Albert Barnes Commentary Joshua 19
Albert Barnes Commentary
Joshua 19
Albert Barnes Commentary
Joshua 19
"And the second lot came out for Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families: and their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the children of Judah. And they had for their inheritance Beer-sheba, or Sheba, and Moladah, and Hazar-shual, and Balah, and Ezem, and Eltolad, and Bethul, and Hormah, and Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah, and Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities with their villages: Ain, Rimmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities with their villages: and all the villages that were round about these cities to Baalath-beer, Ramah of the South. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. Out of the part of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon; for the portion of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore the children of Simeon had inheritance in the midst of their inheritance." — Joshua 19:1-9 (ASV)
The inheritance of Simeon was taken out of the portion of Judah, which proved to be larger than the population of that tribe required. The Simeonite territory is described by its towns, of which fourteen were in the Negeb, and four others (Joshua 19:7) were partly in the Negeb and partly in “the valley.” Regarding the narrow confines assigned here to Simeon, and its insignificant position altogether among the Twelve tribes, see the note on Deuteronomy 33:6.
Thirteen - Fourteen names have been given. The error is probably due to the use of letters for numbers, which has led to many similar mistakes in other places .
"And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families; and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid;" — Joshua 19:10 (ASV)
Sarid, not yet identified, was evidently a leading topographical point on the south frontier of Zebulun. The boundary passed westward until it touched the Kishon, near “Tell Kaimon” (Joshua 12:22, note), and from there, turned northward, leaving Carmel, which belonged to Asher, on its west.
The territory of Zebulun accordingly would not reach the Mediterranean anywhere, though its eastern side bordered the Sea of Galilee, and gave the tribe those outgoings attributed to it in the Blessing of Moses (Deuteronomy 33:18). Daberath (Joshua 19:12) is probably “Deburieh.”
"and from thence it passed along eastward to Gath-hepher, to Eth-kazin; and it went out at Rimmon which stretcheth unto Neah;" — Joshua 19:13 (ASV)
Gittah (or Gath)-hepher, the birthplace of the prophet Jonah (2 Kings 14:25), is probably the modern village of El-Meshhad, where the tomb of the prophet is still shown, a short way from Nazareth, on the road to Tiberias.
Remmon-methoar to Neah — Read and goeth out to Remmon, which reacheth to Neah. (See the margin.) Rimmon, a Levitical city (Joshua 21:35; 1 Chronicles 6:77), is probably the modern “Rummaneh,” in the plain of “El Buttauf,” about six miles north of Nazareth.
"and the border turned about it on the north to Hannathon; and the goings out thereof were at the valley of Iphtah-el;" — Joshua 19:14 (ASV)
Hannathon, more properly Channathon, has been supposed by some to be the Cana of Galilee of the New Testament, and Jiphthah-el is probably the present “Jefat”—the “Jotapata” of Roman times, which was so long and valiantly defended by Josephus against the legions of Vespasian. The “Valley” is the “Wady Abilin”; and Bethlehem (Joshua 19:15) is the present miserable village of “Beit-Lahin.”
"and Kattath, and Nahalal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages." — Joshua 19:15 (ASV)
Twelve cities - Only five have been mentioned, and the names in the verses preceding are apparently not names of Zebulonite cities, but merely of points in or near the boundary line. It would therefore appear that seven names have disappeared from the text, and perhaps also the definition of the western frontier.
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