Study Desk

Division of the Rest of the Land

The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh^(a) and set up the tent of meeting^(b) there. The country was brought under their control,

but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.

So Joshua said to the Israelites: "How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord , the God of your ancestors, has given you?

Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it,^(c) according to the inheritance of each.^(d) Then they will return to me.

You are to divide the land into seven parts. Judah is to remain in its territory on the south^(e) and the tribes of Joseph in their territory on the north.^(f)

After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land, bring them here to me and I will cast lots^(g) for you in the presence of the Lord our God.

The Levites, however, do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the Lord is their inheritance.^(h) And Gad, Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan. Moses the servant of the Lord gave it to them.⁽ⁱ⁾"

As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, "Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it.^(j) Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh^(k) in the presence of the Lord ."

So the men left and went through the land. They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh.

Joshua then cast lots^(l) for them in Shiloh in the presence^(m) of the Lord , and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions.⁽ⁿ⁾

The first lot came up for the tribe of Benjamin according to its clans. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph:

On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan, passed the northern slope of Jericho and headed west into the hill country, coming out at the wilderness^(o) of Beth Aven.^(p)

From there it crossed to the south slope of Luz^(q) (that is, Bethel^(r)) and went down to Ataroth Addar^(s) on the hill south of Lower Beth Horon.

From the hill facing Beth Horon^(t) on the south the boundary turned south along the western side and came out at Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim),^(u) a town of the people of Judah. This was the western side.

The southern side began at the outskirts of Kiriath Jearim on the west, and the boundary came out at the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.^(v)

The boundary went down to the foot of the hill facing the Valley of Ben Hinnom, north of the Valley of Rephaim.^(w) It continued down the Hinnom Valley^(x) along the southern slope of the Jebusite city and so to En Rogel.^(y)

It then curved north, went to En Shemesh, continued to Geliloth,^(z) which faces the Pass of Adummim,^(aa) and ran down to the Stone of Bohan^(ab) son of Reuben.

It continued to the northern slope of Beth Arabah^[a](ac) and on down into the Arabah.^(ad)

It then went to the northern slope of Beth Hoglah^(ae) and came out at the northern bay of the Dead Sea,^(af) at the mouth of the Jordan in the south. This was the southern boundary.

The Jordan formed the boundary on the eastern side. These were the boundaries that marked out the inheritance of the clans of Benjamin on all sides.^(ag)

The tribe of Benjamin, according to its clans, had the following towns: Jericho, Beth Hoglah,^(ah) Emek Keziz,

Beth Arabah,^(ai) Zemaraim,^(aj) Bethel,^(ak)

Avvim,^(al) Parah, Ophrah,^(am)

Kephar Ammoni, Ophni and Geba^(an)—twelve towns and their villages.

Gibeon,^(ao) Ramah,^(ap) Beeroth,^(aq)

Mizpah,^(ar) Kephirah,^(as) Mozah,

Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,

Zelah,^(at) Haeleph, the Jebusite city^(au) (that is, Jerusalem^(av)), Gibeah^(aw) and Kiriath—fourteen towns and their villages.^(ax) This was the inheritance of Benjamin for its clans.^(ay)

Allotment for Simeon^(a)

The second lot came out for the tribe of Simeon according to its clans. Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah.^(b)

It included: Beersheba^(c) (or Sheba),^[a] Moladah,^(d)

Hazar Shual,^(e) Balah, Ezem,^(f)

Eltolad,^(g) Bethul, Hormah,^(h)

Ziklag,⁽ⁱ⁾ Beth Markaboth, Hazar Susah,

Beth Lebaoth and Sharuhen—thirteen towns and their villages;

Ain, Rimmon,^(j) Ether and Ashan^(k)—four towns and their villages—

and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath Beer (Ramah in the Negev).^(l) This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Simeonites, according to its clans.

The inheritance of the Simeonites was taken from the share of Judah,^(m) because Judah's portion was more than they needed. So the Simeonites received their inheritance within the territory of Judah.⁽ⁿ⁾

The third lot came up for Zebulun^(o) according to its clans: The boundary of their inheritance went as far as Sarid.^(p)

Going west it ran to Maralah, touched Dabbesheth, and extended to the ravine near Jokneam.^(q)

It turned east from Sarid^(r) toward the sunrise to the territory of Kisloth Tabor and went on to Daberath^(s) and up to Japhia.

Then it continued eastward to Gath Hepher^(t) and Eth Kazin; it came out at Rimmon^(u) and turned toward Neah.

There the boundary went around on the north to Hannathon and ended at the Valley of Iphtah El.^(v)

Included were Kattath, Nahalal,^(w) Shimron,^(x) Idalah and Bethlehem.^(y) There were twelve towns and their villages.

