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Joshua Divided the Land the Patriarchs Had Already Promised

When Joshua cast lots to divide Canaan, each lot called its tribe's name and territory. The land had known its borders since creation. The lots confirmed it.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. The Lots That Spoke
  2. The Promise Made at Shechem
  3. The Jordan That Remembered the Sea
  4. What Creation Allocated at the Beginning

The Lots That Spoke

Before any tribe drew its portion, the lot already knew where the tribe belonged.

Joshua stood before Israel with the lots in his hand. Each lot, when drawn, called out the name of the tribe that would receive it and described the territory in advance. It named the borders, the cities, the terrain. Nobody was surprised by the results. The land had been assigned before Joshua lifted a hand to cast, before the Jordan was crossed, before the manna stopped falling.

Bamidbar Rabbah, the midrash on Numbers compiled in late antiquity, records this as a miracle. The lots spoke because the land's distribution had been written into reality before Israel entered Canaan. Jacob himself had laid out the geography in his deathbed blessings: Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of seas. Issachar lying among the sheepfolds. From Asher his bread is rich. These were not wishes. They were descriptions of what the land already knew about each tribe. The lots were the mechanism by which a knowledge already written into creation was officially read out.

The Promise Made at Shechem

The territory Joshua was distributing had been in escrow for four hundred years. God had made the first promise to Abraham at Shechem: to your descendants I will give this land. That was Genesis 12:7, the first moment Abraham set foot in Canaan. The promise was renewed to Isaac at Beersheba, renewed again to Jacob at Bethel on the night Jacob dreamed of the ladder and saw the Temple in its glory and ruin.

Bereshit Rabbah, the fifth-century Palestinian midrash on Genesis, preserves Rabbi Yudan's reading of the promise in Genesis 17:8 as five covenants braided into one verse. Each covenant was conditional on the others. God's presence as Israel's God depended on Israel accepting that Godliness. The land was not a gift that could be received passively. It was a covenant that had to be maintained actively on both sides. When Joshua's lots were cast, they were completing the first act of taking possession of a covenant that had been open since Abraham walked into a country he had never seen before and God told him it would belong to his children.

The Jordan That Remembered the Sea

The crossing of the Jordan was not simply a geographical event. Midrash Tehillim, the midrashic commentary on Psalms, reads the river's parting through the lens of Psalm 114: when Israel went out of Egypt, the sea fled, the Jordan turned back. The Midrash asks why the Jordan turned back. The answer: it saw the sea fleeing and followed the leader. And the sea had fled because Moses commanded it to. The waters learned from each other what was expected of them when Israel approached.

Moses confronted the sea directly in this midrashic tradition: you did not say you would not split, and now you flee? What is it to you, Sea? And then: you see something greater than what Moses carried and you give way. The Jordan saw the same thing and gave way at the same evidence. Joshua carried the same divine authorization that Moses had carried, transmitted through the laying on of hands. The waters recognized it.

What Creation Allocated at the Beginning

Bamidbar Rabbah also connects Joshua's lot-casting to the moment of creation itself. The division of the land was not an administrative decision made by Joshua based on tribal size and military strength. It was a revelation of what had been fixed when the world was made. The borders that Jacob had described at his deathbed were not inventions but prophecies - Jacob had seen what was already true. Joshua's administration was the act of bringing a pre-existing reality into contact with historical time.

The patriarchs had been promised this land. Their descendants had been slaves in another country for four hundred years. The promise had not been canceled or deferred. It had been held, intact, waiting for the generation capable of crossing the Jordan and taking possession. Joshua's lots confirmed what the lot-casters could not have known on their own: that the ground under their feet already had their names on it.

JoshuaPatriarchsLand Of IsraelCreationTribesTorah
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From the tradition

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The texts this telling draws on, in full. Open a card to read inline, or expand it for a wider, quieter read.

Bamidbar Rabbah 21:9Bamidbar Rabbah

Sometimes, it really was – especially when it came to dividing the land of Israel among the tribes. But this wasn't just some random drawing. Oh no, this involved divine intervention, talking lots, and a whole lot of faith.

The scene: The Israelites, fresh off their desert wanderings, are ready to settle down. But who gets what? Arguments could easily erupt. That’s where the lots came in. (Proverbs 18:18) tells us, "Casting lots may quiet contentions.” And in this case, it was absolutely necessary.

