Joshua 19

The second lot came out for Simeon, for the family groups of the tribe of Simeon. Their share of land lay inside the land already given to Judah.

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.

NoteA "lot" was a physical object (a marked stone, stick or potsherd) shaken or drawn from a container to settle a question by a result no person controlled. Land was assigned this way so that no tribe could claim it had bargained for its share. This is the second lot of seven drawn at Shiloh (chapters 18–19); Benjamin drew the first. Judah, Ephraim and Manasseh had already been given land earlier, in a separate distribution. The word the King James translates "inheritance" means a permanent family holding, land that stays with a clan and passes to its descendants rather than being bought and sold freely.

2Their land included the towns of Beersheba, Sheba, and Moladah,

2And they had in their inheritance Beersheba, and Sheba, and Moladah,

NoteBeersheba was the best-known town of the far south; the standard phrase for the whole length of the country was "from Dan to Beersheba." The Hebrew here can be read either as two separate towns, Beersheba and Sheba, or as one town under two forms of its name ("Beersheba, that is, Sheba"), which is why translations differ.

3Hazar-shual, Balah, and Ezem,

3And Hazarshual, and Balah, and Azem,

4Eltolad, Bethul, and Hormah,

4And Eltolad, and Bethul, and Hormah,

5Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah,

5And Ziklag, and Bethmarcaboth, and Hazarsusah,

6Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen. That is thirteen towns, along with the smaller settlements around them.

6And Bethlebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities and their villages:

NoteThe count and the list do not match: fourteen names are given in verses 2–6, but the total says thirteen. This is one reason many read "Beersheba, or Sheba" in verse 2 as a single place. Ancient town lists often carry small mismatches of this kind between the names and the summary figure.

7They also had Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan: four towns, along with the smaller settlements around them.

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

8They also had all the settlements around these towns, as far as Baalath-beer, which is also called Ramah in the southern desert. This was the land given to the family groups of the tribe of Simeon.

8And 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.

Note"Ramath of the south" translates *Ramath-negeb*. The Negev is the dry country south of the settled hill land, semi-desert grazing land rather than sand desert. In Hebrew "the Negev" also came to mean simply "the south," which is how the King James renders it.

9Simeon's land was taken out of Judah's portion, because Judah's share was larger than that tribe needed. So the people of Simeon received their land inside Judah's land.

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.

Note"Too much for them" means Judah had drawn more land than that tribe could occupy or needed, not that anything was wrong with the allotment. The practical result is that Simeon had no separate block of territory at all; its towns sat scattered inside Judah's, and over time Simeon was largely absorbed into Judah.

10The third lot came up for the family groups of the tribe of Zebulun. The border of their land reached as far as Sarid.

10And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid:

11Their border went west toward Maralah, touched Dabbesheth, and reached the brook that runs east of Jokneam.

11And their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that is before Jokneam;

NoteThe Hebrew says the border went "toward the sea", the Mediterranean lay to the west, so "seaward" simply meant west. Hebrew compass directions are described from the standpoint of a person facing the sunrise: ahead is east, behind is west, left is north, right is south.

12From Sarid the border turned east, toward the sunrise, to the border of Chisloth-tabor. Then it went out to Daberath and up to Japhia.

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

Note"Eastward toward the sunrising" is the Hebrew's ordinary way of saying east, the direction a person faces when orienting themselves.

13From there it passed east to Gath-hepher and Eth-kazin, and it went out to Rimmon and curved around toward Neah.

13And from thence passeth on along on the east to Gittahhepher, to Ittahkazin, and goeth out to Remmonmethoar to Neah;

14The border went around Neah on the north side to Hannathon, and it ended at the Valley of Iphtah-el.

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

15The land also included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve towns, along with the smaller settlements around them.

15And Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages.

NoteThe total counts all the settled places named in Zebulun's section, including ones mentioned as border points in the preceding verses, not only the five listed in this verse.

