Psalms 78:55

“He cast out the Heathen also before them, etc.] The seven nations, the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, (<050701>Deuteronomy 7:1) and divided them an inheritance by line: the land of Canaan was divided among the nine tribes and a half by Joshua, the other two and a half having had their portion assigned them on the other side; this distribution was made very exactly by lot, by line, and measure, so that every tribe had their proper portion and inheritance; (see <061306>Joshua 13:6-8,32 14:1-5), and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents; in the cities, towns, villages, and houses of the Heathen cast out before them.”

“He cast out the heathen also before them - literally, the nations. The idea of their being pagan, in the sense which is now attached to that word, is not in the original. The word is one which would be applied to any nation, without reference to its religion. These nations were, indeed, pagans according to the present use of that term, but that idea is not necessarily in the Hebrew word. And divided them an inheritance by line - Divided to his people an inheritance by a measurement of the land. That is, the land was partitioned out among the tribes, by a survey, fixing their limits and boundaries. See Joshua 13:7; Joshua 18:0; Joshua 19:0. And made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their…”

“cast: Psa 44:2, Psa 105:44, Psa 105:45, Psa 135:10-12, Psa 136:18-22; Josh. 6:1-21:45; Neh 9:22-25 divided: Num 33:54; Jos 13:7, Jos 19:51 and made: Deu 6:10-12 Psalms 78:56”