Joshua 19:6

19:1-9 The men of Judah did not oppose taking away the cities within their border, when convinced that they had more than was right. If a true believer has obtained an unintended and improper advantage in any thing, he will give it up without murmuring. Love seeketh not her own, and doth not behave unseemly; it will induce those in whom it richly dwells, to part with their own to supply what is lacking to their brethren.

And Bethlebaoth, and Sharuhen,.... Whether the first is the same with Lebaoth, a city of Judah, Joshua 15:32 ; and with the Bethleptepha of Josephus (b), and the Betholene of Pliny (c), is not certain: in this place secret to have been an idol temple of the Canaanites, dedicated to lions, as in Egypt there was a city called Leontopolis, from whence was the Leontopolitan nome, the inhabitants of which worshipped lions (d); and the Egyptians had temples dedicated to them, as Aelianus (e) relates. Both these places are thought to be the same with Bethbirei and Shaaraim in 1 Chronicles 4:31 ; of the latter of which see Joshua 15:36 . Those who take Sheba, Joshua 19:2 , to be the same with Shema, Joshua 15:26 , make but one city here, and take away the last, as the Greek version does, and render the word "and their fields", and so the number still is as follows: thirteen cities and their villages; the sum total of those enumerated above. (b) De Jud. Bell. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 1.((c) Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 14. (d) Strabo. Geograph. l. 17. p. 559. (e) De Animal. l. 12. c. 7.

CHAPTER 19 Jos 19:1-9. The Lot of Simeon. 1. 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 (Jos 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 (Ge 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 (Jos 19:2-6), gives the idea of a compact district, as it is usually represented by map makers, the other group (Jos 19:7, 8) were situated, two in the south, and two elsewhere, with tracts of the country around them.

Beersheba: see at Joshua 15:28 . Sheba is wanting in the Chronicles, but has no doubt been omitted through a copyist's error, as Shema answers to it in Joshua 15:26 , where it stands before Moladah just as Sheba does here. - On the names in Joshua 19:3-6 , see the exposition of Joshua 15:28-32 . - The sum total given in Joshua 19:6 , viz., thirteen towns, does not tally, as there are fourteen names. On these differences, see the remarks on Joshua 15:32 .

( 1 Chronicles 6:56-61 ). The cities of the Gershonites; cf. Joshua 21:27-33 . "To the sons of Gershon (they gave) out of the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan and Ashtaroth;" see on Joshua 21:27 . In 1 Chronicles 6:72 , קדשׁ is a mistake for קשׁיון, Joshua 21:28 (see on Joshua 19:20 ); in 1 Chronicles 6:73 , ראמות for the more correct ירמות, Joshua 21:29 , a city which was also called רמת, Joshua 19:21 , or had been so called originally; and ענם for עין־גּנּים (Josh.), as the city is called also in Joshua 19:21 . It cannot be determined whether ענם is a transcriber's error, or another name for עין־גּנּים. In 1 Chronicles 6:74 , משׁל (which should perhaps be pointed משׁל) is a contracted form of משׁאל, Joshua 31:30 ; Joshua 19:26 ; and in 1 Chronicles 6:75 , חוּקק is probably an error for חלקת, Joshua 21:31 ; Joshua 19:25 , occasioned by its being confounded with חקּק in the tribe of Naphtali, Joshua 19:34 . In 1 Chronicles 6:76 the fact that Kadesh was a city of refuge is not mentioned, as it is in Joshua 21:32 . חמּון is a shortened form of חמּות־דּאר, Joshua 21:32 ; for this city is called in Joshua 19:35 חמּת, from the warm springs in the neighbourhood. Finally, Kirjathaim is contracted in Joshua 21:32 into קרתּן.

( 1 Chronicles 6:56-61 ). The cities of the Gershonites; cf. Joshua 21:27-33 . "To the sons of Gershon (they gave) out of the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan and Ashtaroth;" see on Joshua 21:27 . In 1 Chronicles 6:72 , קדשׁ is a mistake for קשׁיון, Joshua 21:28 (see on Joshua 19:20 ); in 1 Chronicles 6:73 , ראמות for the more correct ירמות, Joshua 21:29 , a city which was also called רמת, Joshua 19:21 , or had been so called originally; and ענם for עין־גּנּים (Josh.), as the city is called also in Joshua 19:21 . It cannot be determined whether ענם is a transcriber's error, or another name for עין־גּנּים. In 1 Chronicles 6:74 , משׁל (which should perhaps be pointed משׁל) is a contracted form of משׁאל, Joshua 31:30 ; Joshua 19:26 ; and in 1 Chronicles 6:75 , חוּקק is probably an error for חלקת, Joshua 21:31 ; Joshua 19:25 , occasioned by its being confounded with חקּק in the tribe of Naphtali, Joshua 19:34 . In 1 Chronicles 6:76 the fact that Kadesh was a city of refuge is not mentioned, as it is in Joshua 21:32 . חמּון is a shortened form of חמּות־דּאר, Joshua 21:32 ; for this city is called in Joshua 19:35 חמּת, from the warm springs in the neighbourhood. Finally, Kirjathaim is contracted in Joshua 21:32 into קרתּן.

22. So Joshua took both Eleazar and the senate, and with them the heads of the tribes, and distributed the land to the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, appointing the dimensions to be according to the largeness of each tribe. So when he had cast lots, Judah had assigned him by lot the upper part of Judea, reaching as far as Jerusalem, and its breadth extended to the Lake of Sodom. Now in the lot of this tribe there were the cities of Askelon and Gaza. The lot of Simeon, which was the second, included that part of Idumea which bordered upon Egypt and Arabia. As to the Benjamites, their lot fell so, that its length reached from the river Jordan to the sea, but in breadth it was bounded by Jerusalem and Bethel; and this lot was the narrowest of all, by reason of the goodness of the land, for it included Jericho and the city of Jerusalem. The tribe of Ephraim had by lot the land that extended in length from the river Jordan to Gezer; but in breadth as far as from Bethel, till it ended at the Great Plain. The half-tribe of Manasseh had the land from Jordan to the city of Dora; but its breadth was at Bethsham, which is now called Scythopolis. And after these was Issachar, which had its limits in length, Mount Carmel and the river, but its limit in breadth was Mount Tabor. The tribe of Zebulon's lot included the land which lay as far as the Lake of Genesareth, and that which belonged to Carmel and the sea