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.
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.
- 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.
- 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 the lot of their inheritance, as Yahweh commanded by Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half-tribe.
- Josh 18:10Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before Yahweh. There Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.
- Acts 13:19When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred fifty years.
- Prov 18:18The lot settles disputes, and keeps strong ones apart.
- Num 26:54–55To the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance. To everyone according to those who were counted of him shall his inheritance be given.
- Prov 16:33The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from Yahweh.
- Ps 105:11saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance”;
- Num 34:13Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which Yahweh has commanded to give to the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe;
- Num 33:54You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to any man, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.
- Josh 18:8The men arose and went. Joshua commanded those who went to survey the land, saying, “Go walk through the land, survey it, and come again to me. I will cast lots for you here before Yahweh 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.