Joshua 18
Judges 18 begins with the story of the tribe of Dan, one of the tribes of Israel, setting out to find land where it can live. Because the tribe of Dan does not fully take possession of the land allotted to them, they send people as scouts to search for a new place to live. In the process, they visit Micah’s house and find a Levite serving there as well as a carved image and other cultic objects; it then describes how they later conquer the peaceful town of Laish.
1verseThe whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled themselves together at Shiloh, and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The land was subdued before them.
2verseSeven tribes remained among the children of Israel, which had not yet divided their inheritance.
3verseJoshua said to the children of Israel, “How long will you neglect to go in to possess the land, which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?
4verseAppoint for yourselves three men from each tribe. I will send them, and they shall arise, walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance; then they shall come to me.
5verseThey shall divide it into seven portions. Judah shall live in his borders on the south, and the house of Joseph shall live in their borders on the north.
6verseYou shall survey the land into seven parts, and bring the description here to me; and I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.
7verseHowever, the Levites have no portion among you; for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance. Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance east of the Jordan, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them.”
8verseThe men arose and went. Joshua commanded those who went to survey the land, saying, “Go walk through the land, survey it, and come again to me. I will cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh.”
9verseThe men went and passed through the land, and surveyed it by cities into seven portions in a book. They came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh.
10verseJoshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD. There Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.
11verseThe lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families. The border of their lot went out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.
12verseTheir border on the north quarter was from the Jordan. The border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the hill country westward. It ended at the wilderness of Beth Aven.
13verseThe border passed along from there to Luz, to the side of Luz (also called Bethel), southward. The border went down to Ataroth Addar, by the mountain that lies on the south of Beth Horon the lower.
14verseThe border extended, and turned around on the west quarter southward, from the mountain that lies before Beth Horon southward; and ended at Kiriath Baal (also called Kiriath Jearim), a city of the children of Judah. This was the west quarter.
15verseThe south quarter was from the farthest part of Kiriath Jearim. The border went out westward, and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.
16verseThe border went down to the farthest part of the mountain that lies before the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is in the valley of Rephaim northward. It went down to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Jebusite southward, and went down to En Rogel.
17verseIt extended northward, went out at En Shemesh, and went out to Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim. It went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.
18verseIt passed along to the side opposite the Arabah northward, and went down to the Arabah.
19verseThe border passed along to the side of Beth Hoglah northward; and the border ended at the north bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the south border.
20verseThe Jordan was its border on the east quarter. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the borders around it, according to their families.
21verseNow the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz,
22verseBeth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
23verseAvvim, Parah, Ophrah,
24verseChephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba; twelve cities with their villages.
25verseGibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
26verseMizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,
27verseRekem, Irpeel, Taralah,
28verseZelah, Eleph, the Jebusite (also called Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.
Key Structure and Flow
- The scouting of the tribe of Dan (verses 1–10): The descendants of Dan send scouts to obtain land, and they encounter a mysterious Levite in the hill country of Ephraim at Micah’s house
- Visiting Micah’s house (verses 11–26): After completing the scouting, 600 warriors from the tribe of Dan set out and stop at Micah’s house to seize the idols and the Levite
- The conquest of Laish (verses 27–31): The tribe of Dan advances to Laish, occupies that peaceful place, makes it their own city, and worships the idols brought from Micah’s house
Overall Meaning and Message
This chapter shows the state of spiritual confusion, like the verse, “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (implied in verses 1 and 31), because Israel had no king. It satirizes the situation in which the people of Israel were scattered with division in the community, idol worship, and moral wandering, through the story of the tribe of Dan. It reveals the problem of faith’s center shifting away from the LORD to human judgment and self-interest.
Points to Ponder
- I can reflect on where I place the standards for faith and life.
- I can meditate on the need for responsible faith for both the community and individuals.
- Although outwardly I may perform religious acts (like the priesthood and altars), I can be mindful of the way I follow people and idols rather than God himself.
Apply It to Me
- When I make certain decisions and take actions, let me check whether my standards are based on my thoughts and self-interest or on God’s will and his word.
- Let me examine whether small spiritual compromises, such as idols, have entered my life, and make an effort to correct them.
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