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Day 67: Joshua 18–21 · Luke 18 · Psalm 15 · Commentary · Commentary² · Audio
The Bible text is included for reading continuity; it is accurate in substance, aligned with major modern translations, and may be read alongside any Bible you prefer.1
Special Note about the following Bible text: The following translation uses the Hebrew terms tamé (טָמֵא) and tahor (טָהוֹר) instead of the traditional “unclean” and “clean.” These terms describe ritual status in relation to sanctuary access, not moral fault, shame, or physical dirtiness. A fuller explanation will follow in a dedicated article.
Joshua 18
The whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there at Shiloh, and the land was subdued before them.
Seven tribes among the people of Israel had not yet received their inheritance.
So Joshua said to the people of Israel,
“How long will you be slack about going in to possess the land that Jehovah, the God of your fathers, has given you?
Appoint three men from each tribe, and I will send them out. They shall arise, walk through the land, write a description of it according to their inheritances, and return to me.
They shall divide it into seven portions. Judah shall remain in its territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall remain in their territory on the north.
They shall describe the land in seven divisions and bring the description to me, and I will cast lots for you before Jehovah your God.
The Levites have no portion among you, because the priesthood of Jehovah is their inheritance. Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave them.”
So the men arose and went. Joshua commanded those who were to write the description of the land to walk through it, describe it, return to him, and he would cast lots for them before Jehovah at Shiloh.
The men passed through the land and wrote it in a book according to cities in seven divisions, and they returned to Joshua at the camp at Shiloh.
Then Joshua cast lots for them at Shiloh before Jehovah, and there he divided the land to the people of Israel according to their divisions.
The lot of the tribe of the people of Benjamin according to their clans came up, and the territory of their allotment fell between the people of Judah and the people of Joseph.
Their northern boundary began at the Jordan and went up to the northern shoulder of Jericho, continued through the hill country westward, and ended at the wilderness of Beth-aven.
From there the boundary passed southward to Luz, to the southern shoulder of Luz—that is Bethel—and went down to Ataroth-addar on the mountain south of Lower Beth-horon.
Then the boundary turned westward on the south side of the mountain before Beth-horon and ended at Kiriath-baal—that is Kiriath-jearim, a city of the people of Judah. This formed the western side.
The southern side began at the edge of Kiriath-jearim and went westward to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.
Then the boundary went down to the edge of the mountain before the Valley of Ben-hinnom, at the north end of the Valley of Rephaim, and went down to the Valley of Hinnom, to the southern shoulder of the Jebusite—that is Jerusalem—and went down to En-rogel.
Then it bent northward, went to En-shemesh, passed along to Geliloth opposite the ascent of Adummim, and went down to the stone of Bohan son of Reuben.
Then it passed along to the northern shoulder of Beth-arabah and went down to the Arabah.
Then the boundary passed along to the northern shoulder of Beth-hoglah and ended at the northern bay of the Salt Sea at the south end of the Jordan. This formed the southern boundary.
The Jordan formed their boundary on the eastern side.
This was the inheritance of the people of Benjamin according to its boundaries all around according to their clans.
The cities of the tribe of Benjamin according to their clans were Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz; Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel; Avvim, Parah, Ophrah; Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—twelve cities with their settlements.
Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth; Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah; Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah; Zelah, Haeleph, Jebus—that is Jerusalem—Gibeah and Kiriath—fourteen cities with their settlements.
This was the inheritance of the people of Benjamin according to their clans.
Joshua 19
The second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of the people of Simeon according to their clans, and their inheritance was within the inheritance of the people of Judah.
They had in their inheritance Beer-sheba, Sheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, Balah, Ezem, Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah, Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen—thirteen cities with their settlements.
Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan—four cities with their settlements.
All the settlements around these cities, as far as Baalath-beer, Ramah of the Negeb, belonged to the inheritance of the people of Simeon.
This was the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Simeon according to their clans.
The inheritance of the people of Simeon was taken from the portion of the people of Judah, because the portion of the people of Judah was too large for them. So the people of Simeon received an inheritance within their inheritance.
The third lot came up for the people of Zebulun according to their clans, and the boundary of their inheritance reached as far as Sarid.
Their boundary went up westward to Maralah and reached Dabbesheth, then to the brook that is east of Jokneam.
From Sarid it turned eastward toward the sunrise to the boundary of Chisloth-tabor, and it went out to Daberath and went up to Japhia.
From there it passed along eastward to Gath-hepher, to Eth-kazin, and went out to Rimmon, turning toward Neah.
