Joshua 14:2

_BY LOT WAS THEIR INHERITANCE, AS THE LORD COMMANDED BY THE HAND OF MOSES, FOR THE NINE TRIBES, AND FOR THE HALF TRIBE._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

1-5 The Israelites must occupy the new conquests. Canaan would have been subdued in vain, if it had not been inhabited. Yet every man might not go and settle where he pleased. God shall choose our inheritance for us. Let us survey our heritage of present mercy, our prospect for the land of promise, eternal in the heavens. Is God any respecter of persons? Is it not better that our place, as to earthly good or sorrow, should be determined by the infinite wisdom of our heavenly Father, than by our own ignorance? Should not those for whom the great mystery of godliness was exhibited, those whose redemption was purchased by Jesus Christ, thankfully refer their earthly concerns to his appointment?...

Verse Joshua 14:2. _BY LOT WAS THEIR INHERITANCE_] Concerning the meaning and use of the lot, see the note on Numbers 26:55; and concerning the manner of _casting lots_ in the case of the _scapegoat_, see the note on Leviticus 16:8-3. On this subject Dr. Dodd has selected some good observations from _Calmet_ and _Masius_, which I here borrow: "Though God had sufficiently pointed out by the predictions of Jacob when dying, and those of Moses, what portions he designed for each tribe, we readily discern an admirable proof of his wisdom in the orders he gave to decide them by _lot_. By this means the false interpretations which might have been given to the words of Jacob and

BY LOT - We are not told in what manner the lot was cast. Perhaps two urns were employed, one containing a description of the several districts to be allotted, the other the names of the tribes; and the portion of each tribe would then be determined by a simultaneous drawing from the two urns. Or a drawing might be made by some appointed person, or by a delegate of each tribe from one urn containing the description of the ten inheritances. The lot only determined in a general way the position in the country of the particular tribe concerned, whether north or south, etc.; the dimensions of each territory being left to be adjusted subsequently, according to the numbers and wants of the tribe to be provided for. Since the predilections and habits of two tribes and a half were consulted in the apportionment to them of the trans-Jordanic territory Numbers 32:1 there is

EXPOSITION JOSHUA 14:1 TRIBES. The word here for "tribes," in connection with the word "fathers," is the one which implies genealogical descent (see note on Joshua 13:29). ELEAZAR THE PRIEST, AND JOSHUA THE SON OF NUN, AND THE HEADS OF THE FATHERS OF THE TRIBES. A picture of national unity; the head of the Church, representing the religious aspect of the community; the head of the State, representing its civil aspect; the heads of the tribes, to signify the general assent of the body politic. A work so begun was likely to be satisfactorily carried out. And accordingly the distribution of the land, recognised as carried out according to the will of God, displayed no partiality, and excited no jealousies....

BY LOT [WAS] THEIR INHERITANCE,.... Every tribe had its part and portion assigned to it, by the casting of lots; which was done to prevent any future quarrels, animosities and strifes among the tribes, the disposition being of the Lord; and to show the exact agreement between the lot and the divine predictions by Jacob and Moses; and to make it appear that the division of the land was not owing to the private combination of the above men, and their private settlement of it; but to the providence of God, the directors of the lot; their chief business was to see that the lot was executed in a faithful manner, and that every tribe had its allotment according to it. In this Canaan was a type of the heavenly inheritance, which the saints obtain by lot, in and through Christ, the antitypical Joshua, Ephesians 1:11; AS THE LORD COMMANDED BY THE HAND OF MOSES,...

2. CALEB'S REQUEST AND INHERITANCE CHAPTER 14 _ 1. The inheritance by lot (Joshua 14:1)_ 2. Caleb's request (Joshua 14:6) Judah's portion comes first, and as they draw near to Joshua to receive their inheritance by lot (See Proverbs 16:33 and Acts 1:26) at Gilgal (note the recurrence of this place and its significance), Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, steps to the front. It was not forwardness or love of the preeminence which led him to do this, but the burning zeal in that old, yet youthful soul. He comes to claim the inheritance, which forty-five years ago Moses had promised unto him. Caleb was eighty-five years old

JOSHUA 14-19. THE DIVISION OF THE LAND ON THE W. OF JORDAN. Joshua 14:1 is P's introduction to the division of the land by lot, but instead of going on at once with his account of the inheritance of Judah the editor inserts (Joshua 14:6) a Deuteronomic account of Caleb's claim to Hebron in accordance with the promise given him by Moses in Nu. After this we get in Joshua 15:1, P's account of the boundaries of Judah. But before giving the names of the various cities of Judah, the editor inserted another account (Joshua 15:13) of Caleb's conquests from a source older than the Deuteronomic section just mentioned in...

BY LOT. See note on Joshua 14:1. AS. according as, but. special various reading called _Sevir,_ reads "which" THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah_. App-4. FOR. Instead of "for", some codices, with one early printed edition, and Syriac, read "to be given to"....

_By lot was their inheritance_ See Numbers 26:55; Numbers 33:54, and note above on the use of "lots" ch. Joshua 7:18. (_a) The use of lots_was specially characteristic of the ancient world. Thus it was a standing custom of the Athenians to divide the land of conquered enemies to colonists by lot (Diod. xv. 23, 29), and we find it resorted to by them (_a_) in Eubœa (Herod. v. 77; vi. 100), (_b_) in Lesbos (Thuc. III. 50). The Romans also assigned territory to the victorious legions by lot (Cic. _Ep. ad Div_. xi. 20). (_b) How the lot was taken_on this occasion we are not told. The Rabbins conjecture that there were two urns; in one had been placed little tablets with the names of the tribe