SEV Biblia, Chapter 18:9
Fueron pues aquellos varones y pasearon la tierra, dibujándola por ciudades en siete partes en un libro, y tornaron a Josué al campo en Silo.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Joshua 18:9
Verse 9. And described it in a book] This as far as I can recollect, is the first act of surveying on record. These men and their work differed widely from those who had searched the land in the time of Moses; they went only to discover the nature of the country, and the state of its inhabitants; but these went to take an actual geographical survey of it, in order to divide it among the tribes which had not yet received their portions. We may suppose that the country was exactly described in a book, that is, a map, pointing out the face of the country, accompanied with descriptions of each part.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 9. And the men went and passed through the land , etc.] Undisturbed by the inhabitants that remained; the fear of the Israelites being still upon them, and the providence of God restraining them, so that the men passed through the whole country, and took a survey of it without any molestation: and described it by cities, into seven parts, in a book ; or map, or rather made seven maps of it, and set down the several cities in each division, with the places adjacent, hills and vales, and marked out a plain and exact chorography of the whole, by which it appears they must be men well skilled in geometry. Josephus says, that Joshua added to them some that understood geometry; but doubtless the persons each tribe chose and sent were such whom they knew were well versed in that art, and so fit for the business; and which they had, no doubt, learned in Egypt, this being one part of the wisdom and learning of the Egyptians; who boasted of it as an invention of theirs, as Diodorus Siculus relates; and indeed they were obliged to study it, their country being divided into several homes, and these into lesser districts, and which also were subdivided, and according thereunto were the king’s taxes levied upon them; and what with the confusion frequently made by the overflowings of the Nile, they were frequently obliged to measure their land over again; and hence they became expert in this science, which is commonly believed took its rise from them, and passed into Greece, as Herodotus f406 , and Strabo f407 , and other authors relate; however, it is certain from this instance in the time of Joshua, that geometry was not the invention of Anaximander, about five hundred years before Christ, as some have asserted f408 : and came [again] to Joshua to the host at Shiloh ; where the camp, as well as the people in common, and the tabernacle, were; they returned, as Josephus says, at the end of seven months; and to measure so much land, and make such divisions of it, and give the plans and maps of each division, must take up a considerable time.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 2-10 - After a year or more, Joshua blamed their slackness, and told them ho to proceed. God, by his grace, has given us a title to a good land, the heavenly Canaan, but we are slack to take possession of it; we ente not into that rest, as we might by faith, and hope, and holy joy. Ho long shall it be thus with us? How long shall we thus stand in our ow light, and forsake our own mercies for lying vanities? Joshua stirs the Israelites up to take possession of their lots. He is ready to do his part, if they will do theirs.
Original Hebrew
וילכו 1980 האנשׁים 582 ויעברו 5674 בארץ 776 ויכתבוה 3789 לערים 5892 לשׁבעה 7651 חלקים 2506 על 5921 ספר 5612 ויבאו 935 אל 413 יהושׁע 3091 אל 413 המחנה 4264 שׁלה׃ 7887
