The Meaning of Joshua 18:8 Explained

Joshua 18:8

KJV: And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the LORD in Shiloh.

YLT: And the men rise and go; and Joshua commandeth those who are going to describe the land, saying, 'Go, and walk up and down through the land, and describe it, and turn back unto me, and here I cast for you a lot before Jehovah in Shiloh.'

Darby: And the men arose and went away. And Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, and I will cast lots for you here before Jehovah in Shiloh.

ASV: And the men arose, and went: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me; and I will cast lots for you here before Jehovah in Shiloh.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the men  arose,  and went away:  and Joshua  charged  them that went  to describe  the land,  saying,  Go  and walk  through the land,  and describe  it, and come again  to me, that I may here cast  lots  for you before  the LORD  in Shiloh. 

What does Joshua 18:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 18:1-10 - Dividing The Remaining Territory
The Tabernacle had remained in Gilgal. It must now be removed to Shiloh, a site selected by God himself, Deuteronomy 12:11; Psalms 78:60. Shiloh means rest, and it commemorated the ending of the war. The honor of having God's dwelling-place within its border was probably given to Ephraim as the tribe to which Joshua belonged.
As an inducement to occupy the land, this further commission was sent forth. How many of us are equally slack to appropriate the blessings stored up in the Savior! Well is it that God, through the ages, has sent pioneers to tell us what we are missing and to stimulate our zeal.
The veteran leader had earned a good reward. His portion was called "the portion of the sun," probably because of its aspect. Let us live and walk in the light. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 18

1  The tabernacle is set up at Shiloh
2  The remainder of the land is described, and divided into seven parts
10  Joshua distributes it by lot
11  The lot and border of Benjamin
21  Their cities

What do the individual words in Joshua 18:8 mean?

And arose the men and to go away and charged Joshua - those who went to describe the land saying go and walk through the land describe it and come back to me that here I may cast for you lots before Yahweh in Shiloh
וַיָּקֻ֥מוּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים וַיֵּלֵ֑כוּ וַיְצַ֣ו יְהוֹשֻׁ֡עַ אֶת־ הַהֹלְכִים֩ לִכְתֹּ֨ב הָאָ֜רֶץ לֵאמֹ֗ר לְ֠כוּ וְהִתְהַלְּכ֨וּ בָאָ֜רֶץ וְכִתְב֤וּ אוֹתָהּ֙ וְשׁ֣וּבוּ אֵלַ֔י וּ֠פֹה אַשְׁלִ֨יךְ לָכֶ֥ם גּוֹרָ֛ל לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה בְּשִׁלֹֽה

וַיָּקֻ֥מוּ  And  arose 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים  the  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱנׄושׁ 
Sense: man, mortal man, person, mankind.
וַיֵּלֵ֑כוּ  and  to  go  away 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וַיְצַ֣ו  and  charged 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֡עַ  Joshua 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַהֹלְכִים֩  those  who  went 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
לִכְתֹּ֨ב  to  describe 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
הָאָ֜רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
לֵאמֹ֗ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לְ֠כוּ  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְהִתְהַלְּכ֨וּ  and  walk 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
בָאָ֜רֶץ  through  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וְכִתְב֤וּ  describe 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
וְשׁ֣וּבוּ  and  come  back 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אֵלַ֔י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וּ֠פֹה  that  here 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: פֹּה  
Sense: here, from here, hither.
אַשְׁלִ֨יךְ  I  may  cast 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
לָכֶ֥ם  for  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
גּוֹרָ֛ל  lots 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֹּורָל  
Sense: lot.
לִפְנֵ֥י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בְּשִׁלֹֽה  in  Shiloh 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׁילֹו 
Sense: a city in Ephraim and temporary home of the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle, the place where Samuel grew up.