Joshua 18:4
in Joshua 18Appoint three men from each tribe, and I will send them out to survey the land and map it out, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Appoint for you three men of each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall arise, and walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance; and they shall come unto me.
KJV
Give out from among you three men for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall rise, and go through the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of them; and they shall come again to me.
⋯
This verse in Joshua 18
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThree men for each tribe - Probably meaning only three from each of the seven tribes who had not yet received their inheritance. It is likely that these twenty-one men were accompanied by a military guard, for without this they might have been easily cut off by straggling parties of the Canaanites. They shall - describe it - It is likely they were persons well acquainted with geography and mensuration, without which it would have been impossible for them to have divided the land in the way necessary on this occasion.
This site's exposition
How long will you put off entering
on Joshua 18:3-7
Joshua rebukes his own people for slowness rather than rebellion, the one place in the book where he does. Barnes reads the delay as reluctance to leave the camp life they were born into for the fighting that settlement would still cost. Three men from each tribe survey the land before the lot, and verse 7 leaves the Levites no portion, since "their inheritance is the priesthood of the LORD".
This site's exposition
Appoint three men from each tribe
Three men from each of the seven tribes makes twenty-one surveyors, the number Barnes gives. Wesley explains the three as a check on both accuracy and honesty, since several men would report the size and quality of each portion. Clarke supposes they travelled with an armed guard.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
These must be divided into seven equal parts, as near as they could guess at their true value, which they must have an eye to, and not merely to the number of the cities and extent of the country. Judah is fixed on the south and Joseph on the north of Shiloh, to protect the tabernacle (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Three men - Three, not one, for more exact observation both of the measure and quality of the several portions, and for greater assurance of their care and faithfulness in giving in their account.
Give out from among you three men for each tribe,....
The matter was thus referred equally, that there might be neither any partiality used in making up the seven lots, nor any shadow of suspicion given, but all might be satisfied that they had right done them. (2.) The survey was accordingly made, and brought in to Joshua,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
For this purpose a commission was given to twenty-one persons--three chosen from each of the seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance, to make an accurate survey of the country.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Three men for each tribe - i. e. 21 in all. Their duty would be to describe the land, especially with reference to the cities it contained Jos 18:9, that Joshua might have the means of making a first apportionment among the tribes according to their varying numbers.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הָב֥וּ | havu | provide | H3051 → | |
| לָכֶ֛ם | lakhem | for <the> yourselves | ||
| שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה | sheloshah | three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| אֲנָשִׁ֖ים | ʾanashim | men | H582 → | 566 times |
| לַשָּׁ֑בֶט | lashavet | to the tribe | H7626 → | 190 times |
| וְאֶשְׁלָחֵ֗ם | veeshlachem | so I may send them | H7971 → | 845 times |
| וְיָקֻ֜מוּ | veyakumu | and they may arise | H6965 → | 628 times |
| וְיִֽתְהַלְּכ֥וּ | veyithalekhu | so they may walk | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בָאָ֛רֶץ | vaaretz | in the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וְיִכְתְּב֥וּ | veyikhtevu | so they may describe in writing | H3789 → | 224 times |
| אוֹתָ֛הּ | ʾotah | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְפִ֥י | lefi | to [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| נַֽחֲלָתָ֖ם | nachalatam | inheritance their | H5159 → | 222 times |
| וְיָבֹ֥אוּ | veyavou | so they may come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵלָֽי׃ | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
הָב֥וּprovide
havuH3051 →
לָכֶ֛םfor <the> yourselves
lakhem
שְׁלֹשָׁ֥הthree
sheloshahH7969 →432 times
אֲנָשִׁ֖יםmen
ʾanashimH582 →566 times
לַשָּׁ֑בֶטto the tribe
lashavetH7626 →190 times
וְאֶשְׁלָחֵ֗םso I may send them
veeshlachemH7971 →845 times
וְיָקֻ֜מוּand they may arise
veyakumuH6965 →628 times
וְיִֽתְהַלְּכ֥וּso they may walk
veyithalekhuH1980 →1546 times
בָאָ֛רֶץin the land
vaaretzH776 →2504 times
וְיִכְתְּב֥וּso they may describe in writing
veyikhtevuH3789 →224 times
אוֹתָ֛הּ<obj.> it
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
לְפִ֥יto [the] mouth of
lefiH6310 →498 times
נַֽחֲלָתָ֖םinheritance their
nachalatamH5159 →222 times
וְיָבֹ֥אוּso they may come
veyavouH935 →2568 times
אֵלָֽי׃to me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Numbers 13:2“Send out for yourself men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each of their fathers’ tribes send one man who is a leader among them.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 1:22–25
Then all of you approached me and said, “Let us send men ahead of us to search out the land and bring us word of what route to follow and which cities to enter.”
- Exodus 18:25
So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 32:8
This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect the land.
- Deuteronomy 1:22–25
Through
Joshua 18:3So Joshua said to the Israelites, “How long will you put off entering and possessing the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?
it leads to
- Proverbs 13:4
The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.
- Judges 18:9
They answered, “Come on, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why would you fail to act? Do not hesitate to go there and…
- Proverbs 15:19
The way of the slacker is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.
- Proverbs 10:4
Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
- Proverbs 13:4
Through
Joshua 4:2“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,
it leads to
- Joshua 3:12
Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.
- Joshua 3:12
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.