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.

 

These then were all the inheritances that both Joshua and Eleazar the Priest had doled out according to the word of the LORD and the lots.  The heads of the all the tribes were witnesses to the parceling out of the land.  They performed the doling out of the inheritances in Shiloh which was in the tribe of Ephraim, Joshua’s home tribe.  It was done at the door of the Tabernacle meaning that it was all of the LORD and no one could ever complain their tribe was treated unfairly.  Then once the inheritances were doled out, that was the end of all the dividing of the land.

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