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.
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.
- BSB 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.
- 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 14:2By lot was their inheritance, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half tribe.
- Josh 18:10And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.
- Acts 13:19And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.
- Prov 18:18The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty.
- Num 26:54–55To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him.
- Prov 16:33The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.
- Ps 105:11Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:
- Num 34:13And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the LORD commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half tribe:
- Num 33:54And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man’s inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.
- Josh 18:8And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the LORD in Shiloh.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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.