181 And all the company of the sons of Israel are assembled 'at' Shiloh, and they cause the tent of meeting to tabernacle there, and the land hath been subdued before them.
2 And there are left among the sons of Israel who have not shared their inheritance, seven tribes, 3 and Joshua saith unto the sons of Israel, 'Till when are ye remiss to go in to possess the land which He hath given to you, Jehovah, God of your fathers? 4 Give for you three men for a tribe, and I send them, and they rise and go up and down through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance, and come in unto me, 5 and they have divided it into seven portions—Judah doth stay by its border on the south, and the house of Joseph do stay by their border on the north— 6 and ye describe the land 'in' seven portions, and have brought 'it' in unto me hither, and I have cast for you a lot here before Jehovah our God; 7 for there is no portion to the Levites in your midst, for the priesthood of Jehovah 'is' their inheritance, and Gad, and Reuben, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses servant of Jehovah gave to them.' 8 And the men rise and go; and Joshua commandeth those who are going to describe the land, saying, 'Go, and walk up and down through the land, and describe it, and turn back unto me, and here I cast for you a lot before Jehovah in Shiloh.' 9 And the men go, and pass over through the land, and describe it by cities, in seven portions, on a book, and they come in unto Joshua, unto the camp, 'at' Shiloh. 10 And Joshua casteth for them a lot in Shiloh before Jehovah, and there Joshua apportioneth 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.