Joshua 18

 

וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ כָּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל שִׁלֹה וַיַּשְׁכִּינוּ שָׁם אֶת־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְהָאָרֶץ נִכְבְּשָׁה לִפְנֵיהֶם׃   18:1

Josh. 18:1   And the entire congregation of the children of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there, and the land was subdued before them.

I must take notice that nothing is said about the pillar of smoke or fire.  I presume from this missing information that they were not present.  To me this says that the Lord may not have chosen Shiloh as the place for the Tabernacle or the ark.  Did the Israelites take it upon themselves to choose Shiloh?  We will learn later that this is not so.

                                                        [Return to Judg. 18:31]                   [Return to Jere. 7:12]

וַיִּוָּתְרוּ בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר לֹא־חָלְקוּ אֶת־נַחֲלָתָם שִׁבְעָה שְׁבָטִים׃   18:2

Josh. 18:2   And there were seven tribes left among the children of Israel who had not received their inheritance.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד־אָנָה אַתֶּם מִתְרַפִּים לָבוֹא לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם   18:3

יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם׃

Josh. 18:3   And Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Until when are you going to be slack in going in to possess the land that the Lord, God of your fathers, has given to you?”

הָבוּ לָכֶם שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים לַשָּׁבֶט וְאֶשְׁלָחֵם וְיָקֻמוּ וְיִתְהַלְּכוּ בָאָרֶץ וְיִכְתְּבוּ אוֹתָהּ לְפִי נַחֲלָתָם   18:4

וְיָבֹאוּ אֵלָי׃

Josh. 18:4  “Appoint for yourselves three men per tribe, and I will send them, and they shall arise and walk up and down in the land, and they shall record it as their inheritances, then they shall come to me.”

וְהִתְחַלְּקוּ אֹתָהּ לְשִׁבְעָה חֲלָקִים יְהוּדָה יַעֲמֹד עַל־גְּבוּלוֹ מִנֶּגֶב וּבֵית יוֹסֵף יַעַמְדוּ עַל־גְּבוּלָם מִצָּפוֹן׃   18:5

Josh. 18:5   “And they shall divide it into seven portions.  Judah shall stay upon his territory in the south, and the houses of Joseph shall stay upon their territory in the north.”

וְאַתֶּם תִּכְתְּבוּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ שִׁבְעָה חֲלָקִים וַהֲבֵאתֶם אֵלַי הֵנָּה וְיָרִיתִי לָכֶם גּוֹרָל פֹּה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה   18:6

אֱלֹהֵינוּ׃

Josh. 18:6   “And you shall describe the land of seven portions, and bring them to me here, and I will cast lots for you here before the Lord, our God.”

כִּי אֵין־חֵלֶק לַלְוִיִּם בְּקִרְבְּכֶם כִּי־כְהֻנַּת יְהוָה נַחֲלָתוֹ וְגָד וּרְאוּבֵן וַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה לָקְחוּ   18:7

נַחֲלָתָם מֵעֵבֶר לַיַּרְדֵּן מִזְרָחָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד יְהוָה׃

Josh. 18:7   For there is no portion for the Levites in your midst -- for the priesthood of the Lord is his inheritance -- and Gad and Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh received their inheritance from the side of the Jordan to the east which Moses, servant of the Lord, gave to them.

וַיָּקֻמוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים וַיֵּלֵכוּ וַיְצַו יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת־הַהֹלְכִים לִכְתֹּב אֶת־הָאָרֶץ לֵאמֹר לְכוּ וְהִתְהַלְּכוּ בָאָרֶץ   18:8

וְכִתְבוּ אוֹתָהּ וְשׁוּבוּ אֵלַי וּפֹה אַשְׁלִיךְ לָכֶם גּוֹרָל לִפְנֵי יְהוָה בְּשִׁלֹה׃

Josh. 18:8   And the men arose and went; and Joshua commanded who were going to describe the land saying, “Go and walk up and down in the land and record it, and return to me, and here in Shiloh I will cast lots for you before the Lord.”

וַיֵּלְכוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים וַיַּעַבְרוּ בָאָרֶץ וַיִּכְתְּבוּהָ לֶעָרִים לְשִׁבְעָה חֲלָקִים עַל־סֵפֶר וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל־   18:9

הַמַּחֲנֶה שִׁלֹה׃

Josh. 18:9   And the men went and crossed in the land and recorded it by cities in seven portions on a scroll, then they came to Joshua to the camp of Shiloh.

וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ לָהֶם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ גּוֹרָל בְּשִׁלֹה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וַיְחַלֶּק־שָׁם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל   18:10

כְּמַחְלְקֹתָם׃

Josh. 18:10   And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord, and Joshua distributed the land to the children of Israel there according to their portions.

וַיַּעַל גּוֹרַל מַטֵּה בְנֵי־בִנְיָמִן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם וַיֵּצֵא גְּבוּל גּוֹרָלָם בֵּין בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה וּבֵין בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף׃   18:11

Josh. 18:11   And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin by their families came up, and the border of their lot would go out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.

וַיְהִי לָהֶם הַגְּבוּל לִפְאַת צָפוֹנָה מִן־הַיַּרְדֵּן וְעָלָה הַגְּבוּל אֶל־כֶּתֶף יְרִיחוֹ מִצָּפוֹן וְעָלָה בָהָר יָמָּה   18:12

והיה) [וְהָיוּ] תֹּצְאֹתָיו מִדְבַּרָה בֵּית אָוֶן׃

Josh. 18:12   And the border to the region to the north from the Jordan was for them, and the border would go up to the side of Jericho from the north and would go up into the hill country to the west, and its extensions would be to the wilderness of Beth-aven.

The same error that we saw in v. 15:4 is found here as well.  The verb should be in the plural form as shown within the brackets.   As before (see my remarks on Josh. 15:4) the word should indeed be in the perfect tense.

וְעָבַר מִשָּׁם הַגְּבוּל לוּזָה אֶל־כֶּתֶף לוּזָה נֶגְבָּה הִיא בֵּית־אֵל וְיָרַד הַגְּבוּל עַטְרוֹת אַדָּר עַל־הָהָר   18:13

אֲשֶׁר מִנֶּגֶב לְבֵית־חֹרוֹן תַּחְתּוֹן׃

Josh. 18:13   And the border would cross from there to Luz, to the side of Luz to the south -- the same is Beth-el -- and the border would descend to Atroth-adar against the mountain that is from the south of Lower Beth-horon.

וְתָאַר הַגְּבוּל וְנָסַב לִפְאַת־יָם נֶגְבָּה מִן־הָהָר אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי בֵית־חֹרוֹן נֶגְבָּה (והיה) [וְהָיוּ] תֹצְאֹתָיו   18:14

אֶל־קִרְיַת־בַּעַל הִיא קִרְיַת יְעָרִים עִיר בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה זֹאת פְּאַת־יָם׃

Josh. 18:14   And the border would extend and turn around on the west side to the south from the mountain that is in front of Beth-horon to the south; and its extensions were to Kiriath-baal -- the same is Kiriath-jearim -- a city of the children of Judah. This was the west edge.

The same error as before!  Maybe the scribe was more than a bit careless.  But at least he was consistent.

וּפְאַת־נֶגְבָּה מִקְצֵה קִרְיַת יְעָרִים וְיָצָא הַגְּבוּל יָמָּה וְיָצָא אֶל־מַעְיַן מֵי נֶפְתּוֹחַ׃   18:15

Josh. 18:15   And the side to the south would be from the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim and the border would extend to the west and go out to the fountain of the waters of Nephtoach.

