then allotted the tribe of Judah the country from Hebron to Kadesh-barnea, as described in the xvth chapter of the book of Joshua. Next after Judah, the children of Joseph were allotted their inheritance ;* and we have in the xvith and xviith chapters of Joshua a particular account of the boundaries of the lands assigned to them; namely, to the tribe of Ephraim, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, which was to inherit on this side Jordan. The families of this tribe and half tribe were settled on the north side of the country, wherein the camp of the Israelites, which was formed at Gilgal, rested, as the tribe of Judah was settled on the south of it; so that the camp was, as it were, secured on either side from any sudden irruption; and having proceeded thus far, the whole congregation assembled at Shiloh within the confines of the tribe of Ephraim, and there set up the tabernacle."

Josephus seems to represent that the tabernacle had been erected before they began to divide the land.' But this, I think, is a mistake; for when they began to divide the land, there were nine tribes and a half tribe, which had no inheritance. But at the time of erecting the tabernacle, seven tribes only were not provided for. Two tribes and a half tribe, besides those who were to inherit on the other side Jordan, had had their countries assigned to them according to

Josh. xvi. 1, &c.

* See Judges xxi. 19.

fxvii. 5.

♪ Josh. xviii. 1.

Joseph, Antiq. lib. 5, c. 1. Josh. xiv. 2. xiii. 7.

what is above represented, as the book of Joshua very plainly intimates. Thus far therefore the Israelites had proceeded; but they began to find difficulties in the method they were taking. To Judah they had given too large a country," and Ephraim and the half tribe of Manasseh were not satisfied with what was allotted to them." And for this reason, I suppose, they now set up the tabernacle. Their enemies were so far subdued, and the place where they were to fix it so surrounded with the settlements already made; that they had no reason to fear any sudden invasion, to oblige them to take it down again. And by having the tabernacle erected, they would have power to apply to God for his immediate direction in all difficulties; so as both to prevent mistakes in their division of the land, and to leave no pretence for any tribe's being dissatisfied at the lot which should be assigned to them.

The directions which Gon had given for the division of the land were these, 1. They were to divide the land by lot; and each tribe was to have that portion of it, which by lot should fall to him. 2. When the lot of a tribe was fallen, the land so allotted to that' tribe was to be divided among the several families of it; which, I think, was to be done partly by the lot," and only in part. When they began to set out the

m Josh. xix. 9.

n xvii. 14.

r Ibid.

P See Exod. xxix. 42, 43.

xxvi. 55.

Numb. xxvi. 56.

particular inheritances of the families, they threw the lot, which family they should settle first, which next, and so on. And thus every man's inheritance would be in the place where his lot fell." but the place of it being thus fixed, they did not cast the lot for the quantity to be assigned to a family; for they were to set out more or less land to each family, according to the number of the names of the persons belonging to it.* 3. Every private person was to have his inheritance within the bounds of the country assigned to the tribe to which he belonged. 4. To prevent disputes or uneasiness in or from the choice of the persons who were to manage and direct the division; GOD had expressly named, who should divide the land unto the children of Israel; and 5. He had also set them bounds, described how far every way the land reached, which was to be divided by them. We may now examine, what method Johua and the princes of the congregation took, when they began to execute the commission herein given to them.

a

- Now, I imagine, in the first place, that they cast lots to know what tribe they should begin with in making the division; and the lot came out for the tribe of Judah. The next question that could arise, must be where they should settle this tribe; and here Caleb offered his claim to have his inheritance at Hebron; the admitting of which, seems to have rendered all further enquiry about the situation of the country to be assigned to this tribe superfluous; and also to have

led the Israelites to set out a tract of land for them, more at random, perhaps, than they would otherwise have done. The journey of the spies, upon which Caleb's claim was founded, began from Kadesh-barnea. Caleb's claim did not aim at any thing higher up into the country than Hebron. If Caleb was fixed here, the tribe to which he belonged was to be settled contiguous to him. The tribe of Judah was the most numerous of all the tribes; it mustered 76000 men of twenty years old and upwards, when the sum of the congregation was taken in the plains of Moab, and consequently a pretty large country would be necessary for it. Now these considerations seem to have induced them to set out at adventure for this tribe all the land between Kadesh-barnea and Hebron; according to the description and bounds which are given of it. Hav. ing thus fixed the tribe of Judah their country, they proceeded to allot each family a proper share and portion in it; but when they had done this, they found, that the part of the children of Judah was too much for them. After each family of the tribe had received an inheritance as large as they could be conceived to have occasion for, there remained a tract of the country to spare, and undisposed of. This must suggest to the dividers, that if he did not go into some stricter method for setting out the assignments to the several tribes, they might in time be brought into difficulties. They might set out to the tribes, which

Numb. xxxii. 8. Josh. xiv. 7. • Josh. XV.

d Ibid. xxvi. 22.

xix. 9.

were first provided for, too much of the land, and not leave enough for those whose lot might come up to be last settled. Accordingly in their next appointment they appear to have a little altered their method of proceeding: For,

Here, I think, they first set out such a quantity of the land, as they thought the country of Canaan might afford for a tribe. Then for the eight tribes and a half they made eight lots, assigning but one lot to the tribe of Ephraim and half tribe of Manasseth, considering them under one appellation, namely, as the children of Joseph. After this they cast the lots to determine, who should have the inheritance put up to be disposed of, and the lot of the children of Joseph came out for it. That but one lot was here made for the sons of Joseph, appears evidently from their complaint to Joshua: The children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot, and one portion to inherit? The children of Joseph here concerned, were more than a tribe; they were a tribe and a half tribe, and in all respects a flourishing people; and they ought not to have been put thus together, and represented only in one lot; when, if they had been a tribe only, one lot would have been assigned to them. This complaint of the sons of Joseph intimates also, that the quantity of land, for which the lots were cast, was settled, and the bounds of it agreed upon, before the lots were cast

Josh. xvi. 1. 'xvii. 14.

Ibid. ver. 1, 2, 3, 4. * Josh. xvii. 15, 17.