New · FreePlay The Witnesses The in-depth puzzle battle quest through Bible history

The Remaining Tribes and Joshua Receive Land

Joshua 19

The big picture

The division at Shiloh, Israel's worship centre, continues after the tribe of Benjamin receives its share. Israel, the nation settling the land, now assigns portions to its remaining tribes. Some receive land inside an earlier, larger share; others receive named boundaries and towns farther north. Dan, one tribal group, also gains a city through a separate attack. Joshua, the leader supervising the process, receives his own town after the other inheritances have been arranged.

In this chapter

Central truth

The last tribes receive their shares of land, then Joshua is given a town to build and live in himself.

Joshua 19: The Remaining Tribes and Joshua Receive Land
Chapter sceneJoshua 19

Scripture beside the summary

Joshua · King James Version · 51

Joshua 19:1-9

Simeon's Share Comes from Judah's Large Portion

Simeon receives towns inside Judah's land. The reason is the size of Judah's share: it is more than that tribe needs. Two groups of towns are listed, with the villages around them. This gives Simeon's families named places to live. They do not receive a vague right to settle wherever they choose within Judah. Part of an earlier gift now makes room for another tribe. The list of towns shows which ground changes hands as the wider division of land moves toward its end.

Joshua 19:1-9: Simeon's Share Comes from Judah's Large Portion
Chapter sceneJoshua 19

In everyday life

A communal-kitchen cook opens the oversized flour delivery assigned to one baking team. Another team has none. She measures some into their bins and marks the change on the board. The first division leaves room for a fair adjustment. Simeon's inheritance is land for generations, not supplies for one day's baking.

Notice

Joshua 19:9 Judah has more land than it needs. That is why Simeon receives ground inside its borders, rather than being left without a home.

Joshua 19:1-9

King James Version

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, or 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.

Joshua 19:10-23

Zebulun and Issachar Receive Their Towns

Zebulun receives the third share in this set. Its border turns past named towns and reaches streams and a valley. Twelve cities, with their villages, form the tribe's home. The fourth share goes to Issachar. Its sixteen cities and villages lie within a border that reaches Jordan, the river. Each tribe receives land for its families. The same method gives both a share, but the names and edges differ. Families will know where to build their lives among the other tribes.

Joshua 19:10-23: Zebulun and Issachar Receive Their Towns
Chapter sceneJoshua 19

In everyday life

The swimming instructor checks two class lists beside separate lanes before the session starts. Each group has names and space of its own. Both use the same booking process. She checks the numbers instead of merging the groups into one crowd. The tribal lists allocate permanent settlements, not short periods in a shared pool.

Notice

Joshua 19:23 Issachar's closing line joins the named cities with their villages and families. The land record is intended to reach the smaller communities around each centre.

Joshua 19:10-23

King James Version

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.

Joshua 19:24-39

Asher and Naphtali Receive Distinct Northern Shares

Asher's share reaches toward the sea, past Zidon and the strong city of Tyre. Its list ends with twenty-two cities and their villages. Naphtali comes next. Its land reaches the river Jordan and meets other tribes along its sides. Nineteen walled towns are named, with their villages. The neighbours help locate these shares. Each tribe has its own homes and fields, but none forms an isolated island. All the borders must fit into the land being divided among the people.

Canaan and the surrounding lands
Canaan and the surrounding lands

In everyday life

A forestry worker sorts coastal and inland seed trays on the nursery bench. She labels each batch with its destination and checks the neighbouring planting zones before loading the van. Both belong to one programme, but exchanging them would create confusion. Asher and Naphtali receive homes and fields, not sites selected for particular trees.

Notice

Joshua 19:34 Naphtali's border is described partly by the tribes beside it. The share gains meaning through its place among neighbours, not only through its own towns.

Joshua 19:24-39

King James Version

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.

Joshua 19:40-48

Dan Gains a City and Gives Its Name

Dan receives the seventh share in this group, including a list of towns and a boundary near the coast. The account then says that the land proves too small for them. Men of Dan attack Leshem, take it, kill its inhabitants, and settle there. They rename the city Dan after their ancestor. This gain comes through killing. Dan does more than draw a share by lot; its men take a new town by force. The final line gathers the towns and villages into the inheritance of Dan's families.

In everyday life

The relocated cobbler paints his family name above a shop in a district far from his first premises. He has brought tools and relatives, and the new name connects the place with the household moving in. A name can carry belonging across distance. Dan's settlement follows conquest and killing, not a move into an available shop.

Notice

Joshua 19:47 The new city takes the name of the tribe's ancestor. Renaming connects the conquered place to the identity of those who now settle there.

Joshua 19:40-48

King James Version

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.

Joshua 19:49-51

Joshua Receives a Town After the Tribes

Once the land division is finished, Israel gives Joshua an inheritance among the people. God had said he should receive the town he asked for. It is Timnath-serah, in the hills of Ephraim. He builds it and lives there. Eleazar, the priest, Joshua and the tribal heads have directed the work. They cast lots before God at the sacred tent in Shiloh. Joshua's personal grant follows the people's shares. The large public task ends with both the tribes and their leader having a place to live.

Joshua builds Timnath-serah
Chapter sceneJoshua 19

In everyday life

A housing project foreman hands the last tenant her keys. Then he accepts the small flat assigned to him beside the site. He checks the common register and then carries his own box upstairs. His place comes after the households he has served. Joshua's town is given under God's word, not as an employment benefit.

Notice

Joshua 19:49 Joshua receives his inheritance after the people's division ends. The order places the public task before the leader's personal settlement without leaving him outside the gift.

Joshua 19:49-51

King James Version

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.

Details worth noticing

51verses in this reading
5major movements
1verses with speech

The opening image

Joshua 19:1 begins with “And 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…”

Where the chapter turns

Joshua 19:26 forms a natural hinge: “And Alammelech, and Amad, and Misheal; and reacheth to Carmel westward, and to Shihor-libnath;”

The final note

Joshua 19:51 leaves the reader with “These 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…”

A word trail through the chapter

The words children, inheritance, cities, families, villages, Beth help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.

KJV words made clear

lot
An assigned share determined through drawing lots, a procedure used here before God.

Music and video connected to the passage

Related media appears when its Scripture reference overlaps this study. Music and video can illuminate a theme while the biblical text remains the foundation.

Report an error on this page

Source: eBible.org · eng-kjv2006