וְיָרַד הַגְּבוּל אֶל־קְצֵה הָהָר אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי גֵּי בֶן־הִנֹּם אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵמֶק רְפָאִים צָפוֹנָה וְיָרַד גֵּי הִנֹּם   18:16

אֶל־כֶּתֶף הַיְבוּסִי נֶגְבָּה וְיָרַד עֵין רֹגֵל׃

Josh. 18:16   And the border would descend to the edge of the mountain that is in front of the valley of the son of Hinnom which is in the valley of Rephaim to the north, and it would go down the valley of Hinnom to the side of the Jebusite to the south and descend En-rogel.

וְתָאַר מִצָּפוֹן וְיָצָא עֵין שֶׁמֶשׁ וְיָצָא אֶל־גְּלִילוֹת אֲשֶׁר־נֹכַח מַעֲלֵה אֲדֻמִּים וְיָרַד אֶבֶן בֹּהַן בֶּן־רְאוּבֵן׃   18:17

Josh. 18:17   Then it would extend from the north and go out of En-shemesh and go out to Geliloth, which is in front of the ascent of Adumim, and descend the stone of Bohan son of Reuben.

וְעָבַר אֶל־כֶּתֶף מוּל־הָעֲרָבָה צָפוֹנָה וְיָרַד הָעֲרָבָתָה׃   18:18

Josh. 18:18   Then it would cross to the side in front of the Arabah to the north and go down to the Arabah.

וְעָבַר הַגְּבוּל אֶל־כֶּתֶף בֵּית־חָגְלָה צָפוֹנָה (והיה) [וְהָיוּ] תצאותיו הַגְּבוּל אֶל־לְשׁוֹן יָם־הַמֶּלַח   18:19

צָפוֹנָה אֶל־קְצֵה הַיַּרְדֵּן נֶגְבָּה זֶה גְּבוּל נֶגֶב׃

Josh. 18:19   Then the border would cross to the side of Beth-haglah to the north and its extensions would be of the border to the bay of the Salt Sea to the north at the end of the Jordan to the south. This was the southern border.

The same error again!

וְהַיַּרְדֵּן יִגְבֹּל־אֹתוֹ לִפְאַת־קֵדְמָה זֹאת נַחֲלַת בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן לִגְבוּלֹתֶיהָ סָבִיב לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם׃   18:20

Josh. 18:20   And the Jordan would bound him on the side to the east.  This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin to its surrounding borders according to their families.

וְהָיוּ הֶעָרִים לְמַטֵּה בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתֵיהֶם יְרִיחוֹ וּבֵית־חָגְלָה וְעֵמֶק קְצִיץ׃   18:21

Josh. 18:21   And the cities for the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho and Beth-haglah and Emek-keziz

וּבֵית הָעֲרָבָה וּצְמָרַיִם וּבֵית־אֵל׃   18:22

Josh. 18:22   and Beth-arabah and Zemaraim and Beth El

וְהָעַוִּים וְהַפָּרָה וְעָפְרָה׃   18:23

Josh. 18:23   and Avvim and Parah and Ophrah

וּכְפַר העמני וְהָעָפְנִי וָגָבַע עָרִים שְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן׃   18:24

Josh. 18:24   and Chephar-hammonai and Ophni and Geba; twelve cities plus their villages;

גִּבְעוֹן וְהָרָמָה וּבְאֵרוֹת׃   18:25

Josh. 18:25   Gibeon and Ramah and Beeroth

וְהַמִּצְפֶּה וְהַכְּפִירָה וְהַמֹּצָה׃   18:26

Josh. 18:26   and Mizpeh and Chephirah and Mozah

וְרֶקֶם וְיִרְפְּאֵל וְתַרְאֲלָה׃   18:27

Josh. 18:27   and Rekem and Irpeel and Taralah

וְצֵלַע הָאֶלֶף וְהַיְבוּסִי הִיא יְרוּשָׁלִַם גִּבְעַת קִרְיַת עָרִים אַרְבַּע־עֶשְׂרֵה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן זֹאת נַחֲלַת בְּנֵי־   18:28

בִנְיָמִן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם׃

Josh. 18:28   and Zela, Eleph, and the Jebusite -- the same is Jerusalem -- Gibeath, Kiriath; fourteen cities plus their villages.  This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

 

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