Joshua 19:51
These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families distributed by lot to the tribes of Israel at Shiloh before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. So they finished dividing up the land.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrator closes the tribal allotment accounts at Shiloh immediately after recording Joshua’s personal inheritance in 19:50. Eleazar, Joshua, and family heads finalize the distribution before the LORD at the Tent of Meeting.
The words — נִחֲל֣וּ (ni.cha.Lu) literally means "they gave as a possession," denoting the formal transfer of land. אֵ֣לֶּה ('E.leh) translates as "these," directing attention to the specific boundaries just detailed in the chapter.
The thread — Joshua 18:10 documents the initial casting of lots at Shiloh to divide the land. Joshua 14:1 introduces the inheritance accounts as a summary statement, while Joshua 18:1 establishes the Tent of Meeting as the administrative center for the process.
Why it lands — The text explicitly states the land division was completed by authorized leaders using lots before the Tent of Meeting. A reader must acknowledge that the territorial settlement was a structured, publicly witnessed act rather than a spontaneous or private arrangement.
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
These are the inheritances, 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 by lot in Shiloh before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So they made an end of dividing the country.
Cross-references
- 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 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.
- 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,
- Hebrews 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.
- Genesis 49:10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.
- Judges 21:19 “But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”
- Judges 21:21 and watch. When you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, each of you is to come out of the vineyards, catch for himself a wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
- 1 Samuel 1:3 Year after year Elkanah would go up from his city to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD.
- Psalms 47:3 He subdues nations beneath us, and peoples under our feet.
- Psalms 78:60 He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent He had pitched among men.