Notes from Joshua 20

This short chapter is concerning the cities of refuge, which we often read of in the writings of Moses, but this is the last time that we find mention of them, for now that matter was thoroughly settled. Here is,

I. The law God gave concerning them (v. 1-6).
II. The people's designation of the particular cities for that use (v. 7-9). And this remedial law was a figure of good things to come.

Notes from Joshua 19

In the description of the lots of Judah and Benjamin we have an account both of the borders that surrounded them and of the cities contained in them. In that of Ephraim and Manasseh we have the borders, but not the cities; in this chapter Simeon and Dan are described by their cities only, and not their borders, because they lay very much within Judah, especially the former; the rest have both their borders described and their cities names, especially frontiers. Here is,

I. The lot of Simeon (v. 1-9).
II. Of Zebulun (v. 10-16).
III. Of Issachar (v. 17-23).
IV. Of Asher (v. 24-31).
V. Of Naphtali (v. 32-39).
VI. Of Dan (v. 40-48).
Lastly, The inheritance assigned to Joshua himself and his own family (v. 49-51).

Notes from Joshua 18

In this chapter we have,

I. The setting up of the tabernacle at Shiloh (v. 1).
II. The stirring up of the seven tribes that were yet unsettled to look after their lot, and the putting of them in a method for it, by Joshua (v. 2-7).
III. The distributing of the land into seven lots, by certain men employed for that purpose (v. 8, 9).
IV. The determining of these seven portions to the seven tribes yet unprovided for by lot (v. 10).
V. The particular lot of the tribe of Benjamin, the borders of it (v. 11-20). And the cities contained in it (v. 21-28). The other six tribes we shall find well provided for in the next chapter.

Notes from Joshua 17

The half tribe of Manasseh comes next to be provided for; and here we have,

I. The families of that tribe that were to be portioned (v. 1-6).
II. The country that fell to their lot (v. 7-13).
III. The joint request of the two tribes that descended from Joseph, for the enlargement of their lot, and Joshua's answer to that request (v. 14-18).

Notes from Joshua 16

It is a pity that this and the following chapter should be separated, for both of them give us the lot of the children of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, who, next to Judah, were to have the post of honour, and therefore had the first and best portion in the northern part of Canaan, as Judah now had in the southern part. In this chapter we have,

I. A general account of the lot of these two tribes together (v. 1-4).
II. The borders of the lot of Ephraim in particular (v. 5-10). That of Manasseh following in the next chapter.

Notes from Joshua 15

Though the land was not completely conquered, yet being (as was said in the close of the foregoing chapter) as rest from war for the present, and their armies all drawn out of the field to a general rendezvous at Gilgal, there they began to divide the land, though the work was afterwards perfected at Shiloh, ch. 18:1, etc. In this chapter we have the lot of the tribe of Judah, which in this, as in other things, had the precedency.

I. The borders or bounds of the inheritance of Judah (v. 1-12).
II. The particular assignment of Hebron and the country thereabout to Caleb and his family (v. 13-19).
III. The names of the several cities that fell within Judah's lot (v. 20-63).

Notes from Joshua 14

Here is,

I. The general method that was taken in dividing the land (v. 1-5).
II. The demand Caleb made of Hebron, as his by promise, and therefore not to be put into the lot with the rest (v. 6-12). And Joshua's grant of that demand (v. 13-15). This was done at Gilgal, which was as yet their head-quarters.