2 But there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance.
3 Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: a“How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?
4 Pick out from among you three men for each tribe, and I will send them; they shall rise and go through the land, survey it according to their inheritance, and come back to me.
5 And they shall divide it into seven parts. aJudah shall remain in their territory on the south, and the bhouse of Joseph shall remain in their territory on the north.
6 You shall therefore survey the land in seven parts and bring thesurvey here to me, athat I may cast lots for you here before the Lord our God.
7aBut the Levites have no part among you, for the priesthood of the Lordis their inheritance. bAnd Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.”
Three men for each tribe - i. e. 21 in all. Their duty would be to describe the land, especially with reference to the cities it contained Joshua 18:9, that Joshua might have the means of making a first apportionment among the tribes according to their varying numbers.
Other Barnes' Notes entries containing Joshua 18:4:
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