Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them out that they may set out and go up and down the land. They shall write a description of it with a view to their inheritances, and then come to me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Joshua asks for men to survey the land, not just to map it, but to "describe it with a view to their inheritances." This subtle wording highlights that the survey wasn't just about geography, but about understanding the potential and character of each region for settlement. It reveals a strategic, almost visionary approach to dividing God's promised land.
Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them out that they may set out and go up and down the land. They shall write a description of it with a view to their inheritances, and then come to me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After portions of the land were distributed to Judah and Joseph, seven tribes still hadn't received their inheritance, leading to a delay. Joshua addresses this by instructing the people to select representatives from each tribe to map out the remaining territory. This detailed survey is crucial for then casting lots to ensure a fair division of the land before the LORD.
The Israelites had conquered much of the land, yet seven tribes were still waiting for their promised inheritance. What happens when God's promises outpace our action?
It's easy to think that once the major battles are won, everything else falls into place. But here, a whole year has passed since the initial distribution of land to Judah and Joseph. Joshua has to gently confront the remaining seven tribes, reminding them that their inheritance – the land God promised – still needs to be claimed and possessed.
Facing Our Slowness
The Purpose of the Survey
The detailed survey wasn't just busywork. It was a crucial step to ensure a fair and orderly division of the land. By describing the land, they were preparing the ground for God's direct intervention through the casting of lots.
Imagine being sent into an unpacified land to map out territories. What kind of courage does that take, and what does it reveal about their trust in God?
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Joshua's command to send out surveyors isn't just a logistical detail; it's a testament to incredible courage and profound trust in God's protection. These men were commissioned to travel throughout the remaining territories, measure them, and document their features. This was not a leisurely stroll through familiar lands.
Venturing into the Unknown
Trust as a Guiding Principle
Why the detailed description? How did mapping the land prepare the way for casting lots, and what does this tell us about God's sovereign plan?
The meticulous work of the surveyors wasn't an end in itself. It served a vital purpose: to prepare the land for division by lot. This process underscores the carefulness of God's dealings with His people and His ultimate authority over all things.
Laying the Groundwork for God's Choice
God's Sovereignty in the Details
This detailed survey was crucial because the Israelites were not just dividing land, but establishing distinct territories with specific cities and resources for each tribe, ensuring a more equitable and organized inheritance based on God's directive, even amidst lingering Canaanite presence.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan
Following Moses' death, Joshua leads the Israelites in a military campaign to conquer the land of Canaan, fulfilling God's promises.
c. 1400 BC
Initial Land Distribution
Joshua begins distributing the conquered land by lot, starting with the tribes of Judah and Joseph, but the process is interrupted.
c. 1399 BC
Tabernacle Set Up at Shiloh
The Tabernacle is set up at Shiloh, serving as the central place of worship and the location for future tribal lotteries.
c. 1399 BC— this verse
Surveyors Commissioned
Joshua commissions three men from each of the remaining seven tribes to survey and describe the unassigned territories.
c. 1399 BC
Land Survey and Description
The appointed surveyors travel through the land, meticulously describing its cities and features in writing to facilitate the upcoming division.
c. 1399 BC
Lot Casting Resumes
With the land surveyed, Joshua casts lots in Shiloh for the remaining seven tribes, officially assigning their inheritances.
Similar to Joshua's instructions, the Lord designates specific men from the tribes to divide the land, highlighting the importance of official surveyors in God's plan for inheritance.
Deuteronomy 1:38This passage shows Joshua himself being commissioned by Moses to lead the people, making his current role in overseeing the land division a direct continuation of God's established leadership.
Ezra 8:25-27This shows a later instance where precious items were entrusted to a select group of men for transport and safekeeping, paralleling the trust Joshua placed in the surveyors to accurately map the land.
1 Chronicles 26:16Here, specific gatekeepers were assigned duties related to the 'storehouses' of God, illustrating how God often assigns detailed responsibilities to individuals or groups for the proper administration of His people's affairs, much like the surveyors' task.
calvinJoshua 18:1-10: "And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them."
Give out from among you three men for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall rise, and go through the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of them; and they shall come again to me.
Tradite ex vobis tres viros per tribum, quos mittam: surgentque et ambulabunt per terram, descr…
wesleyJoshua 18:4: "Give out from among you three men for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall rise, and go through the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of them; and they shall come again to me."
18:4 Three men - Three, not one, for more exact observation both of the measure and quality of the several portions, and for greater assurance of their care and faithfulness in giving in their account. Of each tribe - One of each of these tribes, who were yet unprovided for.
Joshua asks for men to survey the land, not just to map it, but to "describe it with a view to their inheritances." This subtle wording highlights that the survey wasn't just about geography, but about understanding the potential and character of each region for settlement. It reveals a strategic, almost visionary approach to dividing God's promised land.
After portions of the land were distributed to Judah and Joseph, seven tribes still hadn't received their inheritance, leading to a delay. Joshua addresses this by instructing the people to select representatives from each tribe to map out the remaining territory. This detailed survey is crucial for then casting lots to ensure a fair division of the land before the LORD.
After portions of the land were distributed to Judah and Joseph, seven tribes still hadn't received their inheritance, leading to a delay. Joshua addresses this by instructing the people to select representatives from each tribe to map out the remaining territory. This detailed survey is crucial for then casting lots to ensure a fair division of the land before the LORD.
"Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them out that they may set out and go up and down the land. They shall write a description of it with a view to their inheritances, and then come to me." — Joshua asks for men to survey the land, not just to map it, but to "describe it with a view to their inheritances." This subtle wording highlights that the survey wasn't just about geography, but abo…
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Last reviewed October 2026