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Joshua 19:1-51 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

1 And the second lot came forth to Simeon, 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 Beer-sheba, and 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 and their hamlets;

7 Ain, Rimmon, and Ether, and Ashan: four cities and their hamlets;

8 and all the hamlets that are round these cities to Baalath-beer, [that is] Ramah of the south. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families.

9 Out of the lot of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon; for the portion of the children of Judah was too great for them, and the children of Simeon inherited within their inheritance.

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 westwards, and [to] Marealah, and reached to Dabbesheth, and reached to the torrent that is before Jokneam;

12 and turned from Sarid eastward, toward the sun-rising, to the border of Chisloth-Tabor, and went out to Dabrath, and went up to Japhia;

13 and from thence it passed eastward toward the sun-rising to Gath-Hepher, to Eth-kazin, and went out to Rimmon which reaches to Neah;

14 and the border turned round it northwards to Hannathon: and ended in the valley of Jiphthah-el; ...

15 and Kattath, and Nahalal, and Shimron, and Jidalah, and Beth-lehem: twelve cities and their hamlets.

16 This was the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities and their hamlets.

17 The fourth lot came forth to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families.

18 And their territory was toward Jizreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem,

19 and Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath,

20 and Rabbith, and Kishion, and Ebez,

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

22 and the border reached to Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Beth-shemesh; and their border ended at the Jordan: sixteen cities and their hamlets.

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

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

25 And their territory was Helkath, and Hali, and Beten, and Acshaph,

26 and Allammelech, and Amead, and Mishal; and [the border] reached to Carmel westwards, and to Shihor-libnath,

27 and turned towards the sun-rising to Beth-Dagon, and reached to Zebulun, and to the valley of Jiphthah-el northward [to] Beth-emek and Neiel, and went out to Cabul on the left,

28 and Ebron, and Rehob, and Hammon, and Kanah, as far as great Zidon;

29 and the border turned to Ramah, and as far as the fortified city of Tyre; and the border turned to Hosah; and ended at the sea by the tract of country of Achzib;

30 and Ummah, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty-two cities and their hamlets.

31 This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities and their hamlets.

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

33 And their border was from Heleph, from the oak of Zaanannim; and Adami-nekeb and Jabneel to Lakkum; and ended at the Jordan;

34 and the border turned westwards to Aznoth-Tabor, and went out from thence to Hukkok, and reached to Zebulun on the south, and reached to Asher on the west, and to Judah upon Jordan towards the sun-rising.

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 Jiron, and Migdal-el, Horem, and Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh: nineteen cities and their hamlets.

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

40 The seventh lot came forth for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.

41 And the territory of their inheritance was Zoreah, and Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh,

42 and Shaalabbin, and Ajalon, and Jithlah,

43 and Elon, and Timnathah, and Ekron,

44 and El-tekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath,

45 and Jehud, and Beneberak, and Gath-Rimmon,

46 and Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border over against Japho.

47 And the border of the children of Dan ended with these; and the children of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and took possession of it, and dwelt in it, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.

48 This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities and their hamlets.

49 And they ended dividing the land for inheritance according to its borders. And the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them.

50 According to the word of Jehovah they gave him the city that he asked, Timnath-serah in the hill-country of Ephraim; and he built the city, and dwelt in it.

51 These were the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed by lot in Shiloh before Jehovah, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And they ended dividing the land.

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Joshua 19

Commentary on Joshua 19 Matthew Henry Commentary

John Gill   Keil & Delitzsch   Robert Jamieson: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible  

Chapter 19

In the description of the lots of Judah and Benjamin we have an account both of the borders that surrounded them and of the cities contained in them. In that of Ephraim and Manasseh we have the borders, but not the cities; in this chapter Simeon and Dan are described by their cities only, and not their borders, because they lay very much within Judah, especially the former; the rest have both their borders described and their cities names, especially frontiers. Here is,

Jos 19:1-9

Simeon's lot was drawn after Judah's, Joseph's, and Benjamin's, because Jacob had put that tribe under disgrace; yet it is put before the two younger sons of Leah and the three sons of the handmaids. Not one person of note, neither judge nor prophet, was of this tribe, that we know of.