These towns and their villages were the inheritance of Zebulun,^(z) according to its clans.^(aa)

The fourth lot came out for Issachar^(ab) according to its clans.

Their territory included: Jezreel,^(ac) Kesulloth, Shunem,^(ad)

Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath,

Rabbith, Kishion,^(ae) Ebez,

Remeth, En Gannim,^(af) En Haddah and Beth Pazzez.

The boundary touched Tabor,^(ag) Shahazumah and Beth Shemesh,^(ah) and ended at the Jordan. There were sixteen towns and their villages.

These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar,^(ai) according to its clans.^(aj)

The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher^(ak) according to its clans.

Their territory included: Helkath, Hali, Beten, Akshaph,^(al)

Allammelek, Amad and Mishal.^(am) On the west the boundary touched Carmel^(an) and Shihor Libnath.

It then turned east toward Beth Dagon,^(ao) touched Zebulun^(ap) and the Valley of Iphtah El,^(aq) and went north to Beth Emek and Neiel, passing Kabul^(ar) on the left.

It went to Abdon,^[b](as) Rehob,^(at) Hammon^(au) and Kanah,^(av) as far as Greater Sidon.^(aw)

The boundary then turned back toward Ramah^(ax) and went to the fortified city of Tyre,^(ay) turned toward Hosah and came out at the Mediterranean Sea^(az) in the region of Akzib,^(ba)

Ummah, Aphek^(bb) and Rehob.^(bc) There were twenty-two towns and their villages.

These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Asher,^(bd) according to its clans.

The sixth lot came out for Naphtali according to its clans:

Their boundary went from Heleph and the large tree in Zaanannim,^(be) passing Adami Nekeb and Jabneel^(bf) to Lakkum and ending at the Jordan.

The boundary ran west through Aznoth Tabor and came out at Hukkok.^(bg) It touched Zebulun^(bh) on the south, Asher on the west and the Jordan^[c] on the east.

The fortified towns were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath,^(bi) Rakkath, Kinnereth,^(bj)

Adamah, Ramah,^(bk) Hazor,^(bl)

Kedesh,^(bm) Edrei,^(bn) En Hazor,

Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath^(bo) and Beth Shemesh.^(bp) There were nineteen towns and their villages.

These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali, according to its clans.^(bq)

The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan according to its clans.

The territory of their inheritance included: Zorah, Eshtaol,^(br) Ir Shemesh,

Shaalabbin, Aijalon,^(bs) Ithlah,

Elon, Timnah,^(bt) Ekron,^(bu)

Eltekeh, Gibbethon,^(bv) Baalath,^(bw)

Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon,^(bx)

Me Jarkon and Rakkon, with the area facing Joppa.^(by)

(When the territory of the Danites was lost to them,^(bz) they went up and attacked Leshem^(ca), took it, put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named^(cb) it Dan after their ancestor.)^(cc)

These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Dan,^(cd) according to its clans.

When they had finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them,

as the Lord had commanded. They gave him the town he asked for—Timnath Serah^[d](ce) in the hill country of Ephraim. And he built up the town and settled there.

These are the territories that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel assigned by lot at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. And so they finished dividing^(cf) the land.^(cg)

Cities of Refuge^(a)

Then the Lord said to Joshua:

"Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,

so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally^(b) may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.^(c)

When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate^(d) and state their case before the elders^(e) of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them.

If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought.

They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly^(f) and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled."

So they set apart Kedesh^(g) in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem^(h) in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba⁽ⁱ⁾ (that is, Hebron^(j)) in the hill country of Judah.^(k)

East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) they designated Bezer^(l) in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead^(m) in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan⁽ⁿ⁾ in the tribe of Manasseh.

Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally^(o) could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.^(p)

Towns for the Levites^(a)

Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribal families of Israel^(b)

at Shiloh^(c) in Canaan and said to them, "The Lord commanded through Moses that you give us towns^(d) to live in, with pasturelands for our livestock."^(e)

So, as the Lord had commanded, the Israelites gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance:

The first lot came out for the Kohathites,^(f) according to their clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin.^(g)

The rest of Kohath's descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan and half of Manasseh.^(h)

The descendants of Gershon⁽ⁱ⁾ were allotted thirteen towns from the clans of the tribes of Issachar,^(j) Asher,^(k) Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

The descendants of Merari,^(l) according to their clans, received twelve^(m) towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.⁽ⁿ⁾

So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these towns and their pasturelands, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

From the tribes of Judah and Simeon they allotted the following towns by name

(these towns were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them):

They gave them Kiriath Arba^(o) (that is, Hebron^(p)), with its surrounding pastureland, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)

But the fields and villages around the city they had given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.^(q)