Then the boundary turned northward to Hannathon, and its boundary ended at the Valley of Iphtah-el.
Included were Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem—twelve cities with their settlements.
This was the inheritance of the people of Zebulun according to their clans, these cities with their settlements.
The fourth lot came out for Issachar, for the people of Issachar according to their clans.
Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem, Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez.
The boundary reached to Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, and their boundary ended at the Jordan—sixteen cities with their settlements.
This was the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Issachar according to their clans, the cities with their settlements.
The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the people of Asher according to their clans.
Their boundary included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal, and it reached to Carmel westward and to Shihor-libnath.
Then it turned eastward to Beth-dagon and reached to Zebulun and to the Valley of Iphtah-el northward to Beth-emek and Neiel, and it continued northward to Cabul, Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon.
Then the boundary turned to Ramah and to the fortified city of Tyre, and the boundary turned to Hosah, and its boundary ended at the sea, at Mahalab, Achzib, Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob—twenty-two cities with their settlements.
This was the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Asher according to their clans, these cities with their settlements.
The sixth lot came out for the people of Naphtali according to their clans.
Their boundary ran from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim, and Adami-nekeb and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum, and its boundary ended at the Jordan.
Then the boundary turned westward to Aznoth-tabor and went out from there to Hukkok, reaching to Zebulun on the south, to Asher on the west, and to Judah at the Jordan toward the sunrise.
The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, Kedesh, Edrei, En-hazor, Iron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh—nineteen cities with their settlements.
This was the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Naphtali according to their clans, the cities with their settlements.
The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the people of Dan according to their clans.
The territory of their inheritance included Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh, Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, Elon, Timnah, Ekron, Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon, Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the territory opposite Joppa.
But the territory of the people of Dan went beyond them, because the people of Dan went up and fought against Leshem. They captured it, struck it with the sword, took possession of it and lived in it, and they called Leshem Dan, after the name of Dan their father.
This was the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Dan according to their clans, these cities with their settlements.
When they finished apportioning the land for inheritance according to its territories, the people of Israel gave an inheritance among them to Joshua son of Nun.
According to the command of Jehovah, they gave him the city that he asked, Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. So he rebuilt the city and lived in it.
These were the inheritances that Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the people of Israel distributed by lot at Shiloh before Jehovah, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. So they finished dividing the land.
Joshua 20
Then Jehovah spoke to Joshua, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and tell them to designate the cities of refuge, about which I spoke to you through Moses.
These are so that a manslayer who strikes down a person unintentionally and without knowledge may flee there, and they shall serve as refuge from the avenger of blood.
He shall flee to one of those cities and stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and declare his case in the hearing of the elders of that city. Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place so that he may live among them.
If the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not hand the manslayer over into his hand, because he struck down his neighbor unintentionally and did not hate him beforehand.
He shall live in that city until he stood before the assembly for judgment, and until the death of the high priest who was serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return and come back to his own city and to his own house, to the city from which he fled.”
So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba—that is Hebron—in the hill country of Judah.
Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.
These were the appointed cities for all the people of Israel and for the foreigner who lived among them, so that anyone who struck down a person unintentionally could flee there, and he would not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stood before the assembly.
Joshua 21
Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the people of Israel.
They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “Jehovah commanded through Moses to give us cities to live in, along with pasturelands for our livestock.”
So the people of Israel gave to the Levites from their inheritance these cities and their pasturelands, according to the command of Jehovah.
The lot came out for the clans of the Kohathites. The descendants of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, received by lot from the tribe of Judah, from the tribe of Simeon, and from the tribe of Benjamin thirteen cities.
The rest of the descendants of Kohath received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh ten cities.
The descendants of Gershon received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan thirteen cities in all.
The descendants of Merari according to their clans received from the tribe of Reuben, from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulun twelve cities.
So the people of Israel gave by lot to the Levites these cities with their pasturelands, as Jehovah commanded through Moses.
From the tribe of the people of Judah and from the tribe of the people of Simeon they gave these cities, which are called by name.
They gave to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clans among the Levites, because the first lot fell to them.
They gave them Kiriath-arba, which is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah—with its surrounding pasturelands. Arba was the father of Anak.
But they gave the fields of the city and its settlements to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.
So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands, and Libnah with its pasturelands, Jattir with its pasturelands, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, Holon with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, Ain with its pasturelands, Juttah with its pasturelands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasturelands—nine cities from those two tribes, Judah and Simeon.
From the tribe of Benjamin they gave Gibeon with its pasturelands, Geba with its pasturelands, Anathoth with its pasturelands, and Almon with its pasturelands—four cities.
