Joshua 18: The Tribes of Israel Postured For Rest or Peace
1 Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of meeting there. And the land was subdued before them. 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: “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. Judah shall remain in their territory on the south, and the house 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, 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, 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 to survey the land, saying, “Go, walk through 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, and 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 lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord, and there Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.
Now that the Southern tribe of Judah and the northern tribes were in place, the Ark of the Covenant – the symbol of the presence of the Mediator – was permanently established in a central place, at Shiloh. Here the remaining tribes of Israel were given their inheritance and encouraged to occupy them.
"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." (Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible)
"God undoubtedly made the choice of Shiloh (lit. rest; cf. Deuteronomy 12:11)... The name of this town was significant because of Jacob's prophecy of Shiloh ( Genesis 49:10) and the association of God's name with the Israelites' rest. God's people could find rest where He abode." (Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable)
"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between His feet, until Shiloh comes, and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples..." (Genesis 49:10), "which is Christ the Messiah, the giver of prosperity who will call the Gentiles to salvation." (Geneva Study Bible)
In Abraham’s day, the mysterious Melchisedech- another precursor to Jesus- was king of Salem / Shiloh. Shiloh means "rest," "peace," "security." "Here the land was then subdued before them. Shiloh is now the center. From there the operations proceed... The tabernacle remained at Shiloh ... " (Arno Gaebelein)
The further survey and division of the land to the remaining seven tribes was also by lot, likely by Urim and Thummim, making the choices the Lord's! He was intimately familiar with the land, but the people needed to become acquainted with it. So He sent representatives out from each tribe "to gain a fuller information on the topography of the country and the qualities of the different sections.... These men passed through the land, and took a list of the cities, arranging them into seven groups or parts, (Joshua 18:9,) and thus prepared the way for casting lots for them at Shiloh. Whether they were at all molested in taking this survey is not said." (Adam Clarke Commentary)
"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 Eli’s sons caused the place to be abhorred. This situation was happy and central; it was contiguous to Joshua’s lot, and it enabled the officers of state and the ministers of religion to act the more in union for the people’s good. Tokens and marks of God’s 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 God’s best gift to a nation. He is the father of every family, and the friend of every individual." (Sutcliffe's Commentary)
Joshua 18:The Land of Little Benjamin
11 Now the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families, and the territory of their lot came out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph. 12 Their border on the north side began at the Jordan, and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the mountains westward; it ended at the Wilderness of Beth Aven. 13 The border went over from there toward Luz, to the side of Luz (which is Bethel) southward; and the border descended to Ataroth Addar, near the hill that lies on the south side of Lower Beth Horon. 14 Then the border extended around the west side to the south, from the hill that liesbefore Beth Horon southward; and it ended at Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim), a city of the children of Judah. This was the west side. 15 The south side began at the end of Kirjath Jearim, and the border extended on the west and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.16 Then the border came down to the end of the mountain that lies before the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is in the Valley of the Rephaim [giants] on the north, descended to the Valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Jebusite city on the south, and descended to En Rogel 17 And it went around from the north, went out to En Shemesh, and extended toward Geliloth, which is before the Ascent of Adummim, and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. 18 Then it passed along toward the north side of Beth Arabah, and went down to Arabah. 19 And the border passed along to the north side of Beth Hoglah; then the border ended at the north bay at the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the southern boundary. 20 The Jordan was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, according to its boundaries all around, according to their families.
21 Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, according to their families, were Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, 22 Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, 23 Avim, Parah, Ophrah, 24 Chephar Haammoni, Ophni, and Gaba: twelve cities with their villages; 25 Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, 26 Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28 Zelah, Eleph, Jebus (which is Jerusalem), Gibeath, andKirjath: fourteen cities with their villages. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.
“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 (Habakkuk 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 (1 Samuel 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’ (Psalms 68:27). Yet it was strong enough, on one occasion, to set at defiance for a time the combined forces of the other tribes ( 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’ ( 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 (1 Samuel 14), and the duel at Gibeon between twelve men of Saul and twelve of David (2 Samuel 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 (Isaiah 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’ (Expositor’s 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.” (Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible)