1The lot of Simeon, 10of Zebulun, 17of Issachar, 24of Asher, 32of Naphtali, 40of Dan. 49The children of Israel give an inheritance to Joshua.
1AND the second lot 1came forth to Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families: and 2their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah.
1 Namely, out of the vessel into which they cast all the lots, and drew them out.
2 See Gen. 49:7, where Jacob foretells, that Simeon and Levi would be scattered in Israel, for the murder which they had committed in Shechem. The Levites were spread throughout the entire land, and the Simeonites were divided in Judah.
2And they had in their inheritance Beer-sheba, 3or Sheba, and Moladah,
3 Some have and, but others have or, that is. For, Sheba and Beer-sheba, according to the opinion of many, is one and the same city; therefore it is quite left out in 1 Chron. 4:28 where this history is again repeated, and below verse 6 there are no more than thirteen cities named.
3And Hazar-shual, and 4Balah, and Azem,
4 This city is called, 1 Chron. 4:29, Bilhah. There often happens some alteration or addition in the proper names of men, cities, and villages. Here in verse 4 it is Eltolad, which in 1 Chron. 4:29 it is called Tolad: and for Bethul, is put Bethuel: for Beth-lebaoth, verse 6 is put, 1 Chron. 4:31, Beth-birei. There are many such alterations, as would be too long and tedious always to mark them all. These changes and alterations have happened either through length of time, or for brevities’ sake, or for the readier and easier pronunciation.
4And Eltolad, and Bethul, and 5Hormah,
5 See the annotation on Judges 1:17.
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, 6Ramath of the south. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families.
6 Some perceive, that Baalath-beer and Ramath, are one and the same city.
97Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon: for the part of the children of Judah 8was too much for them: therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of them.
7 See the annotation on Joshua 15:32.
8 That is, it was larger than they had need of, or too large to be only inhabited by the tribe of Judah.
10¶And the third lot came up for the children of 9Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid:
9 Here the tribe of Zebulon is placed before the tribe of Issachar, notwithstanding that Issachar was older than Zebulon, as also Jacob in his last will, Gen. 49:13, 14 ordered it, and Moses likewise, Deut. 33:18.
11And their border went up 10toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that is before Jokneam;
10 Or, toward the west. Hebr. toward the sea.
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 11Gittah-hepher, to Ittah-kazin, and goeth out to 12Remmon-methoar to Neah;
11 Where the prophet Jonah was born, 2 Kings 14:25.
12 (-methoar) Other, which endeth at 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 13Beth-lehem: twelve cities with their villages.
13 This is not that Bethlehem where Christ was born, for that was situated in the tribe of Judah, and this was in the tribe of Zebulon, verse 10.
16This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.
17¶And 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 14Shunem,
14 This city was situated on the border of Issachar, and it is known by the hospitality which the prophet Elisha found there; and being birth-place to Abishag, who cherished king David in his old age, 1 Kings 1:3, 4.
19And Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath,
20And Rabbith, and Kishion, and Abez,
21And Remeth, and 15En-gannim, and En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez;
15 There is situated another En-gannim in the tribe of Judah, and still another at the Jordan.
22And the coast reacheth to Tabor, and Shahazimah, and 16Beth-shemesh; and the outgoings of their border were at Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages.
16 There were several cities in the land of Canaan, called Shemesh.
23This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages.
24¶And 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 17westward, and to 18Shihor-libnath;
17 Hebr. at the sea.
18 Some perceive that Libnath is a brook, otherwise called Belum, or Pagida.
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 19Cabul on the left hand,
19 Some take this for the name of a city, others perceive it to be the name of a region, wherein was situated the twenty cities which Solomon gave unto Hiram.
28And 20Hebron, and Rehob, and Hammon, and 21Kanah, even unto 22great Zidon;
20 This Hebron, written in Hebrew with an ain, is to be distinguished from the known Hebron situated in Judah, which is written with a cheth.
21 This is the great Kana, situated not far from Zidon, and the Galilee of the Gentiles. The little Kana was situated in the tribe of Zebulon, in the nether Galilee. Here Christ turned the water into wine, John 2:1; and here He healed the nobleman’s son, John 4:46.
22 This city is called great Zidon, not because there is also a little Zidon, but because of its excellence, fame, and riches.
29And then the coast turneth to Ramah, and to the strong city 23Tyre; and the coast turneth to Hosah; and the outgoings thereof are at the sea from the coast to Achzib:
23 Hebr. Tsor, and signifies a rock, because it was built upon a rock, and was situated as it were encompassed in the sea, and on the rocks. It belonged indeed unto the tribe of Asher, but the Gentiles kept it, as may appear, 2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Kings 5:1, 2 and elsewhere besides.
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.
32¶The 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 24Chinnereth,
24 Other, Gennesaret.
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.
40¶And 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 25Gibbethon, and Baalath,
25 When Nadab the son of Jeroboam besieged this city, he was slain by Baasha, 1 Kings 15:27.
45And Jehud, and Bene-berak, and Gath-rimmon,
46And Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border before 26Japho.
26 Other, Joppa, Acts 9:36. Here Jonah took ship for to sail to Tarshish, Jonah 1:3. Now it is called Jaffa.
47And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against 27Leshem, and took it, and smote it 28with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and 29called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.
27 Other, Laisch, or Laish as Judges 18, where this history is more amply rehearsed. And there it is said, that this was done when there was no king or Judge in Israel. Hence may be gathered that this book was not written by Joshua, for he could not write what happened after his death.
28 Hebr. with the mouth.
29 The meaning is: after they had taken the city of Leshem, they called it Dan, after the patriarch Dan, from whom they were descended. This city was seated at the foot of the hill Lebanon, in the valley of Rehob, where Jordan had its original source. When Philip the Tetrarch, the brother of Herod, at the time of the Emperor Tiberius, had re-built this city, and much enlarged it, he called it Cæsarea-Philippi, after the Emperor’s and his own name. Pliny testifies, that it was also called Paneas; and yet more lately Pelin. It is situated at the end of the land of Canaan, about 35,000 paces eastward from Sidon.
48This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.
49¶When 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 30Timnath-serah in mount Ephraim: and he built the city, and dwelt therein.
30 Otherwise called Timnath-heres, Judges 2:9. Here was buried that great commander Joshua, Joshua 24:30.
5131These 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.
31 This 51st verse is a general conclusion of all that was written, from the 14th chapter even to this place, concerning the division of the land of promise.