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Joshua 19

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The Inheritance of Simeon 1–9

1
And the second lot came out for Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families: and their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the children of Judah. ​
2
And they had for their inheritance Beer-sheba, or Sheba, and Moladah,
3
and Hazar-shual, and Balah, and Ezem,
4
and Eltolad, and Bethul, and Hormah,
5
and Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah,
6
and Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities with their villages:
7
Ain, Rimmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities with their villages:
8
and all the villages that were round about these cities to Baalath-beer, Ramah of the South. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families.
9
Out of the part of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon; for the portion of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore the children of Simeon had inheritance in the midst of their inheritance. ​

The Inheritance of Zebulun 10–16

10
And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families. And the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid;
11
and their border went up westward, even to Maralah, and reached to Dabbesheth; and it reached to the brook that is before Jokneam;
12
and it turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrising unto the border of Chisloth-tabor; and it went out to Daberath, and went up to Japhia;
13
and from thence it passed along eastward to Gath-hepher, to Eth-kazin; and it went out at Rimmon which stretcheth unto Neah;
14
and the border turned about it on the north to Hannathon; and the goings out thereof were at the valley of Iphtah-el;
15
and Kattath, and Nahalal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages. ​
16
This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.

The Inheritance of Issachar 17–23

17
The fourth lot came out for Issachar, even for the children of Issachar according to their families.
18
And their border was unto Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem,
19
and Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath,
20
and Rabbith, and Kishion, and Ebez,
21
and Remeth, and Engannim, and En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez,
22
and the border reached to Tabor, and Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh; and the goings out of their border were at the Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages. ​
23
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities with their villages.

The Inheritance of Asher 24–31

24
And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families.
25
And their border was Helkath, and Hali, and Beten, and Achshaph,
26
and Allammelech, and Amad, and Mishal; and it reached to Carmel westward, and to Shihor-libnath;
27
and it turned toward the sunrising to Beth-dagon, and reached to Zebulun, and to the valley of Iphtah-el northward to Beth-emek and Neiel; and it went out to Cabul on the left hand,
28
and Ebron, and Rehob, and Hammon, and Kanah, even unto great Sidon; ​
29
and the border turned to Ramah, and to the fortified city of Tyre; and the border turned to Hosah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea by the region of Achzib;
30
Ummah also, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty and two cities with their villages.
31
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages.

The Inheritance of Naphtali 32–39

32
The sixth lot came out for the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families.
33
And their border was from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim, and Adami-nekeb, and Jabneel, unto Lakkum; and the goings out thereof were at the Jordan;
34
and the border turned westward to Aznoth-tabor, and went out from thence to Hukkok; and it reached to Zebulun on the south, and reached to Asher on the west, and to Judah at the Jordan toward the sunrising. ​
35
And the fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth,
36
and Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor,
37
and Kedesh, and Edrei, and En-hazor,
38
and Iron, and Migdal-el, Horem, and Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh; nineteen cities with their villages.
39
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities with their villages.

The Inheritance of Dan 40–48

40
The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.
41
And the border of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh,
42
and Shaalabbin, and Aijalon, and Ithlah,
43
and Elon, and Timnah, and Ekron,
44
and Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath,
45
and Jehud, and Bene-berak, and Gath-rimmon,
46
and Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border over against Joppa.
47
And the border of the children of Dan went out beyond them; for the children of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father. ​
48
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.

Joshua's Personal Inheritance 49–51

49
So they made an end of distributing the land for inheritance by the borders thereof; and the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun in the midst of them: ​
50
according to the commandment of Jehovah they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnath-serah in the hill-country of Ephraim; and he built the city, and dwelt therein. ​
51
These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’housesof the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance by lot in Shiloh before Jehovah, at the door of the tent of meeting. So they made an end of dividing the land. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Joshua 19

Verse 1

within the inheritance of the children of Judah — Simeon's cities lay inside Judah's lot: Beersheba and Moladah stand in both lists (15:26, 28; 19:2). It fulfils Jacob's word over Simeon and Levi, 'I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel' (Gen 49:7). Levi was scattered too, in cities with suburbs (14:4).

Verse 9

too much for them — Judah's 'portion' (chebel, a measured line) had been drawn larger than the tribe needed. The word for 'too much' is rab, the word for 'great' in 17:14. Simeon's share was taken out of it and placed 'within' (tok, in the midst of) Judah, so Simeon's cities lay inside Judah's lot.

Verse 15

Bethlehem — Beth-lechem, 'house of bread'. This Bethlehem belongs to Zebulun in the north. It is not the Bethlehem of Judah where David's well was (2 Sam 23:15) and where Christ was born, 'Bethlehem of Judaea' (Matt 2:1; Mic 5:2). Nahallal in the same list is taken to be the Nahalol of Judg 1:30, where Zebulun did not drive out the Canaanites.

Verse 22

the coast reacheth to Tabor — Tabor is the mountain where Barak was told to 'draw toward mount Tabor' with ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun (Judg 4:6). Zebulun's border runs to 'Chislothtabor' (v.12) and Naphtali's to 'Aznothtabor' (v.34), places named from the mountain. Issachar's border ended 'at Jordan'.

Verse 28

even unto great Zidon — Asher's lot reached as far as Zidon, called 'great' also in 11:8, where the northern kings were chased to it. Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Zidon, and 'dwelt among the Canaanites' (Judg 1:31–32). The 'Hebron' of this verse is a different Hebrew name (Ebron) from Judah's Hebron.

Verse 34

reacheth to Zebulun on the south side — Naphtali's border meets Zebulun on the south and Asher on the west. Moses had blessed this tribe, 'possess thou the west and the south' (Deut 33:23). Capernaum, where Christ dwelt, stood 'in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim' (Matt 4:13). 'Judah upon Jordan' is not Judah's own lot (15:1) in the south, but probably a place of that name by the Jordan.

Verse 47

called Leshem, Dan — The tribe's first lot was 'too little' for them. The Amorites 'forced the children of Dan into the mountain' (Judg 1:34), so they sought more (Judg 18:1). Leshem is the Laish of Judg 18:29, renamed 'after the name of Dan their father'. From then the land's span could be given as 'from Dan even to Beersheba' (2 Sam 24:2).

Verse 49

an inheritance to Joshua — The leader is given his share only 'when they had made an end of dividing the land'. The LORD had named him and Caleb alone of that generation to enter the land (Num 14:30), and Caleb had received Hebron first (14:6–13). Joshua also had stood among those appointed to divide it (Num 34:17).

Verse 50

according to the word of the LORD — Joshua asked for the city (shaal) and received it. 'Timnathserah' means 'portion of the sun'; Judg 2:9 spells it Timnathheres. He 'built the city, and dwelt therein', and was buried 'in the border of his inheritance' there, in mount Ephraim (24:30).

Verse 51

divided for an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD — The close of the division repeats the opening of 14:1, 'These are the countries… which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua… and the heads of the fathers of the tribes… distributed'. It follows Num 34:17–18: Eleazar and Joshua with 'one prince of every tribe'. The division began at Gilgal (14:6) and ends at the tabernacle.