Why? Because Jacob himself had already laid out some hints!: "Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of seas" (Genesis 49:13). "Issachar…lying among the sheepfolds" (Genesis 49:14). "From Asher, his bread is rich" (Genesis 49:20). These aren't just blessings; they're clues! According to Bamidbar Rabbah, these indicators meant that any division had to be done fairly, and with a bit of divine guidance. As (Numbers 26:56) states, “According to the lot one’s inheritance shall be divided, whether numerous or few.”

This wasn’t your average bingo game. This was serious business involving miracles! Elazar, son of Aaron, decked out in the Urim and Tumim (sacred objects used for divination), stood ready. The receptacle holding the lots was placed before Joshua. (Joshua 18:6) tells us that he proclaimed, “I will cast lots for you here before the Lord [our God].”

But here’s where it gets really interesting. Bamidbar Rabbah describes how before the lots were even drawn, Elazar, through the Ruach (spirit) HaKodesh – the Divine Spirit – would announce which tribe would be chosen and where their land would be located. Then, Joshua would reach in and, guided by this prophecy, draw the correct lot. As (Joshua 19:51) tells us: “These are the inheritances that Elazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun…apportioned [by lot].”

And if that wasn't dramatic enough, the lot itself would supposedly cry out! It would declare, "I am the lot of such and such tribe; I have been drawn in such and such place!" The verse states: “According to [al pi] the lot.” Al pi literally means "by the mouth" or "at the directive."

Can you imagine the awe and reverence in that moment? It wasn't just about land; it was about divine will being revealed.

This whole story makes you wonder: how much of our lives is predetermined, and how much is up to chance? Maybe the ancient Israelites weren’t so different from us. They, too, were looking for guidance, for a sense of purpose, and for a fair share in the world. And sometimes, the answer comes in the most unexpected way – even from a talking lot.

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Bereshit Rabbah 46:9Bereshit Rabbah

Bereshit Rabbah turns to Joshua and Creation of Land.

In (Genesis 17:8), God says, "I will give to you, and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojourning, the entire land of Canaan for an eternal holding, and I will be their God." A seemingly straightforward promise, but like so many things in Jewish tradition, layers of meaning lie beneath the surface.

Rabbi Yudan, in Bereshit Rabbah, sees five covenants embedded within this single verse, each contingent upon the other. Imagine them as links in a chain, each essential for the whole to hold. The first: God's presence, His very being as our God, is dependent on whether we, His descendants, accept His Godliness. A relationship, not a one-way street. If we don't acknowledge Him, He won't be our patron. Strong stuff.

Secondly, our ability to truly accept God's Godliness hinges on being in the Land of Israel. There's a deep connection here. As Rabbi Yudan implies, and as we find echoed in Ketubot 110b, to live outside the Land is to diminish one's realization of God's mastery.

But how do we even get to the Land? That brings us to the next covenant: circumcision. If we embrace the brit milah, the covenant of circumcision, we earn the right to enter the Land. Fail to do so, and the path is blocked.

And what else stands in the way? The Shabbat (the Sabbath). Just like circumcision, Shabbat is referred to as "an eternal covenant for your generations" (Genesis 17:7, (Exodus 31:1)6). Rabbi Yudan suggests that observing Shabbat is another key to unlocking the Land. If we honor this sacred day of rest, we can enter; if not, we remain outside.

These aren't just historical stipulations, are they? They speak to a deeper truth about our relationship with God and the Land.

Now, let’s delve deeper into the covenant of circumcision. (Genesis 17:9) says, "And you, you shall observe My covenant, you, and your descendants after you, throughout their generations." Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Ḥelbo, citing Rabbi Avun ben Rabbi Yosei, point to a fascinating story in (Joshua 5:4), where Joshua circumcises the Israelites before entering the Promised Land. They suggest that Joshua made a davar, a statement, emphasizing the necessity of circumcision for claiming their inheritance. "Do you think you can enter uncircumcised?" he seems to ask. God made it clear to Abraham: the Land is conditional upon observing the covenant.

But who can perform this sacred act? Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Yoḥanan offer insights. Rabbi Huna says the verse "And you, you shall observe My covenant" implies that the circumciser himself must be circumcised. Rabbi Yoḥanan draws the same conclusion from the doubled expression himol yimol, "You shall surely circumcise" (Genesis 17:13). The halakha, the Jewish law, is clear: an uncircumcised Israelite cannot be a circumciser, and certainly not an uncircumcised idolater.

So, what does this all mean for us today? Are these covenants just ancient history, or do they still resonate? Perhaps they remind us that our connection to the Divine, to the Land, and to our heritage is not passive. It requires active participation, a willingness to embrace the covenants, to observe the mitzvot, the commandments, and to strive for a deeper relationship with God. The land, after all, isn't just real estate. It's a promise, a responsibility, and a evidence of an enduring bond.

