God’s Word Translation
Joshua 18:8
8As the men got ready to go, Joshua ordered them to write a description of the land. He said, “Go survey the land. Write a description of it, and return to me. Then I will draw lots for you in the presence of the Lord here in Shiloh.”
Joshua 18:8 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)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. Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)So the men arose and went, and Joshua charged those who went to write the description of the land, saying, "Go up and down in the land and write a description and return to me. And I will cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the men arose to go away; and Joshua charged those who went to survey the land, saying, “Go, walk through the land, survey it, and come back to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.”
Context of Joshua 18:8
6You must describe the seven parts of the land and report to me here. I will draw lots for you here in the presence of the Lord our God. 7Levi’s tribe has no separate region among you, because their inheritance is to serve the Lord as priests. The tribes of Gad and Reuben and half of the tribe of Manasseh have received the inheritance that the Lord’s servant Moses gave them on the east side of the Jordan River.” As the men got ready to go, Joshua ordered them to write a description of the land. He said, “Go survey the land. Write a description of it, and return to me. Then I will draw lots for you in the presence of the Lord here in Shiloh.” 9The men surveyed the land. They described it in a book. The land was divided into seven parts according to its cities. Then they returned to Joshua at the camp at Shiloh. 10So Joshua drew lots for them in the presence of the Lord in Shiloh. There Joshua divided the land among the tribes of Israel.
Read all of Joshua 18Joshua 18:8 word by word
וַיָּקֻ֥מוּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים וַיֵּלֵ֑כוּ וַיְצַ֣ו יְהוֹשֻׁ֡עַ אֶת־הַהֹלְכִים֩ לִכְתֹּ֨ב אֶת־הָאָ֜רֶץ לֵאמֹ֗ר לְ֠כוּ וְהִתְהַלְּכ֨וּ בָאָ֜רֶץ וְכִתְב֤וּ אוֹתָהּ֙ וְשׁ֣וּבוּ אֵלַ֔י וּ֠פֹה אַשְׁלִ֨יךְ לָכֶ֥ם גּוֹרָ֛ל לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה בְּשִׁלֹֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- aroseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
- and went awayיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- and Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
- chargedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
- them that wentהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
- to describeכָּתַבkâthab · to writeH3789
- the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- it, and come againשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- to me, that I may here castשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
- lotsגּוֹרָלgôrâl gôrâl · allottedH1486
- for you beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- in Shilohשִׁלוֹshîylôh shilôh shîylô shilô · ShilohH7887
Cross-references for Joshua 18:8
- Genesis 13:17Go! Walk back and forth across the entire land because I will give it to you.”
- Joshua 18:6You must describe the seven parts of the land and report to me here. I will draw lots for you here in the presence of the Lord our God.
- Joshua 7:16Joshua got up early in the morning. He had Israel come forward by tribes. The tribe of Judah was selected.
- Joshua 13:7So divide this land. It will be an inheritance for the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh.”
- Joshua 14:1This is the land that the people of Israel inherited in Canaan. The priest Eleazar, Joshua (son of Nun), and the heads of Israel’s tribes distributed it to the people.
- Joshua 15:1The lot was drawn for the families of the tribe of Judah. Their territory extends as far south as the territory of Edom and the desert of Zin.
- 1 Samuel 14:41Then Saul said to the Lord, “O God of Israel, why didn’t you answer me today? If this sin is mine or my son Jonathan’s, Lord God of Israel, ⌞let the priest⌟ draw Urim. But if it is in your people Israel, ⌞let him⌟ draw Thummim.” Jonathan and Saul were chosen, and the people were freed ⌞from guilt⌟.
- Acts 1:24Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s thoughts. Show us which of these two you have chosen.
- Romans 14:19So let’s pursue those things which bring peace and which are good for each other.
Commentaries on Joshua 18:8
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 2-10Verses 2-10 After a year or more, Joshua blamed their slackness, and told them how to proceed. God, by his grace, has given us a title to a good land, the heavenly Canaan, but we are slack to take possession of it; we enter not into that rest, as we might by faith, and hope, and holy joy. How long shall it be thus with us? How long shall we thus stand in our own light, and forsake our own mercies for lying vanities? Joshua stirs the Israelites up to take…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-28As he had promised, God brought Israel into the land. Joshua then focused on dividing the land among Israel's tribes. The tribal allowances made the covenant of the Israelites with God real. It showed the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Since God owned the land, giving it to the tribes was a gift. God gave them the land to live in and guided its distribution. In these lists of tribal allowances, the author describes some borders…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-94-9. Give out from among you three men for each tribe--Though the lot determined the part of the country where each tribe was to be located, it could not determine the extent of territory which might be required; and the dissatisfaction of the children of Joseph with the alleged smallness of their possession gave reason to fear that complaints might arise from other quarters, unless precautions were taken to make a proper distribution of the land. For…Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 18:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Joshua 18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries