing the distribution of the land ( Jos 18:2-10 ). He chided the remaining seven tribes by asking, “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?” God had given them their land but they were too lazy to possess it by completing the division of it and actually taking up residence. Joshua required the seven remaining tribes to provide three men each to go out and survey the land that had not yet been occupied by God’s people. Keil and Delitzsch say this particularly means they were to list the cities in the area and the type of land surrounding each so a proper division could be made.
Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books
Jos 18:1. The whole congregation of the children of Israel Not only their elders, and heads of their tribes, who represented the people of Israel, and are sometimes meant by the whole congregation; but, as the expression may here very well signify, the whole body of the people, who, it is probable, accompanied the ark, in order to fix it in a new situation. Assembled together at Shiloh A place in the tribe of Ephraim, about fifteen miles from Jerusalem, situate upon a hill in the heart of the country. And set up the tabernacle there Which had now remained seven years with the camp at Gilgal. No doubt if was by Gods order that it was removed hither, for he was to choose the place of its residence, Deu 12:5; Deu 12:11; Deu 12:14. And, it is probable, he made known his will in this respect by the oracle of Urim and Thummim, and by giving some extraordinary token of his accepting their sacrifices there. For when he made choice of mount Zion, an angel ordered the Prophet Gad to direct David to set up an altar in the threshing-floor of Ornan, and there God answered by fire, 1Ch 21:18; 1Ch 21:26. It would have been too far, after the division of the land, for all the tribes to go up to Gilgal to transact all that the law required to be done at the tabernacle, and now indispensably necessary to be performed there, although, while they sojourned in the wilderness, they did not observe these rules. This place was very convenient for all the tribes to resort to, being in the centre of them, and likewise very safe, being guarded by the two powerful tribes of Judah and Ephraim. And being in the lot of the latter tribe, to which Joshua belonged, and in which he probably fixed his stated abode, it was both for his honour and convenience that it was placed here; that he might have the opportunity of consulting God by Urim as often as he needed, and might more easily finish what remained to be done in the division of the land. Here, it is thought, the tabernacle remained for the space of three hundred and fifty years, even till the days of Samuel, 1Sa 1:3. Archbishop Usher, however, only reckons the time to be three hundred and twenty- eight years. Shiloh was the name given to the Messiah in dying Jacobs prophecy. So the pitching the tabernacle in Shiloh, says Henry, intimated to the Jews, that in that Shiloh whom Jacob spoke of all the ordinances of this worldly sanctuary should have their accomplishment in a greater and more perfect tabernacle.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jos 18:1. Israel assembled together at Shiloh. This city stood on a hill, fifteen miles from Jerusalem and ten from Shechem; and not far north of Beth-el and Ai. Here the ark rested in the centre of Israel.
Jos 18:2. Seven tribes had as yet no inheritance, because the whole land was not surveyed as to its extent, its districts, and cosmography. The tribes had evidently strong feelings, and it was happy for them that Joshuas life was spared to consummate his work.
Jos 18:4. Givethree men for each tribe, to survey the undivided land; for the people having settled in towns, they were very reluctant to remove.
Jos 18:17. Went forth to En-shemesh; that is, the fountain of the sun. We find also the name of Bethshemesh, the house or temple of the sun. These names of places prove that Sabianism was once the religion of the oriental world; their towns and favourite places were all dedicated to the hosts of heaven. See on Job 1:15. Jer 7:18.
Jos 18:26. Mizpeh, the central city, at which the elders of Israel were often convened on special occasions.
Jos 18:28. Jebusi, which is Jerusalem. This is the city of the ancient Melchizedek. It is here included in the lot of Benjamin; but as they could not take it, the Jebusites possessed it till Davids time; so Judah gained it by conquest. Tacitus calls it a celebrated city, strong by nature. Pliny accounts it the most famous city of the east; and Jeremiah designates it as the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth. Psa 48:2. Jer 39:3. Lam 2:1.
REFLECTIONS.
