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Joshua 19

KJV · Chapter 19/24

1And 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.

2And they had in their inheritance Beer–sheba, Sheba, and Moladah,

3And Hazar–shual, and Balah, and Azem,

4And Eltolad, and Bethul, and Hormah,

5And Ziklag, and Beth–marcaboth, and Hazar–susah,

6And Beth–lebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities and their villages:

7Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages:

8And all the villages that were round about these cities to Baalath–beer, Ramath of the south. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families.

9Out 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.

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 toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that is before Jokneam;

12And turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrising unto the border of Chisloth–tabor, and then goeth out to Daberath, and goeth up to Japhia,

13And from thence passeth on along on the east to Gittah–hepher, to Ittah–kazin, and goeth out to Remmon–methoar to Neah;

14And the border compasseth it on the north side to Hannathon: and the outgoings thereof are in the valley of Jiphthah–el:

15And Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Beth–lehem: twelve cities with their villages.

16This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.

17And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families.

18And their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem,

19And Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath,

20And Rabbith, and Kishion, and Abez,

21And Remeth, and En–gannim, and En–haddah, and Beth–pazzez;

22And the coast reacheth to Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Beth–shemesh; and the outgoings of their border were at Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages.

23This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and 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 Alammelech, and Amad, and Misheal; and reacheth to Carmel westward, and to Shihor–libnath;

27And turneth toward the sunrising to Beth–dagon, and reacheth to Zebulun, and to the valley of Jiphthah–el toward the north side of Beth–emek, and Neiel, and goeth out to Cabul on the left hand,

28And Hebron, and Rehob, and Hammon, and Kanah, even unto great Zidon;

29And 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:

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 to the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families.

33And their coast was from Heleph, from Allon to Zaanannim, and Adami, Nekeb, and Jabneel, unto Lakum; and the outgoings thereof were at Jordan:

34And then the coast turneth westward to Aznoth–tabor, 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.

35And the fenced cities are 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 and their villages.

40And the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.

41And the coast of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Ir–shemesh,

42And Shaalabbin, and Ajalon, and Jethlah,

43And Elon, and Thimnathah, and Ekron,

44And Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath,

45And Jehud, and Bene–berak, and Gath–rimmon,

46And Me–jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border before Japho.

47And 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.

48This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.

49When 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:

50According to the word of the Lord they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnath–serah in mount 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 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.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The distribution of land continues for Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan. Joshua receives his own personal inheritance last.

Explanation

Simeon receives territory within Judah's portion, since Judah's inheritance was too large for a single tribe - a practical example of the balanced adjustment of resources among the people. Notably, Joshua, the leader who guided the entire conquest, receives his own land only last, after securing the inheritance of the whole people - a model of leadership that puts the common good ahead of personal interest. The tribe of Dan, whose original territory was small, had to conquer additional territory by migrating north, an episode detailed later in Judges 18.

