Chapter 16
Joshua 16:5 And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar, unto Bethhoron the upper;
Actually this whole chapter lays out the borders of these people. I wonder what that looks like on a map. I think that would be a neat study, to map out all these borders to show where the different tribes were situated in the land of Israel.
Joshua 16:10 And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.
What is the deal with these Israelites? Why can’t they drive out the inhabitants. They took out 31 kings. What’s the problem. Or course this has to be the beginning of disobedience. They didn’t even try in a lot of cases. All these people were a snare unto them. It wasn’t until David, that a lot of these people were taken care of. A man after God’s own heart. God’s heart was to give this land to the Israelites.
Chapter 17
Joshua 17:12 Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
There it is again. Could not drive out the inhabitants. They could not or they would not. If they would not that’s one thing. But if they could not, then why could they not? Was God not fighting for them? Had they already sinned against God in other things?
Chapter 18
Joshua 18:1 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.
Shiloh. I think this is really the first mention of this place, at least as a capital or resting ground. As we started reading into the Judges, I noticed that there was really little to no mention of the ark and the tabernacle all the sacrifices and the Passover and such. What happened. Did they already lose the red heifer?
Joshua 18:2-3 And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance. (3) And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?
How long are ye slack? What are you waiting for? You’re doddling. You’re loafing around. You’re beating around the bush. The approach is clear. Why are you in a holding pattern. Clearance to land has been given. Vamanos. For many it’s a way of life. We waiting until we’re told to do something before we do it. It’s like the kids and the dishes. One of those kids is eventually gonna wash the dishes. Why do they wait until they’re told? Why don’t they just volunteer? They’re gonna have to clean their room. I’m not going in there to clean it for them. Why do you have to be told? Same things at work. Why do you have to be told clean up your area? To stay on task. To quit wasting time and talking. To do a better job. To show up on time. To show some initiative. Why do we wait? Why are we slack? Same thing with the things of God. Why do you wait until you’re driven to your knees to pray. Why don’t you read that Bible? You’ve got questions and you don’t understand what God is doing in your life? The mind of God is before you, why don’t you read it?
Joshua 18:9-10 And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh. (10) And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.
Inny-minny-mighty-moe. Everybody pick a number. Snake-eyes gets the northern region. I remember Moses saying that big tribes get more land and little tribes get less land. I suprised there was no quarreling about this. Please don’t give me the Philistines. Please don’t give me the Philistines. Please don’t give me the Philistines.
Joshua 18:17 And was drawn from the north, and went forth to Enshemesh, and went forth toward Geliloth, which is over against the going up of Adummim, and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben,
Who is Bohan or what is the stone of Bohan? Nothing on Bible Hub, other than the fact that this is also mention in Joshua 15 regarding Judah’s territory. This one is Benjamin’s territory. So this stone was between Joshua and Benjamin’s land but named after Bohan, son of Reuben. These are the only mention in the Bible of Bohan.
(Genesis 46:9) And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.
Yeah, so Bohan doesn’t sound like any of those guys.
he presence of this stone of Bohan, who is called the son of Reuben, might imply that at one time descendants of the tribe of Reuben temporarily inhabited the NE corner of the territory of Judah before the final boundary settlements were made by Joshua. https://www.biblicaltraining.org/library/bohan
bo’-han (bohan, “thumb,” “stumpy”): A son of Reuben according to Joshua 15:6; Joshua 18:17. No mention is made of Bohan in the genealogies of Reuben. “The stone of Bohan” (‘ebhen bohan) was a boundary mark on the Northeast frontier of Judah, separating it from Benjamin. Site unidentified. http://biblehub.com/topical/b/bohan.htm
Stone of Abel:
And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite. (1 Samuel 6:18)
So the stone of Adam was in the field of Joshua. It was a great stone. The busted the cart that the Philistines had sent with the ark. And offered the two kine a burnt offering unto the LORD there on that stone.
So my guess is that the stone of Bohan was a place where the childre of Israel offered sacrifice. But who is Bohan and why did they name the stone after him. We know who Adam is but not sure as to why they named the stone after him. Stones in the bible for offering and worship is a big thing. What mean these stones?
Joshua, the Bethshemite – Bethshemeth was a city that was border of Judah’s land (Joshua 15:10), border of Isachar’s land (Joshua 19:22), but in the land of Napthali (Joshua 19:38) So this Joshua was a Napthalite. And there was a big stone in his field, and he called it the Stone of Adam
(Judges 1:33) Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, nor the inhabitants of Bethanath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became tributaries unto them.
Interestingly, the Stone of Adam, They recieved the ark back and offered sacrifice, the bible says that they rejoiced to see the ark! But then they look in it and God killed them: 50, 070 men. Don’t touch the ark!
(1 Samuel 6:19) And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.
So I agree, Reuben’s family must have lived up there for awhile. Possibly before the dispersion of the land. Not sure how. I wonder it it was before Egypt. No telling.
Here’s another interesting tidbit:
(2 Kings 14:11) But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah.
Who is Judah at this point? Did the borders change. It was once at the border of Judah but belonged to Napthali. Perhaps Judah refers to the souther kingdom now.
Here’s another one:
(Jeremiah 43:13) He shall break also the images of Bethshemesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire.
So the name Bethshemeth is quite possibly the name of a God that the city was named after. Apparantly a god of Egypt.
And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it. (Genesis 35:22) Now, there’s nothing anywhere on this, but I wonder if Bilhah had a son from this encounter, perhaps his name is Bohan.
Why would you name a stone after the guy who plunged the world into sin? Adam. Perhaps this stone was name after the illegitimate child of Reuben because it caused him to lose the status of the firstborn?
(Genesis 49:3) Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
(Genesis 49:4) Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.
(1 Chronicles 5:1) Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.
That’s all speculation, but you never know. My guess is as good as anyone’s. Here’s my theories:
- He might be an illegitimate child of Reuben and Bilhah
- He must be pre-Moses. I just don’t see them going into the land before it was divided.
- He may have been from the lineage of Reuben before they came to Egypt.
- He may have been recognized by family that did not go to Egypt. In other words the stone was named well after they went to Egypt but well before they came back. The bible says that Isaac’s son’s sons came with him, but maybe there were some son’s son’s sons that didn’t want to go; great-grand children that said, “No, we’ll stay here.” And of those, Boshan came from and the stone was named after him.
- Who knows?
Chapter 19
Joshua 19:9 Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon: for the part of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of them.
That’s interesting. It sound like a nation inside of a nation. Sounds like trouble.
Chapter 20
Joshua 20:2 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
There is much talk about cities of refuge. It’s not just one time. There’s much importance placed on this by God, Moses, and Joshua.
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