181 Then the whole congregation of the sons of Israel assembled themselves at Shiloh , and set up the tent of meeting there ; and the land was subdued before them.
2 There remained among the sons of Israel seven tribes who had not divided their inheritance . 3 So Joshua said to the sons of Israel , " How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the Lord , the God of your fathers , has given you? 4 "Provide for yourselves three men from each tribe that I may send them, and that they may arise and walk through the land and write a description of it according to their inheritance ; then they shall return to me. 5 "They shall divide it into seven portions ; Judah shall stay in its territory on the south , and the house of Joseph shall stay in their territory on the north . 6 "You shall describe the land in seven divisions , and bring the description here to me. I will cast lots for you here before the Lord our God . 7 "For the Levites have no portion among you, because the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance . Gad and Reuben and the half-tribe e of Manasseh also have received their inheritance eastward beyond e the Jordan , which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them." 8 Then the men arose and went , and Joshua commanded those who went to describe the land , saying , "Go and walk through the land and describe it, and return to me; then I will cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh ." 9 So the men went and passed through the land , and described it by cities in seven divisions in a book ; and they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh . 10 And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord , and there Joshua divided the land to the sons of Israel according to their divisions .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Joshua 18:1-10
Commentary on Joshua 18:1
(Read Joshua 18:1)
Shiloh was in the lot of Ephraim, the tribe to which Joshua belonged, and it was proper that the tabernacle should be near the residence of the chief governor. The name of this city is the same as that by which Jacob prophesied of the Messiah, Genesis 49:10. It is supposed by some that the city was thus called, when it was chosen for the resting-place of the ark, which typified our great Peace-maker, and the way by him to a reconciled God.
Commentary on Joshua 18:2-10
(Read Joshua 18:2-10)
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 possession of their lots. He is ready to do his part, if they will do theirs.