16This was the land given to the family groups of the tribe of Zebulun, these towns and the settlements around them.

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, for the family groups of that tribe.

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

18Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, and Shunem,

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

NoteJezreel gave its name to the broad fertile valley cutting across northern Israel between the hill country of Samaria and Galilee, the best farmland in the country and the natural route for armies crossing it.

19Hapharaim, Shion, and Anaharath,

19And Haphraim, and Shihon, and Anaharath,

20Rabbith, Kishion, and Ebez,

20And Rabbith, and Kishion, and Abez,

21Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez.

21And Remeth, and Engannim, and Enhaddah, and Bethpazzez;

22Their border reached Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, and it ended at the Jordan River. That is sixteen towns, along with the smaller settlements around them.

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

NoteTabor is Mount Tabor, a steep isolated dome rising out of the Jezreel valley, visible for miles and therefore a natural boundary marker where several tribal territories met.

23This was the land given to the family groups of the tribe of Issachar, the towns and the settlements around them.

23This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages.

24The fifth lot came out for the family groups of the tribe of Asher.

24And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families.

25Their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, and Achshaph,

25And their border was Helkath, and Hali, and Beten, and Achshaph,

26Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. On the west the border reached Carmel and Shihor-libnath.

26And Alammelech, and Amad, and Misheal; and reacheth to Carmel westward, and to Shihorlibnath;

NoteCarmel is Mount Carmel, the wooded ridge that runs down to the Mediterranean coast near modern Haifa, forming the southern edge of Asher's territory.

27Then it turned east toward Beth-dagon and reached Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah-el. It went north to Beth-emek and Neiel, and passed Cabul on the left, which is the north.

27And 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,

Note"On the left hand" means on the north. Facing east, as Hebrew direction-words assume, the left hand points north.

28It went on to Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, as far as the great city of Sidon.

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

NoteSidon was a major Phoenician seaport on the coast of what is now Lebanon, outside Israelite control. "Great Sidon" distinguishes the city proper from the smaller settlements dependent on it; Asher's border ran up to it but did not include it.

29Then the border turned back toward Ramah and to the walled city of Tyre. It turned toward Hosah and ended at the Mediterranean Sea, in the area around Achzib.

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:

NoteTyre was the other great Phoenician port, its main city built on an offshore island and famously hard to attack, which is what the King James "strong city" means, fortified. "The sea" here is the Mediterranean, the western edge of the land.

30It also included Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob: twenty-two towns, along with the smaller settlements around them.

30Ummah also, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty and two cities with their villages.

NoteAs with the other tribes, the summary figure does not match the number of names actually listed in Asher's section. Such lists were copied and recopied over centuries, and the totals and names drifted apart.

31This was the land given to the family groups of the tribe of Asher, these towns and the settlements around them.

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 Naphtali, for the family groups of that tribe.

32The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families.

33Their border started at Heleph and at the great tree in Zaanannim, and went on past Adami-nekeb and Jabneel as far as Lakkum. It ended at the Jordan River.

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

NoteThe "great tree of Zaanannim" (the King James reads it as a place name, Allon) was a single large oak or terebinth used as a survey landmark. Prominent trees were standard boundary markers, and the same tree appears again in the story of Sisera's death in Judges 4.

34Then the border turned west to Aznoth-tabor and went from there to Hukkok. It touched Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west, and Judah at the Jordan River on the east.

34And 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.

NoteThe mention of Judah at the Jordan is puzzling, since Judah's territory lay far to the south. The Hebrew has long been recognized as difficult here; some take it as a reference to a place or clan of that name in the north, and some think a word has dropped out in copying. Translations leave the oddity standing rather than smoothing it away.

35Their walled towns were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth,

35And the fenced cities are Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth,

Note"Fenced" in 1611 English meant fortified, surrounded by a defensive wall, as against an unwalled village. Chinnereth stood on the northwest shore of the lake that took its name from it; the same lake is later called the Sea of Galilee.

