And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD. And there Joshua apportioned the land to the people of Israel, according to their divisions — The lot-casting itself is described simply but solemnly: it occurs 'before the LORD' (lipnê-YHWH) at Shiloh, the sanctuary. This verse represents the theological culmination: Joshua's role as mediator between the people and God, between survey and allotment, becomes fully explicit. The phrase 'according to their divisions' (leqiblatîhem) indicates that the lots determine boundaries and tribal identity, binding each tribe to its covenantal inheritance.

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