During the confusion and dissatisfaction which prevailed about the proportion of towns allotted to each tribe, care was taken of religion. The Lord with whom was the sole right to choose the place of his residence, removed the ark of his strength to Shiloh, where his glory abode three hundred and forty nine years, till the wickedness of Elis sons caused the place to be abhorred. This situation was happy and central; it was contiguous to Joshuas lot, and it enabled the officers of state and the ministers of religion to act the more in union for the peoples good. Tokens and marks of Gods special presence are not confined to any particular place or people; for he peculiarly delights to dwell in the humblest heart, and where he is worshipped in spirit and in truth.
The people, dwelling irregularly in the camp and in cities, seemed to have sunk into a state of supineness, and were not solicitous about removing to their lot in the promised inheritance. But Joshua urged them to make an accurate survey of the country, that after the lot was drawn he might give them an exact proportion of soil and of cities. How wise and impartial was this mode of proceeding: how happy are the people at all times who have virtuous rulers to bear with their weaknesses, and care for their wants. Such a governor is Gods best gift to a nation. He is the father of every family, and the friend of every individual.
The lot of Benjamin could not but be very gratifying. It fell out in the centre of his brethren, and near to Bethel, within a mile of which Rachel was buried; it lay in part along the fertile shore of Jordan; it was near the house of God, and defended on every side by powerful tribes. So the words of Moses were accomplished in this lot. The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; the Lord shall cover him all the day long; and he shall dwell between his shoulders. On a review of all those advantages, Benjamin could surely say, the lines are fallen to me in pleasant places, I have a goodly heritage.
Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
SURVEYING AND DIVIDING THE REST OF THE LAND
(vs.1-10)
Though Jerusalem was God’s purposed center for Israel, they had not been able to take this city from the Jebusites, so that they found Shiloh in the territory of Ephraim convenient for the setting up of the tabernacle (v.1). The land was generally subdued before Israel but there were still seven tribes that had not been apportioned their inheritance (v.2).
Joshua remonstrates with Israel in verse 3 as to their neglect to actually possess what God had given them (v.3). Well might believers today take to heart such an admonishment. We have not possessed what God has given us title to. Joshua told Israel therefore to pick out three men from each tribe who could pass through the remaining territory, survey it and part it into seven portions (vs.4-6). Then Joshua would cast lots before the Lord as to which portion each of the tribes would receive. The men would be thus put in a position of wanting to be fully impartial as to the dividing of the land.
The men whom Joshua was sending to survey the land were reminded (v.7) that the Levites had no stated inheritance and the 2 tribes had theirs on the east side of Jordan. With Joshua’s backing therefore the men left on the survey. How long it took we are not told, but when completed they returned to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh. Joshua did as he said, casting lots as to which of the seven tribes was to inherit which portion (v.10).
THE TERRITORY OF BENJAMIN
(vs.11-28)
Benjamin means “son of my right hand,” so that the tribe emphasizes the glory of the Lord Jesus as reigning at the right hand of God. Appropriately therefore, Benjamin included Jerusalem (v.28), which was on the border of Benjamin and Judah (ch.15:63). Authority (in Benjamin) and praise (Judah) are beautifully united therefore in this capital city which was God’s center, though it was a long time before Jerusalem was taken from the Jebusites (in David’s day).
Benjamin’s borders are described in verses 1-20, and its cities named in verses 21-28. Its territory was comparatively small, lying between Judah and Ephraim, bounded by the River Jordan on the east and the tribe of Dan on the west.
Fuente: Grant’s Commentary on the Bible
18:1 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the {a} tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.
