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Joshua 19

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The Inheritance of Simeon 1–9

1
And the second lot came forth to Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families: and their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah. ​
2
And they had in their inheritance Beersheba, or Sheba, and Moladah,
3
And Hazarshual, and Balah, and Azem,
4
And Eltolad, and Bethul, and Hormah,
5
And Ziklag, and Bethmarcaboth, and Hazarsusah,
6
And Bethlebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities and their villages:
7
Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages:
8
And all the villages that were round about these cities to Baalathbeer, Ramath of the south. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families.
9
Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon: for the part of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of them. ​

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 toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that is before Jokneam;
12
And turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrising unto the border of Chislothtabor, and then goeth out to Daberath, and goeth up to Japhia,
13
And from thence passeth on along on the east to Gittahhepher, to Ittahkazin, and goeth out to Remmonmethoar to Neah;
14
And the border compasseth it on the north side to Hannathon: and the outgoings thereof are in the valley of Jiphthahel:
15
And Kattath, and Nahallal, 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
And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families.
18
And their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem,
19
And Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath,
20
And Rabbith, and Kishion, and Abez,
21
And Remeth, and Engannim, and Enhaddah, and Bethpazzez;
22
And the coast reacheth to Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Bethshemesh; and the outgoings of their border were at 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 and 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 Alammelech, and Amad, and Misheal; and reacheth to Carmel westward, and to Shihorlibnath;
27
And turneth toward the sunrising to Bethdagon, and reacheth to Zebulun, and to the valley of Jiphthahel toward the north side of Bethemek, and Neiel, and goeth out to Cabul on the left hand,
28
And Hebron, and Rehob, and Hammon, and Kanah, even unto great Zidon; ​
29
And then the coast turneth to Ramah, and to the strong city Tyre; and the coast turneth to Hosah; and the outgoings thereof are at the sea from the coast to 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 to the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families.
33
And their coast was from Heleph, from Allon to Zaanannim, and Adami, Nekeb, and Jabneel, unto Lakum; and the outgoings thereof were at Jordan:
34
And then the coast turneth westward to Aznothtabor, and goeth out from thence to Hukkok, and reacheth to Zebulun on the south side, and reacheth to Asher on the west side, and to Judah upon Jordan toward the sunrising. ​
35
And the fenced cities are Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth,
36
And Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor,
37
And Kedesh, and Edrei, and Enhazor,
38
And Iron, and Migdalel, Horem, and Bethanath, and Bethshemesh; nineteen cities with their villages.
39
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities and their villages.

The Inheritance of Dan 40–48

40
And the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.
41
And the coast of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Irshemesh,
42
And Shaalabbin, and Ajalon, and Jethlah,
43
And Elon, and Thimnathah, and Ekron,
44
And Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath,
45
And Jehud, and Beneberak, and Gathrimmon,
46
And Mejarkon, and Rakkon, with the border before Japho.
47
And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight 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
When they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts, the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them: ​
50
According to the word of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnathserah in mount 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 of the tribes of the children of Israel, divided for an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So they made an end of dividing the country. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · 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.