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Vers. 1. ANd the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled them∣selves together at Shiloh, and set up the Tabernacle, &c.] No doubt God appointed them to remove the Tabernacle to Shiloh: so much may be gathered from that which is said, Deut. 12.5. But unto the place which the Lord your God
shall chuse out of all your tribes, to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come: as also Ier. 7.12. where it is plainly called the place where God set his Name at the first. Hitherto both camp and Taberna∣cle had been in Gilgal, a place in the very first entrance into the land of Canaan; now they removed further into the land, both the camp, vers. 9. And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh; and the tabernacle, as is here ex∣pressed, both as a manifest signe of their taking possession of the land they had con∣quered, and for the more convenient coming of the people to the tabernacle to wor∣ship. And Shiloh God appointed to be the place, a city in Ephraim, therein God honouring Ioshua the ruler of the people, who was of this tribe; and withall, it was brought nearer to the place which God had decreed to be the settled place of his wor∣ship, to wit, Ierusalem: from this time therefore the people was bound to the strict observation of the Ceremoniall Law, Deut. 12.8, 9, 10, 11. Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man what is right in his own eyes. For ye are not as yet come to the rest, and to the inheritance which the Lord your God giveth you. But when ye come over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the Lord your God giveth you to inherit; and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety: Then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall chuse, to cause his name to dwell there, thither shall ye bring all that I command you, your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hands, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the Lord, &c. and here the Tabernacle continued unto the dayes of Samuel, to wit, above three hundred years.
And the land was subdued before them.] That is, the land about Shiloh was sub∣dued, and the inhabitants driven out of it, and those that dwelt further off were so stricken with the terrour of God, that they durst not stirre to molest the Israelites.
Vers. 2. And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.] It may seem strange that the Israelites ha∣ving begun in Gilgal to divide the land by lot, went not on in that work, but having drawn three lots, which fell to Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh, gave over and inter∣mitted this work, and that as it seems a long time; for so much is evident by Joshua his expostulation with them, vers. 3. (though it be not expressely said how long it was) How long, saith he, are you slack to go to possesse the land, &c. why they did this no reason is given in the text: But this by Expositours is thought the most pro∣bable reason, to wit, that the other tribes perceiving what a large circuit of land was given to Judah (out of which indeed more then the portion of one tribe was afterward taken, see chap. 19.9.) they began to murmure, as supposing that there would not be left an equall share for them; and the rather, because they heard the sonnes of Joseph already complain, and therefore pretending that there could not be any equall division made, when the remote parts were no better known to them, as being yet in the enemies possession, they desired some stay of the work till they had further prevailed, and might know the land they were to divide, better then yet they could do. And thus the work being put off for a time, by degrees they began to mind
it no more, till Joshua finding them shamefully remisse, urged them to set upon it again, and for their better satisfaction to send forth men to search the land.
Vers. 4. Give out from among you three men of each tribe, &c.] To wit, not onely of the seven tribes mentioned vers. 2. but also of Judah, Ephraim, and Ma∣nasseh; lest if these searchers should conceive that it was fit somewhat should be taken from those that had their lots already, they might otherwise complain of partialitie in those that were sent to search the land. As for the work that these men were to do, namely to describe the land according to the inheritance of them, it is meant doubtlesse of some catalogue they were to bring of the severall countreys and parts of the land that were not yet divided, with the severall cities, and towns, and villa∣ges that were in each of them, that so accordingly they might the better divide it into so many parts.
Vers. 5. Judah shall abide on their coasts on the south, &c.] The meaning of this is onely that the tribe of Judah, and the sonnes of Ioseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, should continue seated, the one on the South, the other on the North, in that part of the land wherein the lots that were drawn for them in Gilgal fell, and not that they should have still the same quantity of land that was at first assigned them: for we see afterward, that the tribe of Simeon had their portion assigned them out of that which was at first in the lot of Iudah, chap. 19.9.
Vers. 6. Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts and bring the descri∣tion hither to me, that I may cast lots here for you before the Lord our God.] This some say was spoken to the men that were chosen to describe the land. But I conceive it might as well be spoken to the whole assembly, to whom hitherto Ioshua had di∣rected his speech, Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts, and bring the description, &c. that is, ye shall take order that by the men you send out, the land be described into seven parts, and then that the description thereof be brought to me. However, the mention he makes in the last words of the account they were to give of what they had done, before the Lord in the tabernacle, was doubtlesse to intimate how carefull the men that were sent had need to be, diligently and carefully to carry themselves in this great charge that was imposed upon them.
Vers. 9. And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by ci∣ties into seven parts, &c.] They might use some likely means to prevent danger, when they searched the countreys of their enraged enemies; perhaps they divided themselves, and went not all together; they might also go under pretence of negoti∣ation, and it may be disguised, that they might not seem Isralites. But doubtlesse the astonishment and fear wherewith God had stricken the inhabitants, upon the Israe∣lites late victories, were the best means of their safety: and by their preservation in this dangerous service, we may well think their brethren were much encouraged to set upon the getting of the remainder of the land into their possession.
Vers. 11. And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up, &c.] Thus had Benjamin the honour of having the first lot amongst the seven tribes, and was by Gods providence seated the very next to his brethren Ephraim and Manasseh, (who likewise were of Rachel) and had also the royall city of Ierusalem within his borders, where God dwelt in his holy Temple; wherein that was accomplished
which Moses prophesied of this tribe, Deut. 33.12. And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him, and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.
Vers. 12. And their border on the North was from Jordan, &c.] This North border of Benjamin is the same with the South border of the sonnes of Ioseph, de∣scribed before, chap. 16.1. concerning which therefore see the notes there.
Vers. 14. And the border was drawn thence, and compassed the corner of the sea southward &c.] Here begins the Western border of Benjamins portion; for here the line turns from North to South, and fetching a compasse about an inlet or creek of the sea goeth on southward till it comes to Kirjath-baal in Iudahs portion, called by the Israelites (to suppresse the name of their idol-god) Kirjath-jearim.
Vers. 15. And the south quarter was from the end of Kirjath-jearim, &c.] See chap. 15.5, 6. where you shall find the same to be made the north border of Judah; onely that line is drawn from east to west, from the lake of Sodome to Kirjath-jearim, this from the west to the east from Kirjath-jearim to the lake of Sodome: con∣cerning which, see the note there.
Vers. 18. And passed along toward the side over against Arabah north-ward, and went down unto Arabah.] Which is called Beth-arabah, chap. 15.6.
Vers. 21. Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families, were Jericho, &c.] It is no wonder though in severall places of Scripture, we find mention made of some cities belonging to the tribe of Benjamin that are not in this Catalogue; For many cities might be built in after times. And besides, it is probable that all the cities in Benjamins lot are not here mentioned, but such onely as were requisite to be known, because by them the bounds of their lot are described, or for the better understanding of some other passages in the sacred history where these cities are mentioned. And the like we must conceive of the catalogues that are given us in the following chapter of the cities that were in the se∣verall lots of the other tribes.