(a) For they had now removed it from Gilgal, and set it up in Shiloh.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
5. Survey of the remaining land 18:1-10
After the process of assigning land to the three Cisjordanian tribes mentioned above (those on the western side of the Jordan River), Israel’s attention turned to relocating the tabernacle in a more central location (Jos 18:1). God undoubtedly made the choice of Shiloh (lit. rest; cf. Deu 12:11). [Note: See Israel Finkelstein, "Shiloh Yields Some, But Not All, of Its Secrets," Biblical Archaeology Review 12:1 (January-February 1986):22-41.] The name of this town was significant because of Jacob’s prophecy of Shiloh (Gen 49:10) and the association of God’s name with the Israelites’ rest. God’s people could find rest where He abode. The tabernacle stood at Gilgal (Jos 5:10;.Jos 10:15; Jos 10:43), Shiloh (Jos 18:1; Jos 18:9-10), Bethel (Jdg 20:18-28; Jdg 21:1-4), Shiloh (1Sa 1:3), Mizpah (1Sa 7:5-6), Gilgal (1Sa 10:8; 1Sa 13:8-10; 1Sa 15:10-15), Nob (1Sa 21:1-9; 1Sa 22:11; 1Sa 22:19), and finally at Gibeon (1Ch 16:39-40; 1Ch 21:29; 1Ki 3:4; 2Ch 1:3). These may not be all the places where it stood, but these are the places that the text names. Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem then replaced it.
Perhaps the break in the allotment proceedings plus continuing Canaanite intimidation influenced the leaders of the remaining tribes to delay distributing the rest of the land. Joshua had to scold them for procrastinating (Jos 18:3). He then appointed a special group of men, three from each of the seven remaining tribes, to act as a surveying crew. These men studied the land and divided it into seven parts. This may be the earliest instance of land surveying on record. [Note: See Bush, p. 174.] This may have been the same method they used to determine the earlier allotments, though the writer did not state this in the text. The casting of lots proceeded when this work was complete (Jos 18:10). This evidently took place at the tabernacle (i.e., before the LORD, Jos 18:6).
"For the Christian, the establishment of a sanctuary and centre at Shiloh testifies to how God fulfils his promises. God has given his people the blessing of his presence among them. They must respond in obedience by occupying the land and living according to the divine covenant. The fundamental importance of the sanctuary is illustrated by its central position among the tribes (in the central hill country) and by its position in the midst of the allotments of Joshua 13-21. Christians are also called upon to see the worship of God as central to their lives. As with the gatherings at the Shiloh sanctuary so regular meetings for worship are a chief means to provide unity and common encouragement for faithful living (Heb 10:25)." [Note: Hess, p. 264.]
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE DISTRIBUTION COMPLETED.
Joshua Chs. 18, 19.
AN event of great importance now occurs; the civil arrangements of the country are in a measure provided for, and it is time to set in order the ecclesiastical establishment. First, a place has to be found as the centre of the religious life; next, the tabernacle has to be erected at that place – and this is to be done in the presence of all the congregation. It is well that a godly man like Joshua is at the head of the nation; a less earnest servant of God might have left this great work unheeded. How often, in the emigrations of men, drawn far from their native land in search of a new home, have arrangements for Divine service been forgotten! In such cases the degeneracy into rough manners, uncouth ways of life, perhaps into profanity, debauchery, and lawlessness, has usually been awfully rapid. On the other hand, when the rule of the old puritan has been followed, “Wherever I have a house, there God shall have an altar”; when the modest spire of the wooden church in the prairie indicates that regard has been had to the gospel precept – “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you,” – a touch of heaven is imparted to the rude and primitive settlement; we may believe that the spirit of Christ is not unknown; the angels of virtue and piety are surely hovering around it.
The narrative is very brief, and no reason is given why Shiloh was selected as the religious centre of the nation. We should have thought that the preference would be given to Shechem, a few miles north, in the neighbourhood of Ebal and Gerizim, which had already been consecrated in a sense to God. That Shiloh was chosen by Divine direction we can hardly doubt, although there may have been reasons of various kinds that commended it to Joshua. Josephus says it was selected for the beauty of the situation; but if the present Seilun denotes its position, as is generally believed, there is not much to corroborate the assertion of Josephus. Its locality is carefully defined in the Book of Judges (Jdg 21:19), – “on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.” As for its appearance. Dean Stanley says, “Shiloh is so utterly featureless that had it not been for the preservation of its name, Seilun, and for the extreme precision with which its situation is described in the Book of Judges, the spot could never have been identified; and, indeed, from the time of Jerome till the year 1838 [when Robinson identified it], its real site was completely forgotten.” Robinson does not think so poorly of it as Stanley, describing it as “surrounded by hills, and looking out into a beautiful oval basin” (”Biblical Researches,” 2:268).
