Bible Strands
Joshua 18:8
As the men got up to go out, Joshua commanded them to map out the land, saying, “Go and survey the land, map it out, and return to me. Then I will cast lots for you here in Shiloh in the presence of the LORD.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Joshua addresses the surveying delegation as they prepare to depart, instructing them to map the territory before he distributes the inheritance. This directive occurs at Shiloh immediately after the Levites and the eastern tribes have received their allotments.
The words — The text highlights וַ/יְצַ֣ו (va/y.Tzav), meaning "and he commanded," directed at הַ/הֹלְכִים֩ (ha./ho.le.Khim), "those who went," to perform לִ/כְתֹּ֨ב (li/kh.To), "to describe in writing."
The thread — The practice of casting lots for divine guidance appears in Joshua 18:10 for the final distribution, while Acts 1:24 shows early believers using prayer to seek God's selection.
Why it lands — The passage requires readers to recognize that territorial allocation follows a documented survey and divine casting of lots rather than human negotiation. It demands submission to a structured process where God determines the outcome.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Joshua 18:10 And Joshua cast lots for them in the presence of the LORD at Shiloh, where he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their divisions.
- Acts 1:24 And they prayed, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have chosen
- Romans 14:19 So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
- Genesis 13:17 Get up and walk around the land, through its length and breadth, for I will give it to you.”
- Joshua 7:16 So Joshua arose early the next morning and had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected.
- Joshua 13:7 Now therefore divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”
- Joshua 14:1 Now these are the portions that the Israelites inherited in the land of Canaan, as distributed by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of Israel.
- Joshua 15:1 Now the allotment for the clans of the tribe of Judah extended to the border of Edom, to the Wilderness of Zin at the extreme southern boundary:
- Joshua 18:1 Then the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And though the land was subdued before them,
- Joshua 18:6 When you have mapped out the seven portions of land and brought it to me, I will cast lots for you here in the presence of the LORD our God.