Joshua 18:8
in Joshua 18As the men got up to go out, Joshua commanded them to map out the land, saying, “Go and survey the land, map it out, and return to me. Then I will cast lots for you here in Shiloh in the presence of the LORD.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the men arose, and went: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me; and I will cast lots for you here before Jehovah in Shiloh.
KJV
And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the Lord in Shiloh.
⋯
This verse in Joshua 18
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Joshua commanded them to map out the land
on Joshua 18:8-10
The surveyors map the land into seven portions, which Clarke calls the first act of surveying on record. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown cite Josephus that men skilled in geometry did the work. With the lot cast as Numbers 26:55 directed, the survey removes guesswork and the lot removes favour.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
When we are in the way of our duty we are under the special protection of the Almighty. When it was surveyed, and reduced to seven lots, then Joshua would, by appeal to God, and direction from him, determine which of these lots should belong to each tribe (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And the men arose, and went away,....
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.
The words behind it
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּקֻ֥מוּ | vaiyakumu | and they arose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים | haanashim | the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| וַיֵּלֵ֑כוּ | vaiyelekhu | and they went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וַיְצַ֣ו | vaytzav | and he commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֡עַ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַהֹלְכִים֩ | haholekhim | those [who] went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| לִכְתֹּ֨ב | likhto | to describe in writing | H3789 → | 224 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָ֜רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| לֵאמֹ֗ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לְ֠כוּ | lekhu | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וְהִתְהַלְּכ֨וּ | vehithalekhu | and walk about | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בָאָ֜רֶץ | vaaretz | in the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וְכִתְב֤וּ | vekhitvu | and describe in writing | H3789 → | 224 times |
| אוֹתָהּ֙ | ʾotah | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְשׁ֣וּבוּ | veshuvu | and return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֵלַ֔י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וּ֠פֹה | ufoh | and here | H6311 → | |
| אַשְׁלִ֨יךְ | ʾashlikh | I will throw | H7993 → | 125 times |
| לָכֶ֥ם | lakhem | for <the> you | ||
| גּוֹרָ֛ל | goral | a lot | H1486 → | 78 times |
| לִפְנֵ֥י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בְּשִׁלֹֽה׃ | beshiloh | in Shiloh | H7887 → | 32 times |
וַיָּקֻ֥מוּand they arose
vaiyakumuH6965 →628 times
הָאֲנָשִׁ֖יםthe men
haanashimH582 →566 times
וַיֵּלֵ֑כוּand they went
vaiyelekhuH1980 →1546 times
וַיְצַ֣וand he commanded
vaytzavH6680 →494 times
יְהוֹשֻׁ֡עַJoshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַהֹלְכִים֩those [who] went
haholekhimH1980 →1546 times
לִכְתֹּ֨בto describe in writing
likhtoH3789 →224 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאָ֜רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
לֵאמֹ֗ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
לְ֠כוּgo
lekhuH1980 →1546 times
וְהִתְהַלְּכ֨וּand walk about
vehithalekhuH1980 →1546 times
בָאָ֜רֶץin the land
vaaretzH776 →2504 times
וְכִתְב֤וּand describe in writing
vekhitvuH3789 →224 times
אוֹתָהּ֙<obj.> it
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
וְשׁ֣וּבוּand return
veshuvuH7725 →1056 times
אֵלַ֔יto me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
וּ֠פֹהand here
ufohH6311 →
אַשְׁלִ֨יךְI will throw
ʾashlikhH7993 →125 times
לָכֶ֥םfor <the> you
lakhem
גּוֹרָ֛לa lot
goralH1486 →78 times
לִפְנֵ֥י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בְּשִׁלֹֽה׃in Shiloh
beshilohH7887 →32 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
Romans 14:19So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:29
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.
- Romans 12:18
If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.
- Psalms 34:14
Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
- Romans 15:2
Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
- Hebrews 12:14
Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
- Ephesians 4:29
Through
Joshua 18:10And 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.
it leads to
- Colossians 1:12
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
- Acts 13:19
And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance.
- Colossians 1:12
Through
Joshua 15:1Now the allotment for the clans of the tribe of Judah extended to the border of Edom, to the Wilderness of Zin at the extreme southern boundary:
it leads to
- Numbers 26:55–56
Indeed, the land must be divided by lot; they shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.
- Numbers 26:55–56
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Joshua

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonConquestJoshuaMoses' minister and successor, one of the two faithful spies; he led Israel across Jordan, around Jericho, and through the conques…
- PlaceEphraimShilohWhere the tabernacle rested through the judges' era; Hannah prayed here, Samuel heard his name in the night, and its later ruin be…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
