1And 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. 2And they had for their inheritance Beer-sheba, or Sheba, and Moladah, 3and Hazar-shual, and Balah, and Ezem, 4and Eltolad, and Bethul, and Hormah, 5and Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah, 6and Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities with their villages: 7Ain, Rimmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities with their villages: 8and 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. 9Out 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. 10And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families; and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid; 11and their border went up westward, even to Maralah, and reached to Dabbesheth; and it reached to the brook that is before Jokneam; 12and 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; 13and from thence it passed along eastward to Gath-hepher, to Eth-kazin; and it went out at Rimmon which stretcheth unto Neah; 14and the border turned about it on the north to Hannathon; and the goings out thereof were at the valley of Iphtah-el; 15and Kattath, and Nahalal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages. 16This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages. 17The fourth lot came out for Issachar, even for the children of Issachar according to their families. 18And their border was unto Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem, 19and Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath, 20and Rabbith, and Kishion, and Ebez, 21and Remeth, and Engannim, and En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez, 22and 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. 23This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities with their villages. 24And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families. 25And their border was Helkath, and Hali, and Beten, and Achshaph, 26and Allammelech, and Amad, and Mishal; and it reached to Carmel westward, and to Shihor-libnath; 27and 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, 28and Ebron, and Rehob, and Hammon, and Kanah, even unto great Sidon; 29and 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; 30Ummah also, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty and two cities with their villages. 31This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages. 32The sixth lot came out for the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families. 33And 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; 34and 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. 35And the fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth, 36and Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor, 37and Kedesh, and Edrei, and En-hazor, 38And Iron, and Migdal-el, Horem, and Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh; nineteen cities with their villages. 39This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities with their villages. 40The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families. 41And the border of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh, 42and Shaalabbin, and Aijalon, and Ithlah, 43and Elon, and Timnah, and Ekron, 44and Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath, 45and Jehud, and Bene-berak, and Gath-rimmon, 46and Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border over against Joppa. 47And 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. 48This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages. 49So 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: 50according 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. 51These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers' houses of 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.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE LOT OF SIMEON. (
Josh 19:1-
Josh 19:9)
the second lot came forth to Simeon--The next lot that was drawn at Shiloh, gave the tribe of Simeon his inheritance within the territory, which had been assigned to that of Judah. The knowledge of Canaan possessed by the Israelites, when the division of the land commenced, was but very general, being derived from the rapid sweep they had made over it during the course of conquest; and it was on the ground of that rough survey alone that the distribution proceeded, by which Judah received an inheritance. Time showed that this territory was too large (
Josh 19:9), either for their numbers, however great, to occupy and their arms to defend, or too large in proportion to the allotments of the other tribes. Justice therefore required (what kind and brotherly feeling readily dictated) a modification of their possession; and a part of it was appropriated to Simeon. By thus establishing it within the original domain of another tribe, the prophecy of Jacob in regard to Simeon was fulfilled (
Gen 49:7); for from its boundaries being not traced, there is reason to conclude that its people were divided and dispersed among those of Judah; and though one group of its cities named (
Josh 19:2-
Josh 19:6), gives the idea of a compact district, as it is usually represented by map makers, the other group (
Josh 19:7-
Josh 19:8) were situated, two in the south, and two elsewhere, with tracts of the country around them.
10 OF ZEBULUN. (
Josh 19:10-
Josh 19:16)
the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun--The boundaries of the possession assigned to them extended from the Lake of Chinnereth (Sea of Galilee) on the east, to the Mediterranean on the west. Although they do not seem at first to have touched on the western shore--a part of Manasseh running north into Asher (
Josh 17:10) --they afterwards did, according to the prediction of Moses (
Deut 33:19). The extent from north to south cannot be very exactly traced; the sites of many of the places through which the boundary line is drawn being unknown. Some of the cities were of note.
17 OF ISSACHAR. (
Josh 19:17-
Josh 19:23)
the fourth lot came out to Issachar--Instead of describing the boundaries of this tribe, the inspired historian gives a list of its principal cities. These cities are all in the eastern part of the plain of Esdraelon.
24 OF ASHER. (
Josh 19:24-
Josh 19:31)
the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher--The western boundary is traced from north to south through the cities mentioned; the site of them, however, is unknown.
26 to Carmel . . . and to Shihor-libnath--that is, the "black" or "muddy river"; probably the Nahr Belka, below Dor (Tantoura); for that town belonged to Asher (
Josh 17:10). Thence the boundary line turned eastward to Beth-dagon, a town at the junction of Zebulun and Naphtali, and ran northwards as far as Cabul, with other towns, among which is mentioned (
Josh 19:28) "great Zidon," so called on account of its being even then the flourishing metropolis of the Phśnicians. Though included in the inheritance of Asher, this town was never possessed by them (
Judg 1:31).
29 and then the coast turneth to Ramah--now El-Hamra, which stood where the Leontes (Litany) ends its southern course and flows westward.
and to the strong city Tyre--The original city appears to have stood on the mainland, and was well-fortified. From Tyre the boundary ran to Hosah, an inland town; and then, passing the unconquered district of Achzib (
Judg 1:31), terminated at the seacoast.
32 OF NAPHTALI. (
Josh 19:32-
Josh 19:39)
the sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali--Although the cities mentioned have not been discovered, it is evident, from Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh, that is, on the northwest of Lake Merom (
Judg 4:11), that the boundary described (
Josh 19:34) ran from the southwest towards the northeast, up to the sources of the Jordan.
34 Aznoth-tabor--on the east of Tabor towards the Jordan, for the border ran thence to Hukkok, touching upon that of Zebulun; and as the territory of Zebulun did not extend as far as the Jordan, Aznoth-tabor and Hukkok must have been border towns on the line which separated Naphtali from Issachar.
to Judah upon Jordan toward the sunrising--The sixty cities, Havoth-jair, which were on the eastern side of the Jordan, opposite Naphtali, were reckoned as belonging to Judah, because Jair, their possessor, was a descendant of Judah (1Ch. 2:4-22) [KEIL].
40 OF DAN. (
Josh 19:40-
Josh 19:48)
the seventh lot came out for the tribe . . . Dan--It lay on the west of Benjamin and consisted of portions surrendered by Judah and Ephraim. Its boundaries are not stated, as they were easily distinguishable from the relative position of Dan to the three adjoining tribes.
47 the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem--The Danites, finding their inheritance too small, decided to enlarge its boundaries by the sword; and, having conquered Leshem (Laish), they planted a colony there, calling the new settlement by the name of Dan (see on
Judg 18:7).
50 THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL GIVE AN INHERITANCE TO JOSHUA. (
Josh 19:49-
Josh 19:51)
According to the word of the Lord they gave him the city which he asked--It was most proper that the great leader should receive an inheritance suited to his dignity, and as a reward for his public services. But the gift was not left to the spontaneous feelings of a grateful people. It was conferred "according to the word of the Lord"--probably an unrecorded promise, similar to what had been made to Caleb (
Josh 14:9).
Timnath-serah--or Heres, on Mount Gaash (
Judg 2:9). Joshua founded it, and was afterwards buried there (
Josh 24:30).
51 These are the inheritances--This verse is the formal close of the section which narrates the history of the land distribution; and to stamp it with due importance, the names of the commissioners are repeated, as well as the spot where so memorable a transaction took place.
