Joshua 18:2
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Joshua 18:2
2 And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.
Chapter Context
Joshua 18 is a historical narrative chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of grace, sacrifice, salvation. Written during the conquest of Canaan (c. 1406-1375 BCE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Canaan was fragmented into city-states with various tribal alliances and religious practices.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-28: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it establishes important theological principles that resonate throughout Scripture. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Joshua and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Joshua 18:2
2 And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.
Analysis
And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance—This verse introduces a troubling reality: after the initial conquests and allotments to Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh (chapters 14-17), seven tribes remained without their assigned territories. The Hebrew notru (נוֹתְרוּ, "remained") suggests they were left behind, passively waiting rather than actively possessing. The phrase asher lo-challqu et-nachalatam (אֲשֶׁר לֹא־חָלְקוּ אֶת־נַחֲלָתָם, "which had not yet received their inheritance") indicates delay in receiving what God had already promised.
The seven tribes—Benjamin, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan—represent the majority of Israel, yet they had not possessed their portions. This delay stemmed not from God's unfaithfulness but from Israel's passivity and lack of faith. Joshua's rebuke in verse 3 makes clear this was culpable negligence: "How long are ye slack to go to possess the land?" The same unbelief that prevented the Exodus generation from entering Canaan (Numbers 13-14) now hindered the conquest generation from completing their inheritance. God's promises require active faith and obedient action, not passive waiting.
Historical Context
The delay described here occurred after the initial conquest phase (chapters 1-12) and the allotment to the two-and-a-half Transjordanian tribes (chapter 13), Caleb (14:6-15), Judah (chapter 15), and the Joseph tribes (chapters 16-17). The tabernacle had been set up at Shiloh (18:1), establishing a central worship location in the conquered territory. Shiloh, located in the hill country of Ephraim about 20 miles north of Jerusalem, would serve as Israel's religious center for over 300 years until the ark was captured by Philistines (1 Samuel 4). The seven remaining tribes' failure to claim their inheritance meant large portions of Canaan remained under Canaanite control, creating the incomplete conquest situation that plagued the judges period. Archaeological surveys show that Israelite settlement in the hill country increased gradually over the 13th-11th centuries BCE, consistent with a protracted rather than instantaneous conquest.
Reflection
- What spiritual inheritance has God promised you in Christ that you have not yet actively appropriated through faith and obedience?
- How does the seven tribes' passivity warn against waiting for God to act when He has already commanded us to step forward in faith?
- What would it look like in your life to move from passively 'remaining' in unfulfilled promises to actively possessing what God has already given?