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Legends of the Jews 1:45Legends of the Jews

The story, as recounted in Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews, tells us that this ominous message arrived right before Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, a time meant for celebration and rejoicing. Can you imagine? Receiving news like that on the eve of a major holiday?

Joshua, being the leader he was, understood the importance of timing. He knew that sharing this terrifying news right before the festival would only dampen the spirits of his people. So, he held his counsel. He waited. He carried the weight of this impending doom on his shoulders until after the joyous celebration had concluded.

Only then, after Shavuot, did Joshua reveal the contents of the letter. And what a revelation it must have been! The threat was so significant, so overwhelming, that even this seasoned warrior, this man who had witnessed miracles and led armies, felt a tremor of fear.

Here's the thing about true leaders: they don't succumb to fear. They use it. They channel it. And that's exactly what Joshua did. He decided to meet the challenge head-on.

And his response? Oh, it was epic. It was a declaration of faith, a evidence of the power of God, and a clear message to his enemies that they had messed with the wrong people.

According to Legends of the Jews, Joshua's reply began with a powerful invocation: "In the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel, who saps the strength of the iniquitous warrior, and slays the rebellious sinner. He breaks up the assemblies of marauding transgressors, and He gathers together in council the pious and the just scattered abroad, He the God of all gods, the Lord of all lords, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God is the Lord of war!"

Can you hear the power in those words? He's not just invoking a deity; he's declaring the very nature of God – a God of justice, a God of strength, a God who defends the righteous and punishes the wicked.

And then, Joshua gets personal. "From me, Joshua, the servant of God, and from the holy and chosen congregation to the impious nations, who pay worship to images, and prostrate themselves before idols: No peace unto you, saith my God!"

He's drawing a line in the sand. He’s contrasting the worship of idols with the worship of the one true God. And he's making it clear that there will be no compromise.

But the best part? The mic-drop moment? This: "Know that ye acted foolishly to awaken the slumbering lion, to rouse up the lion's whelp, to excite his wrath. I am ready to pay you your recompense. Be ye prepared to meet me, for within a week I shall be with you to slay your warriors to a man."

Wow. Just wow. He's not just accepting the challenge; he's embracing it. He's turning the enemy's fear back on them. He's saying, "You think you've awakened a sleeping giant? Well, you have. And you will regret it."

What does this story teach us? Perhaps it's that even the most courageous among us face fear. But true courage isn't the absence of fear; it's the ability to act in the face of it, to stand firm in our faith, and to trust in something greater than ourselves. Joshua, in this moment, embodies that perfectly. It reminds us that even when faced with overwhelming odds, we too can find the strength to roar.

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Midrash Tehillim 114:5Midrash Tehillim

Midrash Tehillim turns to When the Jordan River Parted for Joshua and Israel.

The text pointedly asks, "What is the value of the Jordan, and what does it matter to him? Were people standing in the Jordan?" It seems almost dismissive, doesn't it? But that's just setting us up for a deeper point. The Midrash suggests the Jordan's reaction isn't about the river itself, but about leadership. The key is this: "if the leader flees, all will flee." The Jordan saw the Sea fleeing, and then it turned back. It’s like a ripple effect. But why was the Sea fleeing in the first place? That's where things get even more interesting.

In Midrash, Moses confronts the Sea. He asks, "You did not say, 'I will not split,' yet now you are fleeing? What is it to you, Sea, that you flee?" Can you imagine Moses, the ultimate leader, questioning the very fabric of creation?

The Sea answers back! It isn’t fleeing from Moses, it insists. "I am not fleeing from you," the Sea explains, "but from the Master of the Universe." This is a crucial point. The Sea acknowledges God's power and authority. It's not just some natural phenomenon; it's responding to the divine will.

The Sea elaborates, reminding Moses that God instructed the dry land to emerge from it on the third day of Creation, while Moses (and humanity itself) was created later, on the sixth day. In other words, the Sea recognizes its place in the cosmic order, its subservience to the Creator. It says, "I am not fleeing from you, Moses, but from Jacob's God, the Rock who transforms a desert into a water spring."

Wow.

So, what does this all mean? It's not just a literal account of a fleeing sea and river. It's a profound lesson about power, authority, and the relationship between humanity and the divine. The Sea's flight highlights the ultimate authority of God, an authority that even the most powerful forces of nature must acknowledge.

And the Jordan? Well, maybe it just needed a strong example to follow. Maybe we all do.

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