Joshua 18:4

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Set forth for you three men for each tribe, - that I may send them, that they may arise - and go up and down in the land - and map it out as required for their inheritance, and come in unto me.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Appoint for yourselves three men from each tribe, and I will send them out. They are to go and survey the land, write a description of it for the purpose of their inheritance, and return to me.

Hebrew Names Version
Appoint for you three men of each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall arise, and walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance; and they shall come to me.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them so that they may begin to go through the land and write a description of it according to their inheritance, and let them come to me.

English Standard Version
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.

New Century Version
Choose three men from each tribe, and I will send them out to study the land. They will describe in writing the land their tribe wants as its share, and then they will come back to me.

New English Translation
Pick three men from each tribe. I will send them out to walk through the land and make a map of it for me.

Amplified Bible
"Provide for yourselves three men from each tribe so that I may send them, and that they may go through the land and write a description of it with regard to their [tribal] inheritance; then they shall return to me.

New American Standard Bible
"Provide for yourselves three men from each tribe so that I may send them, and that they may arise and walk through the land and write a description of it according to their inheritance; then they shall return to me.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Giue from among you for euery tribe three men, that I may sende them, and that they may rise, and walke through the land, and distribute it according to their inheritance, & returne to me.

Legacy Standard Bible
Provide for yourselves three men from each tribe that I may send them, and that they may arise and walk through the land and write a description of it according to their inheritance; then they shall return to me.

Complete Jewish Bible
Appoint three men for each tribe; I will commission them; and they are to set out, go through the land and describe it according to their inheritance; then they are to come back to me.

Darby Translation
Provide you three men for a tribe; that I may send them, and they shall rise and go through the land, and describe it according to the proportion of their inheritance, and they shall come to me.

Easy-to-Read Version
So each of your tribes should choose three men. I will send them out to study the land. They will describe that land, and then they will come back to me.

George Lamsa Translation
Choose for yourselves three men from each tribe; and I will send them, and they shall rise and go through the land, and survey and describe it according to their inheritance; and they shall come again to me.

Good News Translation
Let me have three men from each tribe. I will send them out over the whole country to map out the territory that they would like to have as their possession. Then they are to come back to me.

Literal Translation
Give from among you three men of a tribe, and I shall send them. And they shall go up and down through the land, and map it according to their inheritance; and then come to me.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Chose you thre men out of euery trybe, yt I maye sende them, and that they maye get them vp and go thorow the londe, and descrybe it acordinge to the enheritaunces therof, and come vnto me.

American Standard Version
Appoint for you three men of each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall arise, and walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance; and they shall come unto me.

Bible in Basic English
Take from among you three men from every tribe; and I will send them to go through the land and make a record of it for distribution as their heritage; then let them come back to me.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Geue out from among you for euery tribe three men, that I may sende them: and that they may ryse, and walke through the lande, and distribute it accordyng to the inheritaunce therof, & come againe to me.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Appoint for you three men for each tribe; and I will send them, and they shall arise, and walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance; and they shall come unto me.

King James Version (1611)
Giue out from among you three men, for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall rise, & goe through the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of them, and they shal come againe to me.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Appoint of yourselves three men of each tribe, and let them rise up and go through the land, and let them describe it before me, as it will be proper to divide it.

English Revised Version
Appoint for you three men for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall arise, and walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance; and they shall come unto me.

Berean Standard Bible
Appoint three men from each tribe, and I will send them out to survey the land and map it out, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Chese ye of ech lynage thre men, that Y sende hem, and thei go, and cumpasse the lond; and that thei discryue `the lond bi the noumbre of ech multitude, and brynge to me that, that ye han discriued.

Young's Literal Translation
Give for you three men for a tribe, and I send them, and they rise and go up and down through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance, and come in unto me,

Update Bible Version
Appoint for yourselves three men of each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall arise, and walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance; and they shall come to me.

Webster's Bible Translation
Select 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.

World English Bible
Appoint for you three men of each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall arise, and walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance; and they shall come to me.

New King James Version
Pick out from among you three men for each tribe, and I will send them; they shall rise and go through the land, survey it according to their inheritance, and come back to me.

New Living Translation
Select three men from each tribe, and I will send them out to explore the land and map it out. They will then return to me with a written report of their proposed divisions of their new homeland.

New Life Bible
Choose three men from each of these seven family groups. I will send them to go through the land and write down what they find it to be like, to be shared by each family. Then they will return to me.

New Revised Standard
Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them out that they may begin to go throughout the land, writing a description of it with a view to their inheritances. Then come back to me.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Choose of every tribe three men, that I may send them, and they may go and compass the land, and mark it out according to the number of each multitude: and bring back to me what they have marked out.

Revised Standard Version
Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them out that they may set out and go up and down the land, writing a description of it with a view to their inheritances, and then come to me.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Provide for yourselves three men from each tribe that I may send them, and that they may arise and walk through the land and write a description of it according to their inheritance; then they shall return to me.

Contextual Overview

² But there remained among the sons of Israel, to whom had not been apportioned their inheritance, - seven tribes. ³ So Joshua said unto the sons of Israel, - How long, will ye be too slothful, to enter in and take possession of the land, which Yahweh God of your fathers, hath given unto you? ⁴ Set forth for you three men for each tribe, - that I may send them, that they may arise - and go up and down in the land - and map it out as required for their inheritance, and come in unto me. ⁵ So shall they apportion it for themselves into seven parts, - Let, Judah, stay upon his boundary, on the south, and, the house of Joseph, stay upon their boundary, on the north, ⁶ but, ye, shall map out the rest of the land, into seven parts, - and bring in your descriptions unto me, here, - then will I cast lots for you here, before Yahweh our God. ⁷ For Levi hath no portion in your midst, for, the priesthood of Yahweh, is his inheritance, - and, Gad, and Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh, have received their inheritance, beyond the Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave unto them. ⁸ So the men arose, and went, - and Joshua commanded them who were going, to map out the land, saying - Take your journey and go up and down in the land, and map it out, and return unto me, and, here, will I cast lots for you before Yahweh, in Shiloh. ⁹ So the men went, and passed through the land, and mapped it out by cities, into seven parts, upon a scroll, - and came in unto Joshua, unto the camp, in Shiloh. ¹⁰ And Joshua cast for them lots, in Shiloh, before Yahweh, - and Joshua there apportioned the land unto the sons of Israel, according to their portions.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

three: Joshua 18:3, Joshua 3:12, Joshua 4:2, Numbers 1:4, Numbers 13:2

describe: Joshua 18:6, Joshua 18:9

Reciprocal: Job 42:15 - gave Micah 2:5 - cast

Cross-References

Genesis 18:5
And let me fetch a morsel of bread, and stay ye your heart, Afterwards, ye may pass on, For on this account, have ye passed by, over against your servant. And they said, Thus, shalt thou do as thou hast spoken.

Genesis 18:15
And Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not, For she was afraid. And he said - Nay! but thou didst laugh!

Genesis 19:2
And he said Behold, I pray you my lords turn aside, I pray you, into the house of your servant, - and tarry the night and bathe your feet, so shall ye rise early, and go on your way. And they said, Nay, but, in the broad way, will we tarry the night.

Genesis 24:32
So the man came in towards the house, and ungirded the camels, - and there was given him straw and fodder for the camels, and water for bathing his own feet and the feet of the men who were with him;

Genesis 43:24
So the man brought the men into Joseph's house, - and gave them water and they bathed their feet, and he gave them provender for their asses.

1 Samuel 25:41
And she arose, and bowed herself down with her face to the earth, - and said - Lo! thy handmaid, as serving-woman to bathe the feet of the servants of my lord.

Luke 7:44
And, turning towards the woman, unto Simon, he said - Seest thou this woman? I entered into thy house: water to me, on my feet, thou didst not give, - but, she, with her tears, hath wetted my feet, and, with her hair, wiped off the tears .

1 Timothy 5:10
In noble works, being well-attested; - if she hath nourished children, if she hath shewn hospitality, if, saints feet, she hath washed, if, them who were in tribulation, she hath succoured, if, in every good, work she hath followed on:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Give out from among you three men for [each] tribe,.... That is, for each of the seven tribes, in all twenty one; though some think they were to be taken out of all the nine tribes and a half, and were thirty six; and so Josephus a seems to understand it; but then he makes but one out of each tribe to be sent, and but ten in all, which is a great oversight in that historian:

and I will send them; Joshua would not take upon him to name the persons, but left it to their own choice for their greater satisfaction; but when chosen and presented to him, he would give them a commission and directions what to do:

and they shall rise; gird themselves, and prepare for their journey, and set out:

and go through the land; of Canaan; not the whole of it, but that part which as yet was not disposed of; though some think they were to go through and describe the whole land; but I see no reason for that, for what was described was to be divided into seven parts only, and what belonged already to Judah and Joseph, seem plainly to be excepted in

Joshua 18:5:

and describe it according to the inheritance of them; take the dimensions of it, and divide it into seven parts, according to the number of the tribes that had not received their inheritance. Jarchi thinks this description and division were not to be made equally, but according to the largeness and smallness of the tribes; but this could not be done by the measurers, since the inheritance of each depended on the lot that was afterward to be cast, which by this means would have been rendered needless:

and they shall come [again] to me; which seems to be not only a precept or instruction to them, that when they had done their business, they should come to Joshua and give him an account of it; but an assurance also of their safety, that they should receive no disturbance nor hurt from the remaining Canaanites, but should return safe and well.

a Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 21.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Three men for each tribe - i. e. 21 in all. Their duty would be to describe the land, especially with reference to the cities it contained Joshua 18:9, that Joshua might have the means of making a first apportionment among the tribes according to their varying numbers.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 18:4. Three men for each tribe — Probably meaning only three from each of the seven tribes who had not yet received their inheritance. It is likely that these twenty-one men were accompanied by a military guard, for without this they might have been easily cut off by straggling parties of the Canaanites.

They shall - describe it — It is likely they were persons well acquainted with geography and mensuration, without which it would have been impossible for them to have divided the land in the way necessary on this occasion.