When you have mapped out the seven portions of land and brought it to me, I will cast lots for you here in the presence of the LORD our God.
Parallel translations
- WEB You shall survey the land into seven parts, and bring the description here to me; and I will cast lots for you here before Yahweh our God.
- KJV Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts, and bring the description hither to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.
- NKJV You shall therefore survey the land in seven parts and bring the survey here to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord our God.
- NASB And you shall write a description of the land in seven divisions, and bring the description here to me. Then I will cast lots for you here before the Lord our God.
- NLT And when you record the seven divisions of the land and bring them to me, I will cast sacred lots in the presence of the Lord our God to assign land to each tribe.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
After surveying the land into seven parts, the men were to bring the description to Joshua, who would cast lots before Yahweh. God Himself would decide each tribe's portion.
Overview
The casting of lots before the LORD acknowledged that the final assignment of territory belonged to God, not human preference. This combined diligent human work, the survey, with humble dependence on divine direction. The practice affirms God's sovereignty over His people's inheritance, teaching that what we receive comes ultimately from His hand, a truth fulfilled in the inheritance He sovereignly grants believers in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Josh 14:2Their inheritance was assigned by lot for the nine and a half tribes, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.
- Josh 18:10And Joshua cast lots for them in the presence of the LORD at Shiloh, where he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their divisions.
- Acts 13:19And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance.
- Prov 18:18Casting the lot ends quarrels and separates strong opponents.
- Num 26:54–55Increase the inheritance for a large tribe and decrease it for a small one; each tribe is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those registered.
- Prov 16:33The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
- Ps 105:11“I will give you the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance.”
- Num 34:13So Moses commanded the Israelites, “Apportion this land by lot as an inheritance. The LORD has commanded that it be given to the nine and a half tribes.
- Num 33:54And you are to divide the land by lot according to your clans. Give a larger inheritance to a larger clan and a smaller inheritance to a smaller one. Whatever falls to each one by lot will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to the tribes of your fathers.
- Josh 18:8As the men got up to go out, Joshua commanded them to map out the land, saying, “Go and survey the land, map it out, and return to me. Then I will cast lots for you here in Shiloh in the presence of the LORD.”
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Christ at the center
Joshua — the same name as Jesus, 'the LORD saves' — leads God's people into their inheritance, a shadow of the greater Joshua who brings us into the true rest and the promised land that remains.
How Joshua 18:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.