36Adamah, Ramah, and Hazor,

36And Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor,

37Kedesh, Edrei, and En-hazor,

37And Kedesh, and Edrei, and Enhazor,

38Iron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh: nineteen towns, along with the smaller settlements around them.

38And Iron, and Migdalel, Horem, and Bethanath, and Bethshemesh; nineteen cities with their villages.

NoteSeveral of these names are Canaanite ones that the Israelites kept in use. Beth-shemesh means "house of the sun" and Beth-anath "house of Anath," a Canaanite goddess, the towns were named for the gods worshiped there before Israel arrived, and the names stuck.

39This was the land given to the family groups of the tribe of Naphtali, the towns and the settlements around them.

39This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities and their villages.

40The seventh lot came out for the family groups of the tribe of Dan.

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

41The territory they were given included Zorah, Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh,

41And the coast of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Irshemesh,

42Shaalabbin, Aijalon, and Ithlah,

42And Shaalabbin, and Ajalon, and Jethlah,

43Elon, Timnah, and Ekron,

43And Elon, and Thimnathah, and Ekron,

NoteEkron was one of the five chief Philistine cities. It is listed here as within Dan's allotted boundaries, but Dan never held it; the list describes what was assigned, not what was occupied.

44Eltekeh, Gibbethon, and Baalath,

44And Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath,

45Jehud, Bene-berak, and Gath-rimmon,

45And Jehud, and Beneberak, and Gathrimmon,

46Me-jarkon and Rakkon, together with the land across from Joppa.

46And Mejarkon, and Rakkon, with the border before Japho.

NoteJoppa (Hebrew *Japho*, modern Jaffa, now part of Tel Aviv) was the only natural harbor on this stretch of coast. The text says Dan's border ran opposite Joppa, not that Dan possessed the port.

47The land given to the people of Dan turned out to be too small for them. So they went up and fought against the city of Leshem. They captured it, killed its people with the sword, took it over, and settled there. They renamed Leshem after Dan, their ancestor.

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.

NoteThe Hebrew of the first clause is awkward and can be read two ways: that Dan's territory proved too small for them, or that the territory "went out from them": that they were squeezed out of it by the Amorites and Philistines already living there. Some ancient versions read it the second way. Leshem is called Laish in Judges 18, which tells the same migration at length: the tribe gave up on its allotment in the south and seized a town far to the north instead. "Smote it with the edge of the sword" is the standard formula for taking a town by storm and killing its inhabitants. Renaming the captured town Dan is why the phrase for the whole country's length became "from Dan to Beersheba."

48This was the land given to the family groups of the tribe of Dan, these towns and the settlements around them.

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

49When they had finished dividing the land into its separate territories, the people of Israel gave Joshua son of Nun a share of land among them.

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:

50As the LORD had commanded, they gave him the city he asked for, Timnath-serah, in the hill country of Ephraim. He rebuilt the city and lived there.

50According 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.

NoteJoshua, who oversaw the whole distribution, receives his own share last and only after everyone else has been provided for. "He built the city" means he rebuilt or fortified an existing site rather than founding a new one. Timnath-serah lay in the hill country north of Jerusalem allotted to Ephraim, Joshua's own tribe.

51These are the shares of land that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the family leaders of the tribes of Israel handed out by lot at Shiloh, in front of the LORD, at the entrance of the tent where the people met with God. So they finished dividing up the land.

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.

NoteEleazar was Aaron's son and chief priest; the priest was involved because the lot was cast at the sanctuary and its result was treated as a decision given by God rather than by the men present. Shiloh was where the portable sanctuary had been set up (chapter 18), and it served as Israel's central shrine for generations before Jerusalem. The "tabernacle of the congregation," better rendered "tent of meeting," was that portable tent-shrine, carried since the time at Sinai. The "heads of the fathers" were the senior men of each extended family, who spoke for their clans in matters of land.