All the cities of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their pasturelands.
And the cities of the rest of the clans of the descendants of Kohath, the Levites, were given from the tribe of Ephraim.
They gave them Shechem, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim; Gezer with its pasturelands; Kibzaim with its pasturelands; and Beth-horon with its pasturelands—four cities.
From the tribe of Dan they gave Eltekeh with its pasturelands, Gibbethon with its pasturelands, Aijalon with its pasturelands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—four cities.
From the half-tribe of Manasseh they gave Taanach with its pasturelands and Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—two cities.
All the cities for the rest of the clans of the descendants of Kohath were ten cities with their pasturelands.
To the descendants of Gershon, one of the clans of the Levites, they gave from the half-tribe of Manasseh Golan in Bashan, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands, and Beeshterah with its pasturelands—two cities.
From the tribe of Issachar they gave Kishion with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands, Jarmuth with its pasturelands, and En-gannim with its pasturelands—four cities.
From the tribe of Asher they gave Mishal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, Helkath with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands—four cities.
From the tribe of Naphtali they gave Kedesh in Galilee, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands, Hammoth-dor with its pasturelands, and Kartan with its pasturelands—three cities.
All the cities of the Gershonites according to their clans were thirteen cities in all with their pasturelands.
To the rest of the Levites, the descendants of Merari according to their clans, they gave from the tribe of Zebulun Jokneam with its pasturelands, Kartah with its pasturelands, Dimnah with its pasturelands, and Nahalal with its pasturelands—four cities.
From the tribe of Reuben they gave Bezer with its pasturelands, Jahaz with its pasturelands, Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands—four cities.
From the tribe of Gad they gave Ramoth in Gilead, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, Heshbon with its pasturelands, and Jazer with its pasturelands—four cities.
All the cities of the descendants of Merari according to their clans were twelve cities with their pasturelands.
All the cities of the Levites within the inheritance of the people of Israel were forty-eight cities with their pasturelands.
Each of these cities had its surrounding pasturelands. So it was with all these cities.
Thus Jehovah gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and lived in it.
Jehovah gave them rest on every side all around, just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies stood before them. Jehovah gave all their enemies into their hand.
Not one of all the good words that Jehovah spoke to the house of Israel failed. All came to pass.
Luke 18
He told them a parable about the need to pray always and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect people. A widow in that city kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God or respect people, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice so that she does not wear me out by continually coming.’”
The Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge says. Will not God give justice to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay for them? I tell you, he will give them justice quickly. Yet when the Son of Man comes, will he find trust on the earth?”
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on others: “Two people went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but struck his chest, saying, ‘God, show mercy to me, a sinner.’ I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts themselves will be humbled, but the one who humbles themselves will be exalted.”
They were bringing even infants to him so that he might touch them, and when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”
A ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit life of the age?”
Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.’”
He said, “All these I have kept from my youth.”
When Jesus heard this, he said, “One thing you still lack. Sell everything you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in the heavens; then come, follow me.” But when he heard this, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.
Jesus, seeing that he became sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”
He said, “What is impossible with people is possible with God.”
Peter said, “Look, we have left our homes and followed you.”
He said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the coming age, life of the age.”
Taking the twelve aside, he said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be completed. He will be handed over to the nations, mocked, insulted, and spit upon. After flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road, begging. Hearing a crowd going by, he asked what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to him. When he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
He said, “Lord, let me see again.”
Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your trust has restored you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
Psalm 15
Lord, who may stay in your tent?
Who may dwell on your holy mountain?
The one who walks with integrity,
does what is right,
and speaks truth from the heart;
who does not slander with the tongue,
does no harm to a neighbor,
and does not bring disgrace against a friend;
who rejects what is vile
but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts;
who does not lend money with interest
and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
The one who does these things
will never be shaken.
Commentary - Day 67
Joshua 18–21 · Luke 18 · Psalm 15
The gathering at Shiloh marks a shift from movement to settlement. The tent of meeting is set there, and the land is called subdued, yet seven tribes remain without inheritance. The delay is not due to lack of land but slackness in claiming it. Joshua’s question—how long will you hesitate—identifies hesitation as the remaining barrier. Men are sent to walk the land, record its description, and return so that lots may be cast before Jehovah. The land is not taken randomly but measured and assigned in ordered divisions. Benjamin receives territory placed between Judah and Joseph, its boundaries traced carefully from Jordan to wilderness, valley to ridge. Cities are named as markers of permanence.