From the days of Joshua, all through the period of the Judges, and on to the last days of Eli the high priest, Shiloh continued to be the abode of the tabernacle, and the great national sanctuary of Israel. Situated about half-way between Bethel and Shechem, in the tribe of Ephraim, it was close to the centre of the country, and, moreover, not difficult of access for the eastern tribes. Here for many generations the annual assemblies of the nation took place. Here came Hannah from her home in Mount Ephraim to pray for a son; and here little Samuel, ”lent to the Lord,” spent his beautiful childhood. Through that opening in the mountains, old Eli saw the ark carried by the rash hands of his sons into the battle with the Philistines, and there he sat on his stool watching for the messenger that was to bring tidings of the battle. After the ark was taken by the Philistines, the city that had grown up around the tabernacle appears to have been taken and sacked and the inhabitants massacred (Psa 78:60-64). We hear of it in later history as the abode of Ahijah the prophet (1Ki 11:29); afterwards it sinks into obscurity. It is to be noted that its name occurs nowhere among the towns of the Canaanites; it is likely that it was a new place, founded by Joshua, and that it derived its name, Shiloh, “rest,” from the sacred purpose to which it was now devoted.
Here, then, assembled the whole congregation of the children of Israel, to set up the tabernacle, probably with some such rites as David performed when it was transferred from the house of Obed-Edom to Mount Zion. Hitherto it had remained at Gilgal, the headquarters and depot of the nation. The “whole congregation” that now assembled does not necessarily mean the whole community, but only selected representatives, not only of the part that had been engaged in warfare, but also of the rest of the nation.
If we try to form a picture of the state of Israel while Joshua was carrying on his warlike campaigns, it will appear that his army being but a part of the whole, the rest of the people were occupied in a somewhat random manner, here and there, in providing food for the community, in sowing and reaping the fields, pasturing their flocks, and gathering in the fruits. And from the tone of Joshua it would appear that many of them were content to lead this somewhat irregular life. In a somewhat sharp and reproachful tone he says to them, “How long are ye slack to go to possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?” One of Joshua’s great difficulties was to organize the vast mass of people over whom he presided, to prevent them from falling into careless, slatternly ways, and to keep them up to the mark of absolute regularity and order. Many of them would have been content to jog on carelessly as they had been doing in the desert, in a sort of confused jumble, and to forage about, here and there, as the case might be, in pursuit of the necessaries of life. Their listlessness was provoking. They knew that the Divine plan was quite different, that each tribe was to have a territory of its own, and that measures ought to be taken at once to settle the boundaries of each tribe. But they were taking no steps for this purpose; they were content with social hugger-mugger.
Joshua is old, but his impatience with laziness and irregularity still gives sharpness to his remonstrance, “How long are ye slack to possess the land?” The ring of authority is still in his voice; it still commands obedience. More than that, the organizing faculty is still active – the faculty that decides how a thing is to be done. “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.”
The men are chosen, three from each of the seven tribes that are not yet settled; and they go through and make a survey of the land. Judah and Joseph are not to be disturbed in the settlements that have already been given to them; but the men are to divide the rest of the country into seven parts, and thereafter it is to be determined by lot to which tribe each part shall belong. It would appear that special note was to be taken of the cities, for when the surveyors returned and gave in their report they “described the land by cities into seven parts in a book.” Each city had a certain portion of land connected with it, and the land always went with the city. The art of writing was sufficiently practised to enable them to compose what has been called the “Domesday Book” of Canaan, and the record being in writing was a great safeguard against the disputes that might have arisen had so large a report consisted of mere oral statement. When the seven portions had been balloted for, there was no excuse for any of the tribes clinging any longer to that nomad life, for which, while in the wilderness, they seem to have acquired a real love.