  • I. The situation of their lot was within that of Judah (v. 1) and was taken from it, v. 9. It seems, those that first surveyed the land thought it larger than it was, and that it would have held out to give every tribe in proportion as large a share as they had carved out for Judah; but, upon a more strict enquiry, it was found that it would not reach (v. 9): The part of the children of Judah was too much for them, more than they needed, and more, as it proved, than fell to their share. Yet God did not by the lot lessen it, but left it to their prudence and care afterwards to discover and rectify the mistake, which when they did,
    • 1. The men of Judah did not oppose the taking away of the cities again, which by the first distribution fell within their border, when they were convinced that they had more than their proportion. In all such cases errors must be excepted and a review admitted if there be occasion. Though, in strictness, what fell to their lot was their right against all the world, yet they would not insist upon it when it appeared that another tribe would want what they had to spare. Note, We must look on the things of others, and not on our own only. The abundance of some must supply the wants of others, that there may be somewhat of an equality, for which there may be equity where there is not law.
    • 2. That which was thus taken off from Judah to be put into a new lot Providence directed to the tribe of Simeon, that Jacob's prophecy concerning this tribe might be fulfilled, I will divide them in Jacob. The cities of Simeon were scattered in Judah, with which tribe they were surrounded, except on that side towards the sea. This brought them into a confederacy with the tribe of Judah (Jdg. 1:3), and afterwards was a happy occasion of the adherence of many of this tribe to the house of David, at the time of the revolt of the ten tribes to Jeroboam. 2 Chr. 15:9, out of Simeon they fell to Asa in abundance. It is good being in a good neighbourhood.
  • II. The cities within their lot are here named. Beersheba, or Sheba, for these names seem to refer to the same place, is put first. Ziklag, which we read of in David's story, is one of them. What course they took to enlarge their borders and make room for themselves we find 1 Chr. 4:39, etc.

Jos 19:10-16

This is the lot of Zebulun, who, though born of Leah after Issachar, yet was blessed by Jacob and Moses before him; and therefore it was so ordered that his lot was drawn before that of Issachar, north of which it lay and south of Asher.

  • 1. The lot of this tribe was washed by the great sea on the west, and by the sea of Tiberias on the east, answering Jacob's prophecy (Gen. 49:13), Zebulun shall be a haven of ships, trading ships on the great sea and fishing ships on the sea of Galilee.
  • 2. Though there were some places in this tribe which were made famous in the Old Testament, especially Mount Carmel, on which the famous trial was between God and Baal in Elijah's time, yet it was made much more illustrious in the New Testament; for within the lot of this tribe was Nazareth, where our blessed Saviour spent so much of his time on earth, and from which he was called Jesus of Nazareth, and Mount Tabor on which he was transfigured, and that coast of the sea of Galilee on which Christ preached so many sermons and wrought so many miracles.

Jos 19:17-23

The lot of Issachar ran from Jordan in the east to the great sea in the west, Manasseh on the south, and Zebulun on the north. A numerous tribe, Num. 26:25. Tola, one of the judges, was of this tribe, Jdg. 10:1. So was Baasha, one of the kings of Israel, 1 Ki. 15:27. The most considerable places in this tribe were,

  • 1. Jezreel, in which was Ahab's palace, and near it Naboth's vineyard.
  • 2. Shunem, where lived that good Shunamite that entertained Elisha.
  • 3. The river Kishon, on the banks of which, in this tribe, Sisera was beaten by Deborah and Barak.
  • 4. The mountains of Gilboa, on which Saul and Jonathan were slain, which were not far from Endor, where Saul consulted the witch.
  • 5. The valley of Megiddo, where Josiah was slain near Hadad-rimmon, 2 Ki. 23:29; Zec. 12:11.

