Joshua 18:5

Joshua 18:5

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 the survey here to me, ^athat I may cast lots for you here before the Lord our God.

7 ^aBut the Levites have no part among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is 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.”

8 Then the men arose to go away; and Joshua charged those who went to¹ survey the land, saying, “Go, walk ^athrough the land, survey it, and come back to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.”

9 So the men went, passed through the land, and¹ wrote the survey in a book in seven parts by cities; and they came to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh.

10 Then Joshua cast ^alots for them in Shiloh before the Lord, and there ^bJoshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their¹ divisions.

Commentaries:

John Wesley's Notes

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Seven parts - Which were of equal extent or worth: for no tribe was so great, but one of these parts in its full extent would abundantly suffice them; and there was no reason why the portions should be greater or less according as the tribes at present were more or fewer in number, because of the various changes which happened therein successively; it being usual for one tribe to be more numerous than another in one age, which was fewer in the next. And if the several tribes had increased more, and not diminished their numbers by their sins, they might have sent forth colonies, and taken any part of the land, even as far as Euphrates, all which the Lord of the whole earth had given them a right to, which when they pleased they might take possession of. Judah shall abide on the south - They shall not be disturbed in their possession, but shall keep it, except some part of it shall be adjudged to another tribe. Joseph on the north - In respect of Judah, not of the whole land; for divers other tribes were more northern than they.

**Other John Wesley's Notes entries containing Joshua 18:5:**

Joshua 15:1
Joshua 16:4

<< Joshua 18:4

Joshua 18:6 >>

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