And now we come to the actual division. The most interesting of the tribes yet unsupplied was Benjamin, and the region that fell to him was interesting too. It may be remarked as an unusual arrangement, that when portions were allotted to Judah and to Ephraim, a space was allowed to remain between them, so that the northern border of Judah was at some distance from the southern border of Ephraim. As Judah and Ephraim were the two leading tribes, and in some respects rivals, the benefit of this intervening space between them is apparent. But for this, whenever their relations became strained, hostilities might have taken place.
Now it was this intervening space that constituted the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin. For the most part it consisted of deep ravines running from west to east, from the central table-land down to the valley of the Jordan, with mountains between. Many of its cities were perched high in the mountains, as is shown by the commonness of the names Gibeon, Gibeah, Geba, or Gaba, all of which signify “hill “; while Ramah is a ”high place,” and Mizpeh a ”tower.” In the wilderness, Benjamin had marched along with Ephraim and Manasseh, all the descendants of Joseph forming a united company; and after the settlement Benjamin naturally inclined towards fellowship with these tribes. But, as events went on, he came more into fellowship with the tribe of Judah, and though Saul, Shimei, and Sheba, the bitterest enemies of the house of David, were all Benjamites, yet, when the separation of the two kingdoms took place under Rehoboam, Benjamin took the side of Judah (1Ki 12:21). On the return from the captivity it was the tribes of Judah and Benjamin that took the lead (Ezr 1:5), and throughout the Book of Ezra the returned patriots are usually spoken of as “the men of Judah and Benjamin.”
The cities of Benjamin included several of the most famous. Among them was Jericho, the rebuilding of which as a fortified place had been forbidden, but which was still in some degree inhabited; Bethel, which was already very famous in the history, but which, after the separation of the kingdoms, was taken possession of by Jeroboam, and made the shrine of his calves; Gibeon, the capital of the Gibeonites, and afterwards a shrine frequented by Solomon (1Ki 3:5); Ramah, afterwards the dwelling-place of Samuel (1Sa 7:17); Mizpeh, one of the three places where he judged Israel (1Sa 7:16); Gibeath, or Gibeah, where Saul had his palace (1Sa 10:26); and last, not least, Jerusalem. As to Jerusalem, some have thought that it lay partly in the territory of Judah, and partly in that of Benjamin. When certain terms in the description of the boundaries are studied there are difficulties that might suggest this solution. But we have seen that in practice there was a considerable amount of giving and taking among the tribes with reference to particular cities, and that sometimes a city, locally within one tribe, belonged to the people of another. So it was with Jerusalem; locally within the inheritance of Benjamin, it was practically occupied by the men of Judah (see Jos 15:63).
Benjamin was counted the least of the tribes (1Sa 9:21), and when, with other tribes, it was represented by its chief magistrate, it was rather disparagingly distinguished as “little Benjamin with their ruler” (Psa 68:27). Yet it was strong enough, on one occasion, to set at defiance for a time the combined forces of the other tribes (Jdg 20:12, etc.). It was distinguished for the singular skill of its slingers; seven hundred, who were left-handed, “could everyone sling stones at an hair-breadth and not miss” (Jdg 20:16). The character of its territory, abounding in rocky mountains, and probably in game, for the capture of which the sling was adapted, might, in some degree, account for this peculiarity.
Many famous battles were fought on the soil of Benjamin. The battle of Ai; that of Gibeon, followed by the pursuit through Bethhoron, both under Joshua; Jonathan’s battle with the Philistines at Michmash (1Sa 14:1-52); and the duel at Gibeon between twelve men of Saul and twelve of David (2Sa 2:15-16); were all fought within the territory of Benjamin. And when Sennacherib approached Jerusalem from the north, the places which were thrown into panic as he came near were in this tribe. “He is come to Aiath, he is passed through Migron; at Michmash he layeth up his baggage: they are gone over the pass; they have taken up their lodging at Geba: Raniah trembleth; Gibeah of Saul is fled. Cry aloud with thy voice, O daughter of Gallim! hearken, O Laishah! O thou poor Anathoth! Madmenah is a fugitive; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee. This very day shall he halt at Nob: he shaketh his hand at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem” (Isa 10:28-32, R.V.). In later times Judas Maccabeus gained a victory over the Syrian forces at Bethhoron; and, again, Cestius and his Roman troops were defeated by the Jews; and, once more, centuries later, Richard Coeur de Lion and the flower of English chivalry, when they pushed up through Bethhoron in the hope of reaching Jerusalem, were compelled to retire.