Jos 19:24-31

The lot of Asher lay upon the coast of the great sea. We read not of any famous person of this tribe but Anna the prophetess, who was a constant resident in the temple at the time of our Saviour's birth, Lu. 2:36. Nor were there many famous places in this tribe. Aphek (mentioned v. 30) was the place near which Benhadad was beaten by Ahad, 1 Ki. 20:30. But close adjoining to this tribe were the celebrated sea-port towns of Tyre and Sidon, which we read so much of. Tyre is called here that strong city (v. 29), but Bishop Patrick thinks it was not the same Tyre that we read of afterwards, for that was built on an island; this old strong city was on the continent. And it is conjectured by some that into these two strong-holds, Sidon and Tzor, or Tyre, many of the people of Canaan fled and took shelter when Joshua invaded them.

Jos 19:32-39

Naphtali lay furthest north of all the tribes, bordering on Mount Libanus. The city of Leshem, or Liash, lay on the utmost edge of it to the north, and therefore when the Danites had made themselves masters of it, and called it Dan, the length of Canaan from north to south was reckoned from Dan to Beersheba. It had Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west, and Judah upon Jordan, probably a city of that name, and so distinguished from the tribe of Judah on the east. It was in the lot of this tribe, near the waters of Merom, that Joshua fought and routed Jabin, ch. 11:1, etc. In this tribe stood Capernaum and Bethsaida, on the north end of the sea of Tiberias, in which Christ did so many mighty works; and the mountain (as is supposed) on which Christ preached, Mt. 5:1.

Jos 19:40-48

Dan, though commander of one of the four squadrons of the camp of Israel, in the wilderness, that which brought up the rear, yet was last provided for in Canaan, and his lot fell in the southern part of Canaan, between Judah on the east and the land of the Philistines on the west, Ephraim on the north and Simeon on the south. Providence ordered this numerous and powerful tribe into a post of danger, as best able to deal with those vexatious neighbours the Philistines, and so it was found in Samson. Here is an account,

  • 1. Of what fell to this tribe by lot, Zorah, and Eshtaol, and the camp of Dan thereabouts, of which we read in the story of Samson. And near there was the valley of Eshcol, whence the spies brought the famous bunch of grapes. Japho, or Joppa was in this lot.
  • 2. Of what they got by their own industry and valour, which is mentioned here (v. 47), but related at large, Jdg. 18:7, etc.

Jos 19:49-51

Before this account of the dividing of the land is solemnly closed up, in the last verse, which intimates that the thing was done to the satisfaction of all, here is an account of the particular inheritance assigned to Joshua.

  • 1. He was last served, though the eldest and greatest man of all Israel, and who, having commanded in the conquest of Canaan, might have demanded the first settlement in it for himself and his family. But he would make it to appear that in all he did he sought the good of his country, and not any private interest of his own. He was content to be unfixed till he saw them all settled; and herein is a great example to all in public places to prefer the common welfare before their particular satisfaction. Let the public be first served.
  • 2. He had his lot according to the word of the Lord. It is probable that, when God by Moses told Caleb what inheritance he should have (ch. 14:9), he gave the like promise to Joshua, which he had an eye to in making his election: this made his portion doubly pleasant, that he had it, not as the rest by common providence, but by special promise.
  • 3. He chose it in Mount Ephraim, which belonged to his own tribe, with which he thereby put himself in common, when he might by prerogative have chosen his inheritance in some other tribe, as suppose that of Judah, and thereby have distinguished himself from them. Let no man's preferment or honour make him ashamed of his family or country, or estrange him from it. The tabernacle was set up in the lot of Ephraim, and Joshua would forecast not to be far from that.
  • 4. The children of Israel are said to give it to him (v. 49), which bespeaks his humility, that he would not take it to himself without the people's consent and approbation, as if he would thereby own himself, though major singulis-greater than any one, yet minor universis-less than the whole assemblage, and would hold even the estate of his family, under God, by the grant of the people.
  • 5. It was a city that must be built before it was fit to be dwelt in. While others dwelt in houses which they built not, Joshua must erect for himself (that he might be a pattern of industry and contentment with mean things) such buildings as he could hastily run up, without curiosity or magnificence. Our Lord Jesus thus came and dwelt among us, not in pomp but poverty, providing rest for us, yet himself not having where to lay his head. Even Christ pleased not himself.