In Joshua 19, the remaining tribes receive their portions in succession. Simeon receives inheritance drawn from within Judah’s portion, showing redistribution rather than expansion. Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan follow, each marked by boundaries and cities defining their presence. Yet pressure remains. The people of Dan cannot hold their territory and move outward, capturing Leshem and renaming it Dan. Movement resumes where settlement fails. Inheritance is given, but occupation still requires strength. At the close, Joshua himself receives Timnath-serah only after the rest are assigned. Leadership receives portion last, reinforcing order rather than privilege. The distribution ends at Shiloh before the tent of meeting, and the division of land is recorded as finished.
In Joshua 20, attention turns from territory to protection. Cities of refuge are established, fulfilling earlier command. These cities serve those who kill unintentionally, creating space between act and judgment. The manslayer must flee, declare his case, and remain until judgment and the death of the high priest. Refuge does not erase responsibility but delays vengeance until justice is determined. Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan are named across the land, forming a distributed network so that refuge remains within reach.
In Joshua 21, the Levites request the cities promised to them. Their inheritance differs from the others: cities scattered throughout Israel rather than a single territory. Forty-eight cities are given with pasturelands, placing priestly presence among the tribes. The chapter closes with language of completion: the promised land is possessed, rest is given on every side, and not one word spoken by Jehovah fails. Fulfillment is described as comprehensive—what was promised has come to pass.
The movement into Luke 18 shifts from land and inheritance to persistence and posture before God. The parable of the widow and the unjust judge presents repetition as strength. The widow returns continually, not because power favors her, but because persistence wears down resistance. Justice arrives through endurance. The question that follows—whether trust will be found when the Son of Man comes—moves attention from justice itself to the condition of those waiting for it.
A second parable sets two figures in the temple: a Pharisee and a tax collector. One stands confidently, listing achievements; the other stands at a distance, striking his chest and asking for mercy. The contrast centers on posture. The one who lowers himself leaves justified, while the one who elevates himself leaves unchanged. The movement of lowering and lifting becomes the governing pattern—those who exalt themselves are brought down, and those who humble themselves are raised.
Children are brought forward next, and resistance appears again, this time from the disciples. The correction follows: the kingdom belongs to those who receive it as a child does. Receiving precedes understanding. A ruler then asks about inheriting life of the age, listing commandments he has kept. The exchange narrows to one missing act—the release of possessions. The sorrow that follows exposes attachment more clearly than words. Wealth is shown to bind the will when surrender is required. The comparison of a camel passing through the eye of a needle sharpens the image, while the response that what is impossible with people is possible with God prevents closure in despair.
As the journey toward Jerusalem continues, prediction replaces parable. Suffering, rejection, death, and rising are spoken plainly, yet understanding remains hidden. The words are heard but not grasped, showing that hearing does not guarantee comprehension.
Near Jericho, the narrative tightens around a blind man sitting by the road. He hears movement before he sees restoration. Calling out despite rebuke, he continues until the call reaches Jesus. The question—what do you want me to do—places request into spoken form. Sight is restored, and response follows immediately: he follows, glorifying God, and the crowd joins in praise. Recognition spreads outward from individual to community.
Psalm 15 closes with a question about dwelling—who may remain within the tent and on the holy mountain. The answer unfolds as conduct rather than ritual. Integrity, truth spoken from the heart, refusal to harm neighbors, keeping promises even when costly, and rejecting corruption define the one who remains. Stability becomes the outcome: the one who does these things will not be shaken.
Across these readings, settlement reaches completion while conduct remains under examination. Land is measured, cities assigned, refuge established, and priestly presence distributed. Yet in Luke, persistence, humility, surrender, and recognition define belonging. The psalm returns to the question of dwelling, not by boundary lines but by character that holds steady.
At Shiloh, the land is subdued but still not fully claimed, seven tribes still remain without inheritance and Joshua presses the remaining tribes to go in and possess what has been given. Benjamin receives its lot, the other tribes follow, and Dan moves outward to Leshem when its original territory fails. Cities of refuge are then established across the land so that judgment can stand between accident and vengeance, and the Levites receive cities scattered among the tribes. The section closes by saying that not one of Jehovah’s good words failed.
In Luke 18, persistence, humility, and surrender become the tests of belonging: a widow keeps returning, a tax collector goes down justified, children receive the kingdom, a ruler turns sad when asked to release his wealth, and a blind man near Jericho keeps crying out until he is healed. Psalm 15 ends by asking who may dwell with God and answers with integrity, truth, and steadiness.
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