Even down to New Testament times, as Dean Stanley remarks, the influence of Benjamin remained, for the name of Saul, the king whom Benjamin gave to the nation, was preserved in Hebrew families; and when a far greater of that name appeals to his descent, or to the past history of his nation, a glow of satisfaction is visible in the marked emphasis with which he alludes to “the stock of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin” (Php 3:5), and to God’s gift of “Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin” (Act 13:21).
There is little to be said of Simeon, the second of the seven that drew his lot. It is admitted that his portion was taken out of the first allotment to Judah (Jos 19:9), which was found to be larger than that tribe required, and many of his cities are contained in Judah’s list. One act of valour is recorded of Simeon in the first chapter of Judges; after the first settlement, he responded to the appeal of Judah and accompanied him against the Canaanites. But the history of this tribe as a whole might be written in the words of Jacob’s prophecy – ”I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.” There is no historical reason for the supposition of Wellhausen that Simeon and Levi were all but annihilated on occasion of their attack on the Canaanites. If Simeon had been virtually extinguished, it would not have had a territory assigned to it in the ideal division of the country by Ezekiel (Eze 48:24), nor would it have afforded the twelve thousand of the “sealed” in the symbolical vision of St. John (Rev 7:7). While the tribe was scattered, the name of its founder survived, and both as Simeon and Simon it was crowned with honour. It was the name of one of the family of Maccabean patriots; it was borne by the just and devout man that waited in the temple for the consolation of Israel; and it was the Hebrew name of the great Apostle whose honour it was to lay the foundation of the Christian Church.
Next came the tribe of Zebulun, the boundaries of which are given with much precision; but as most of the names are now unknown, and there are also appearances of imperfection in the text, the delineation cannot be followed, “The brook that is before Jokneam” is supposed to be the Kishon, and Chisloth-Tabor, or the flanks of Tabor, points to the mountain which is the traditional, though probably not the real scene of our Lord’s transfiguration. Gittah-hepher, or Gath-hepher, was the birthplace of the prophet Jonah. Bethlehem, now Beit-Lahm, is a miserable village, not to be confounded with the Bethlehem of Judah. As no mention is made either of the sea or the lake of Galilee as a boundary, it is probable that Zebulun was wholly an inland tribe. Strange to say, there is no mention, either here or in any part of the Old Testament, of by far the most famous place in the tribe, – Nazareth, the early residence of our Lord. Yet its situation would indicate that it must have been a very ancient place. Nor is it likely to have escaped the notice of the surveyors when they went through the land. The omission of this name has given rise to the opinion that the list is incomplete.
Issachar occupied an interesting and important site. Jezreel, the first name in the definition of its boundaries, is also the most famous. Jezreel, now represented by Zerin, was situated on a lofty height, and gave name to the whole valley around. Here Ahab had his palace in the days of Elijah. By its association with the worship of Baal, Jezreel got a bad reputation, and in the prophet Hosea degenerate Israel is called Jezreel, a name somewhat similar, but with very different associations (Jos 1:4). Shunem was the place of encampment of the Philistine army before the battle of Gilboa, and also the residence of the woman whose son Elisha restored to life. Bethshemesh must not be confounded with the town of the same name in Judah, nor with that in the tribe of Naphtali. Signifying “house of the sun,” it was a very common name among the Canaanites, as being noted for the worship of the heavenly bodies. As we have already remarked in connection with Megiddo which belonged to Manasseh, the valley of Jezreel, now usually called the plain of Esdraelon, was noted as the great battle-field of Palestine.
