Joshua 18:6

Jos 18:6 Ye shall therefore describe the land [into] seven parts, and bring [the description] hither to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.

Ver. 6. That I may cast lots here for you before the Lord.] He it is that must judge of your proceedings, and to whom you must approve yourselves: see therefore that ye deal uprightly and impartially; since to God you must be accountable. Cave, spectat Cato, was a watchword among the Romans.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jos 18:6. That I may cast lots for you here before the Lord — That is, before the ark or tabernacle, that God may be witness and judge, and be acknowledged to be the author of the division, and each tribe may be contented with its lot, as being appointed by divine authority, and that your several possessions may be secured to you as things sacred.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18:6 Joshua publicly cast sacred lots to eliminate envy or suspicion (see also study note on 7:16-18).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Before the Ark of the Lord.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

6. before the Lord our God] i.e. before the “Tabernacle of Meeting,” where Jehovah manifested His presence to the people, enthroned above the Cherubim of the Ark of the Covenant.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts,.... Or ye shall describe the land, even the seven parts of it when divided; it seems as if they were first to describe in general all the land not disposed of, and then divide it into seven parts, and make a particular description of each part, or form a plan, or draw a map of every part:

and bring the description hither to me; not by word of mouth, but as written in a book, or marked out in a map, and laid before him, see Jos 18:9,

that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord your God; in Shiloh, at the door of the tabernacle, and so before the Lord who dwelt in it, at whose disposal the lot was, and by which everyone of the seven tribes would have their part and portion assigned them most fitting and convenient for them, according to the will and counsel of God, in which it became them to acquiesce.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The land in the midst, between these mark ye out into seven parts: that is to say the rest of the land, which is not already assigned to Juda or Joseph. (Challoner) --- For we must not suppose that Joseph occupied the most northern parts of the country, so as, with Juda on the south, to enclose all the other tribes. (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "As for you, you shall describe the land into seven parts." (Calmet) --- Only the tribe of Benjamin was between these two tribes, (ver. 11,) so that Serarius thinks that mediam had been substituted for aliam, "the other." (Menochius) --- Lots. The deputies divided the country into seven portions, equal in goodness, though not in extent. After the lots were drawn, some alterations might be made by common consent, and those tribes which were too much straitened for room, received what was requisite among those who had too large a territory. Hence we find Joseph occupying the cities of Issachar, &c., chap xvii. 10. It was equally inconvenient to have too much or too little.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

i.e. Before the ark or tabernacle, that God may be witness, and judge, and author of the division, that each may be contented with his lot, and that your several possessions may be secured to you as things sacred, and not to be alienated.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6. Before the Lord — Before the tabernacle at Shiloh, (Jos_18:10,) in which dwelt the Shekinah, the Divine Presence.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts. Literally, ye shall write the land, seven parts. Similarly in ver. 8. That is to say, a written report was to be brought up in seven parts, a fair and equal division of the land having previously been agreed upon among the commissioners. This report having been accepted, division was afterwards made (ver. 10) by lot. Bishop Horsley and Houbigant here, as elsewhere, would rearrange the chapter, supposing it to have been accidentally transposed. But there seems no ground for the supposition. The repetition, with its additional particulars at each repetition, is quite in the style of the author (see Jos 2 and notes). That I may cast lots. Or, and I will cast a lot. The somewhat unusual word hry to throw, is used here. The more usual word is lyPh caused to fall, though other expressions are also used.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Before the Lord - That is, before the ark or tabernacle, that God may be witness and judge, and author of the division, that each may be contented with his lot, and that your several possessions may be secured to you as things sacred.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

I will cast.—I will throw, similar to, ‘He threw into the sea.’

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.