Joshua 19

King James Version

Full text for Joshua Chapter 19

1¶ 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 inheritance of the children of Judah.

2And they had in their inheritance Beersheba, or Sheba, and Moladah,

3And Hazarshual, and Balah, and Azem,

4And Eltolad, and Bethul, and Hormah,

5And Ziklag, and Bethmarcaboth, and Hazarsusah,

6And Bethlebaoth, 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 Baalathbeer, 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.

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:

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 Chislothtabor, and then goeth out to Daberath, and goeth up to Japhia,

13And from thence passeth on along on the east to Gittahhepher, to Ittahkazin, and goeth out to Remmonmethoar to Neah;

14And the border compasseth it on the north side to Hannathon: and the outgoings thereof are in the valley of Jiphthahel:

15And Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages.

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 Shunem,

19And Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath,

20And Rabbith, and Kishion, and Abez,

21And Remeth, and Engannim, and Enhaddah, and Bethpazzez;

22And the coast reacheth to Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Bethshemesh; 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.

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 westward, and to Shihorlibnath;

27And turneth toward the sunrising to Bethdagon, and reacheth to Zebulun, and to the valley of Jiphthahel toward the north side of Bethemek, 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.

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 Aznothtabor, 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 Enhazor,

38And Iron, and Migdalel, Horem, and Bethanath, and Bethshemesh; 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 Irshemesh,

42And Shaalabbin, and Ajalon, and Jethlah,

43And Elon, and Thimnathah, and Ekron,

44And Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath,

45And Jehud, and Beneberak, and Gathrimmon,

46And Mejarkon, 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.

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] Timnathserah 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Joshua 19 details the final division of the land of Canaan by lot among the remaining Israelite tribes. The inheritances for Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan are described, including their borders and cities. Notably, Simeon's portion was within Judah's, and Dan's initial inheritance proved too small, leading them to conquer Leshem. The chapter concludes with Joshua receiving his own requested inheritance and the completion of the land division process at Shiloh.

Medium Summary

This chapter records the distribution of the remaining seven lots of land to the tribes of Israel. Simeon received its inheritance within the larger portion of Judah, as Judah's territory was too extensive for them. Following this, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali each received their designated territories, with their borders and significant cities meticulously listed. The seventh and final lot fell to the tribe of Dan, whose initial inheritance was insufficient for their numbers. Consequently, the children of Dan expanded their territory by conquering the city of Leshem, renaming it Dan. Finally, after all tribal inheritances were settled, Joshua the son of Nun was given his own requested city, Timnathserah, in Mount Ephraim. The chapter concludes by affirming that Eleazar the priest, Joshua, and the tribal heads completed the division of the land by lot before the LORD at the tabernacle in Shiloh.

Long Summary

Joshua 19 meticulously outlines the allocation of the remaining land portions to the Israelite tribes through the casting of lots. The second lot was drawn for the tribe of Simeon, whose inheritance, comprising thirteen cities and their villages, was situated within the territory of the children of Judah, due to Judah's portion being more than sufficient for them. The third lot was assigned to Zebulun, whose border extended toward the sea and included twelve cities with their villages. Subsequently, the fourth lot came forth for Issachar, whose inheritance reached toward Jezreel and the Jordan, encompassing sixteen cities and their villages. The fifth lot was for Asher, whose extensive border reached Carmel westward and included twenty-two cities with their villages, extending even to great Zidon and Tyre. The sixth lot was drawn for Naphtali, whose coast stretched from Heleph to the Jordan and included nineteen cities with their villages. Lastly, the seventh lot was for the tribe of Dan, whose initial inheritance, including cities like Zorah and Ekron, proved too small for them. This insufficiency led the children of Dan to undertake a military campaign against the city of Leshem, which they conquered, smote with the sword, and subsequently possessed, renaming it Dan after their forefather. Upon the completion of this extensive division of the land by their coasts, a special inheritance was granted to Joshua the son of Nun. According to the word of the LORD, he received the city of Timnathserah in Mount Ephraim, which he built and dwelt in. The chapter concludes by emphasizing that these inheritances were formally divided by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, under the oversight of Eleazar the priest, Joshua, and the heads of the tribes, thus bringing the division of the country to an end.

Core Concepts

  • Tribal Inheritance by LotThe chapter details the specific land allocations for Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan, emphasizing that these divisions were determined by casting lots, a method believed to reflect divine will.
  • Simeon's EnclaveThe tribe of Simeon received its inheritance not as a contiguous independent territory, but as cities and villages located within the larger portion of the tribe of Judah, due to Judah's land being excessive for their needs.
  • Dan's ExpansionThe initial inheritance granted to the tribe of Dan was insufficient, leading them to conquer the city of Leshem (renaming it Dan) to secure adequate territory for their people.
  • Geographical SpecificityThe text provides detailed lists of cities and descriptions of borders for each tribe's inheritance, highlighting the meticulous nature of the land division process.
  • Joshua's RewardAfter the land was divided among all the tribes, Joshua, as the leader, received his own personal inheritance, the city of Timnathserah in Mount Ephraim, as requested and according to the word of the LORD.
  • Completion of DivisionThe chapter marks the conclusion of the land division process, affirming that Eleazar the priest, Joshua, and the tribal heads completed this task by lot at Shiloh before the LORD, signifying the fulfillment of God's promise to Israel.