Joshua 18:11
And the lot of the tribe of the children of Beniamin came vp according to their families: and the coast of their lot came foorth betweene the children of Iudah, and the children of Ioseph. Joshua 18:11 (KJV)
This verse is part of the narrative in the book of Joshua that describes the division of the Promised Land among the twelve tribes of Israel. After the conquest of Jericho and Ai, Joshua led the Israelites in the distribution of the land as instructed by God. In Joshua 18:11 we see that it is now the turn of the tribe of Benjamin to receive their allotment of land, and the tribe of Benjamin receives its allotment.
The allocation of land was done by casting lots, a method used to determine God’s decision in various matters. The land was divided according to the size of each tribe, as indicated in Numbers 26:52‑56, where inheritance was allocated based on the number of people, and also according to the size and needs of each tribe.
The verse states that the lot of the tribe of Benjamin “came up according to their families,” meaning the land allocation within the tribe was distributed among its individual families according to their size and needs. Each family within the tribe received a portion of the land that was appropriate for its size and needs.
The verse further mentions that the coast or boundary of Benjamin’s allotted land was situated between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph. This indicates the geographical location of Benjamin’s territory: the tribe of Judah received its inheritance to the south, while the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, part of Joseph’s lineage, received their portions to the north and west.
The distribution of the land among the tribes was a significant event as it marked the fulfillment of God’s promise to the Israelites, establishing order and a settled homeland for each tribe. Overall, Joshua 18:11 highlights the systematic division of the land of Canaan among the twelve tribes of Israel, with the focus in this verse specifically on the tribe of Benjamin, allowing the establishment of order and the fulfillment of God’s promise to His people.
