Bible Commentaries
Joshua 18

Verses 1-28

Chapter 18

As we get into chapter eighteen we find that the tabernacle was then set up at Shiloh. Now the tabernacle, the place of the worship of God, which was with them there in the wilderness, and wherever they would go they would set up the tabernacle. It was the place where they would offer their sacrifices unto God. They were not allowed to offer their sacrifices to God just anyplace. Only one place could they really make an offering unto God, a sacrifice, and that was at the tabernacle.

So now that they're in the land, the first place where the tabernacle was set up within the land was at Shiloh. So this is the place for the spiritual gathering together of the people. It would seem that the capital, if there were such a thing at that time, was probably in Shechem. But the spiritual center of the people was at Shiloh. That is where they set up the tabernacle; and thus, the offering of the sacrifices, the institution of the offerings of the priesthood and so forth, was made there at Shiloh.

Now at this point there remained seven tribes that had not yet received their inheritance. Only three of the tribes by this point had actually received the territory that belonged to them. So they chose three men from each of these tribes, that they might go into this territory as a survey team, and more or less mark out the territory, draw out the boundaries. Usually the boundaries were by cities and rivers, and valleys and mountains, and so forth, so that they could draw out the boundaries of the territories the tribes were to receive. So in the eighteenth chapter it deals with the drawing of the boundaries, and then of the casting of the lots for the various tribes.

In verse eleven,

The lot of the tribe of Benjamin came up according to their families: and the lot of the tribe of Judah and the children of Judah ( Joshua 18:11 ).

Benjamin was to dwell right there actually around the area of Jerusalem and north of that, a narrow strip that went from Jordan on up through Bethel.

"