Joshua 19:35-51
Jos 19:35
And the fenced cities are Ziddim, Zer, and
Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth,
Fenced means fortified or well-defended cities.
Ziddim was about 1 mile (1.6 KM) west of the southern west coast of the
Sea of Chinnereth. Zer was a close
neighbor to Zaanannim. Hammath was
about 5 miles (8 KM) east of Zaanannim and was on the west coast of the Sea of
Chinnereth. Rakkath was about 2
miles (3 KM) north of Hammath on the west coast of the Sea of Chinnereth.
Chinnereth was about 4 miles (6 KM) north of Rakkath on the northwest
coast of the Sea of Chinnereth.
Jos 19:36
And Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor,
Adamah was about 8 miles (13 KM) northwest of the town of
Chinnereth. Ramah was about 2 miles
(3 KM) northwest of Adamah. Hazor
was about 12 miles (19 KM) northeast of Ramah.
Jos 19:37
And Kedesh, and Edrei, and En-hazor,
Kedesh was about 8 miles (13 KM) north of Hazor.
The Edrei mentioned here is not the one in the land of Og on the east
side of Jordan but is in Naphtali and its location is unknown.
En-hazor is about 16 miles (26 KM) northwest of Hazor.
Jos 19:38
And Iron, and Migdal-el, Horem, and Beth-anath, and
Beth-shemesh; nineteen cities with their villages.
Iron which is Yiron is about 10 miles (16 KM) northwest
of Hazor. The location of Migdal-el
might be about 8 miles (13 KM) south of Janoah and was thought to be a small
village. Horam was located about 12
miles (19 KM) northwest of Hazor.
Beth-anath was about 15 miles (24 KM) north of Hazor.
Beth-shemesh was about 1 mile (1.6 KM) south of Horem.
These were the cities and their villages.
Jos 19:39
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the
children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities and their villages.
The nineteen cites along with their villages were given
to the tribe of Naphtali according to the number of their families.
Jos 19:40
And the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the
children of Dan according to their families.
Then the seventh lot fell to the tribe of Dan which was
the northernmost tribe and is part of the saying “From Dan to Beersheba” which
meant the entire nation of Israel.
And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every
man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the
days of Solomon. (1 Kings 4:25)
Jos 19:41
And the coast of their inheritance was Zorah, and
Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh,
Dan is not defined by the borders of it but many of the
cities were given to them which were in the tribe of Judah.
Zorah was located 15 miles (24 KM) west of Jerusalem.
Eshtaol was about 2 miles (3 KM) west of Zorah.
Ir-shemesh is called “the city of the Sun.”
It may have been a city where Sun worship took place.
It could possibly be the city of Beth-shemesh but the evidence is
lacking. It was no doubt a place of
Canaanite sun worship which as idolatry.
If it is not Beth-shemesh then the location is unknown.
Beth-shemesh means “House of the Sun.”
Jos 19:42
And Shaalabbin, and Ajalon, and Jethlah,
Shaalabbin which is Shaalbim is about 15 miles (24 KM)
northwest of Jerusalem. Ajalon was
about 10 miles (16 KM) west of Gibeon.
The location of Jethlah is unknown.
Jos 19:43
And Elon, and Thimnathah, and Ekron,
The location of Elon concerning Dan is unknown.
Thimnathah which is Thamna is about 18 miles (29 KM) northwest of
Jerusalem. Ekron was located about
23 miles (37 KM) west of Jerusalem.
Jos 19:44
And Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath,
Eltekeh was located 10 miles (16 KM) northwest of Ekron.
Gibbethon was about 5 miles (8 KM) north of Ekron.
Baalath was about 5 miles (8 KM) of Ekron.
Jos 19:45
And Jehud, and Bene-berak, and Gath-rimmon,
The location of Jehud is unknown.
Bene-barak was located about 5 miles (8 KM) west of Joppa.
Gath-rimmon was about 4 miles (6 KM) north of Bene-barak.
Jos 19:46
And Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border before Japho.
The locations of Me-jarkon and Rakkon are unknown.
Wherever they were located their borders went as far as Joppa which is
Japho.
Jos 19:47
And 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.
The tribe of Dan was a tribe which was much larger than
the land allotted to them. Lemesh
was the Sidonian town of Laish which was located about 18 miles (29 KM) north of
Hazor. The tribe of Dan conquered
it and renamed it Dan. It was about
26 miles (42 KM) east of Tyre.
Jos 19:48
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the
children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.
This was the inheritance given to the tribe of Dan
according to all their families and with the surrounding villages of those
particular cities.
Jos 19:49
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:
Then when all the tribes had received their inheritance
according to the borders which were given by the LORD, then Joshua was also
given an inheritance. Joshua did
not seek it as a desire for land.
He was old and close to his home going but it was the people who desired
to give him an inheritance because of all that he had done for Israel.
Jos 19:50
According 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.
Joshua had requested the town of Timnath-serah which
means “image of the morning.” It
was also the burial place of Joshua and was located in the hill country of
Ephraim. When he received the city
he rebuilt it for those who would dwell there.
It was in the tribe and hill country of Ephraim of which tribe Joshua was
from.
Jos 19:51
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, 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.