Fun facts

  • The city given to Joshua, Timnath-serah, probably means 'remaining portion' or is linked to the root for 'abundance' - a fitting name for the final reward of one who served last.
  • The migration of the tribe of Dan to the north, mentioned only briefly here (v. 47), would become a full and disturbing story in Judges 17-18, involving idolatry.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Joshua 19:1The tribe of Simeon receives its inheritance from within Judah's territory, because the portion allotted to Judah was too large for one tribe to occupy alone. It's a rare example of one lot nested inside another, adjusting in practice what the drawing had decided.
  2. Joshua 19:2Simeon receives cities within Judah's territory, starting with Beer-sheba and Sheba.
  3. Joshua 19:3More cities continue Simeon's list, such as Hazar-shual and Balah.
  4. Joshua 19:4Hormah is the same city where Israel had defeated the Canaanites decades earlier, in Numbers 21. Simeon receives cities from within Judah's own territory, since it was too large.
  5. Joshua 19:5Ziklag, a city that will later mark David's story, appears here as part of Simeon's territory.
  6. Joshua 19:6This group of Simeon's cities closes with thirteen cities and their villages.
  7. Joshua 19:7A smaller second group of four cities completes Simeon's list.
  8. Joshua 19:8Simeon's inheritance also includes all the villages around these cities, as far as Baalath-beer, in the far south.
  9. Joshua 19:9The reason Simeon ends up within Judah's territory is practical: Judah had received more land than the tribe's size warranted, so part of it was passed on to Simeon.
  10. Joshua 19:10The third lot drawn goes to Zebulun, with the border starting at Sarid.
  11. Joshua 19:11Zebulun's border climbs west to Maralah and Dabbasheth, reaching the river near Jokneam.
  12. Joshua 19:12From Sarid, the line turns east, passes by Chisloth-tabor and Daberath, and climbs to Japhia.
  13. Joshua 19:13It continues east to Gittah-hepher and Ittah-kazin, ending at Remmon-methoar, also called Neah.
  14. Joshua 19:14The border turns north to Hannathon, ending at the valley of Jiphthah-el.
  15. Joshua 19:15More cities complete Zebulun's list, including Bethlehem — a different Bethlehem from the city of Judah made famous later in David's story.
  16. Joshua 19:16This is the summary of Zebulun's inheritance, with its cities and villages.
  17. Joshua 19:17This is the fourth of the twelve lots drawn — after Judah, Simeon, and Zebulun — to decide which piece of the promised land each tribe would receive.
  18. Joshua 19:18This Jezreel is the most famous one in the Bible — it gives its name to the great valley between Galilee and Samaria, the site of several major battles in Israel's history.
  19. Joshua 19:19More cities join Issachar's list, such as Hapharaim and Shion.
  20. Joshua 19:20More cities complete Issachar's territory, adding up to sixteen cities in all — a tribe whose land sat right in the fertile heart of the Jezreel Valley.
  21. Joshua 19:21Remeth, En-gannim, and other cities complete another part of Issachar's territory.
  22. Joshua 19:22Issachar's border reaches Mount Tabor and ends near the Jordan, with sixteen cities in total.
  23. Joshua 19:23This summary closes out Issachar's territory — sixteen cities in all, the fourth of the twelve lots drawn by Joshua and Eleazar at Shiloh.
  24. Joshua 19:24This is the fifth of the twelve lots drawn to divide the land — Asher's territory lay along the northern coastal strip, near Tyre and Sidon.
  25. Joshua 19:25Asher's territory begins with Helkath, Hali, Beten, and Achshaph.
  26. Joshua 19:26Asher's border climbs to Mount Carmel, on the coast — the same mountain where Elijah would later challenge the prophets of Baal.
  27. Joshua 19:27The line turns back east, passing by Beth-dagon and the valley of Jiphthah-el, reaching near Cabul.
  28. Joshua 19:28Asher's border extends near great Sidon, an important Phoenician city.
  29. Joshua 19:29The line passes by Ramah and reaches near the fortified city of Tyre, ending at the sea, near Achzib.
  30. Joshua 19:30More cities close out Asher's list, totaling twenty-two cities with their villages.
  31. Joshua 19:31This summary closes Asher's territory — twenty-two cities in all, the fifth of the twelve lots drawn by Joshua and Eleazar at Shiloh.
  32. Joshua 19:32This is the sixth of the twelve lots drawn — Naphtali's territory lay in Galilee, a region that centuries later would become the center of Jesus's ministry.
  33. Joshua 19:33Naphtali's border begins at Heleph and runs to Jabneel, ending at the Jordan.
  34. Joshua 19:34The line turns west to Aznoth-tabor, bordering Zebulun to the south, Asher to the west, and Judah across the Jordan to the east.
  35. Joshua 19:35Naphtali's fortified cities include Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth, on the shore of the lake that bears that name.
  36. Joshua 19:36More cities complete the list, including Hazor, already well known from the great battle in the north.
  37. Joshua 19:37Kedesh, mentioned here, is one of Israel's six cities of refuge — a place where someone who killed by accident could take shelter from the victim's family seeking revenge.
  38. Joshua 19:38Naphtali's territory closes with nineteen cities in all, including Beth-shemesh.
  39. Joshua 19:39This summary closes Naphtali's territory — nineteen cities in all, the sixth of the twelve lots drawn by Joshua and Eleazar at Shiloh.
  40. Joshua 19:40This is the seventh and last of the twelve lots drawn — but Dan's territory would prove too small, and the tribe would have to conquer new land farther north.
  41. Joshua 19:41Dan's initial territory includes Zorah and Eshtaol, cities that later appear in the story of Samson.
  42. Joshua 19:42Aijalon is the same valley where, in chapter 10, Joshua asked the sun to stand still during the battle against the five Amorite kings.
  43. Joshua 19:43Elon, Timnathah, and Ekron also fall within the territory assigned to Dan.
  44. Joshua 19:44Eltekeh and Gibbethon reappear later, in chapter 21, as two of the cities the tribe of Dan hands over to the Kohathite Levites.
  45. Joshua 19:45Jehud, Bene-berak, and Gath-rimmon complete another part of Dan's list.
  46. Joshua 19:46Dan's territory reaches near Joppa, an important port city on the Mediterranean coast.
  47. Joshua 19:47The tribe of Dan receives a territory too small and cannot drive out the region's inhabitants, so it moves north, conquers the city of Leshem, and renames it Dan. This same episode, told in more detail, comes up again much later in the book of Judges.
  48. Joshua 19:48This is the summary of Dan's inheritance, even though it was too small for the tribe's size.
  49. Joshua 19:49After finishing the division of the whole land among the tribes, the people set aside a special portion for Joshua himself.
  50. Joshua 19:50After dividing the whole land among the tribes, only then does Joshua receive his own city, Timnath-serah, as a personal inheritance. The leader who organized the drawing of lots for everyone else is the last to receive his own share.
  51. Joshua 19:51The chapter closes by naming who oversaw the whole division — Eleazar, Joshua, and the family leaders — carried out by lot before God, at Shiloh.

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