Asher also had an interesting territory. Theoretically it extended from Carmel to Sidon, embracing the whole of the Phoenician strip; but practically it did not reach so far. Naphtali was adjacent to Asher, and had the Jordan and the lakes of Merom and Galilee for its eastern boundary. It is in the New Testament that Naphtali enjoys its greatest distinction, the lake of Galilee and the towns on its banks, so conspicuous in the gospel history, having been situated there.
These northern tribes, as is well known, constituted the district of Galilee. The contrast between its early insignificance and its later glory is well brought out in the Revised Version of Isa 9:1-2 – “But there shall be no gloom to her that was in anguish. In the former time He brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time hath He made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.”
Dan was the last tribe whose lot was drawn. And it really seemed as if the least desirable of all the portions fell to him. He was hemmed in between Judah on the one hand and the Philistines on the other, and the Philistines were anything but comfortable neighbours. The best part of the level land was no doubt in their hands, and Dan was limited to what lay at the base of the mountains (see Jdg 1:34-35). Very early, therefore, in the history, a colony of Dan went out in search of further possessions, and, having dispossessed some Sidonians at Laish in the extreme north, gave their name to that city, which proverbially denoted the most northerly city in the country, as Beersheba, in like manner, denoted the most southerly.
The division of the country was now completed, save that one individual was still unprovided for. And that was Joshua himself. As in a shipwreck, the captain is the last to leave the doomed vessel, so here the leader of the nation was the last to receive a portion. With rare self-denial he waited till every one else was provided for. Here we have a glimpse of his noble spirit. That there would be much grumbling over the division of the country, he no doubt counted inevitable, and that the people would be disposed to come with their complaints to him followed as matter of course. See how he circumvents them! Whoever might be disposed to go to him complaining of his lot, knew the ready answer he would get – you are not worse off than I am, for as yet I have got none! Joshua was content to see the fairest inheritances disposed of to others, while as yet none had been allotted to him. When, last of all, his turn did come, his request was a modest one – “They gave him the city that he asked, even Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim.” He might have asked for an inheritance in the fertile and beautiful vale of Shechem, consecrated by one of the earliest promises to Abraham, near to Jacob’s well and his ancestor Joseph’s tomb, or under shadow of the two mountains, Ebal and Gerizim, where so solemn a transaction had taken place after his people entered the land. He asks for nothing of the kind, but for a spot on one of the highland hills of Ephraim, a place so obscure that no trace of it remains. It is described in Jdg 2:9 as “Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.” The north side of the mountain does not indicate a spot remarkable either for amenity or fertility. In the days of Jerome, his friend Paula is said to have expressed surprise that the distributer of the whole country reserved so wild and mountainous a district for himself.
Could it have been that it was a farm rejected by every one else? that the head of the nation was content with what no one else would have? If it was so, how must this have exalted Joshua in the eyes of his countrymen, and how well fitted it is to exalt him in ours! Whether it was a portion that every one else had despised or not, it undoubtedly was comparatively a poor and far-off inheritance. His choice of it was a splendid rebuke to the grumbling of his tribe, to the pride and selfishness of the “great people” who would not be content with a single lot, and wished an additional one to be assigned to them. “Up with you to the mountain” was Joshua’s spirited reply; “cut down the wood, and drive out the Canaanites!”
And Joshua was not the man to give a prescription to others that he was not prepared to take to himself. Up to the mountain he certainly did go; and as he was now too old to fight, he quite probably spent his last years in clearing his lot, cutting down timber, and laboriously preparing the soil for crops. In any case, he set a splendid example of disinterested humility. He showed himself the worthy successor of Moses, who had never hinted at any distinction for his family or any possession in the country beyond what might be given to an ordinary Levite. How nobly both contrasted with men like Napoleon, who used his influence so greedily for the enrichment and aggrandisement of every member of his family! Joshua came very near to the spirit of our blessed Lord, who “though He was in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God, made Himself of no reputation, and took on Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man.” As we see the Old Testament Jesus retiring in His old age, not to a paradise in some fertile and flowery vale, but to a bleak and rocky farm on the north side of the mountain of Gaash, or to a shaggy forest, still held by the wolf and the bear, we are reminded of the Joshua of the New Testament: “Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.”