Joshua 19:1-9

Simeon’s Tribal Lands

19:1 The second lot belonged to the tribe of Simeon by its clans. ¹  19:2 Their assigned land included ²  Beer Sheba, ³  Moladah, 19:3 Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, 19:4 Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, 19:5 Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah, 19:6 Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen – a total of thirteen cities and their towns, 19:7 Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan – a total of four cities and their towns, 19:8 as well as all the towns around these cities as far as Baalath Beer (Ramah of the Negev). This was the land assigned to the tribe of Simeon by its clans. ⁴  19:9 Simeon’s assigned land was taken from Judah’s allotted portion, for Judah’s territory was too large for them; so Simeon was assigned land within Judah. ⁵ 

Joshua 21:1-45

Levitical Cities

21:1 The tribal leaders of the Levites went before Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the Israelite tribal leaders 21:2 in Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said, “The Lord told Moses to assign us cities in which to live along with the grazing areas for our cattle.” 21:3 So the Israelites assigned these cities and their grazing areas to the Levites from their own holdings, as the Lord had instructed.

21:4 The first lot belonged to ⁶  the Kohathite clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. 21:5 The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten cities from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, and from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 21:6 Gershon’s descendants were allotted thirteen cities from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, and from the tribes of Asher and Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. 21:7 Merari’s descendants by their clans were allotted twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. 21:8 So the Israelites assigned to the Levites by lot these cities and their grazing areas, as the Lord had instructed Moses.

21:9 They assigned from the tribes of Judah and Simeon the cities listed below. 21:10 They were assigned to the Kohathite clans of the Levites who were descendants of Aaron, ⁷  for the first lot belonged to them. 21:11 They assigned them Kiriath Arba (Arba was the father of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with its surrounding grazing areas. 21:12 (Now the city’s fields and surrounding towns they had assigned to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his property.) 21:13 So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they assigned Hebron (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Libnah, 21:14 Jattir, Eshtemoa, 21:15 Holon, Debir, 21:16 Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of nine cities taken from these two tribes. 21:17 From the tribe of Benjamin they assigned ⁸  Gibeon, Geba, 21:18 Anathoth, and Almon, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities. 21:19 The priests descended from Aaron received thirteen cities and their grazing areas.

21:20 The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted cities from the tribe of Ephraim. 21:21 They assigned them Shechem (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer, 21:22 Kibzaim, and Beth Horon, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities. 21:23 From the tribe of Dan they assigned Eltekeh, Gibbethon, 21:24 Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities. 21:25 From the half-tribe of Manasseh they assigned Taanach and Gath Rimmon, ⁹  along with the grazing areas of each – a total of two cities. 21:26 The rest of the Kohathite clans received ten cities and their grazing areas.

21:27 They assigned to the Gershonite clans of the Levites the following cities: ¹⁰  from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter) and Beeshtarah, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of two cities; 21:28 from the tribe of Issachar: Kishon, Daberath, 21:29 Jarmuth, and En Gannim, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities; 21:30 from the tribe of Asher: Mishal, Abdon, 21:31 Helkath, and Rehob, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities; 21:32 from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of three cities. 21:33 The Gershonite clans received thirteen cities and their grazing areas.

21:34 They assigned to the Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) the following cities: from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah, 21:35 Dimnah, and Nahalal, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities; 21:36 ¹¹  from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer, Jahaz, 21:37 Kedemoth, and Mephaath, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities; 21:38 from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one who committed manslaughter), Mahanaim, 21:39 Heshbon, and Jazer, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities. 21:40 The Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) were allotted twelve cities.

21:41 The Levites received within the land owned by the Israelites ¹²  forty-eight cities in all and their grazing areas. 21:42 Each of these cities had grazing areas around it; they were alike in this regard. ¹³ 

21:43 So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had solemnly promised to their ancestors, ¹⁴  and they conquered ¹⁵  it and lived in it. 21:44 The Lord made them secure, ¹⁶  in fulfillment of all he had solemnly promised their ancestors. ¹⁷  None of their enemies could resist them. ¹⁸  21:45 Not one of the Lord’s faithful promises to the family of Israel ¹⁹  was left unfulfilled; every one was realized. ²⁰ 

Joshua 21:1

Levitical Cities

21:1 The tribal leaders of the Levites went before Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the Israelite tribal leaders

Joshua 4:24

4:24 He has done this so ²¹  all the nations ²²  of the earth might recognize the Lord’s power ²³  and so you might always obey ²⁴  the Lord your God.”

Joshua 4:1

Israel Commemorates the Crossing

4:1 When the entire nation was on the other side, ²⁵  the Lord told Joshua,

Joshua 4:1

Israel Commemorates the Crossing

4:1 When the entire nation was on the other side, ²⁶  the Lord told Joshua,

Joshua 6:1

6:1 Now Jericho ²⁷  was shut tightly ²⁸  because of the Israelites. No one was allowed to leave or enter. ²⁹ 

[19:1]  ¹ tn Heb “and the second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of the sons of Simeon by their clans.”

[19:2]  ² tn Heb “and they had in their inheritance.”

[19:2]  ³ tc The MT has “and Sheba” listed after “Beer Sheba.” The LXX suggests “Shema.” The Hebrew text appears to be corrupt, since the form “Sheba” duplicates the latter part of the preceding name. If Sheba (or Shema) is retained, the list numbers fourteen, one more than the number given in the concluding summary (v. 6).

[19:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “this was the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Simeon.”

[19:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “from the portion of the sons of Judah was the inheritance of the sons of Simeon for the portion of the sons of Judah was too large for them, and the sons of Simeon received an inheritance in the midst of their inheritance.”

[21:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “came out for.”

[21:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “and it belonged to the sons of Aaron, from the Kohathite clans, from the sons of Levi.”

[21:17]  ⁸ tn The words “they assigned” are supplied for clarification (also in vv. 23, 25).

[21:25]  ⁹ tn The name “Gath Rimmon” is problematic here, for it appears in the preceding list of Danite cities. The LXX reads “Iebatha”; 1 Chr 6:55 HT (6:70 ET) reads “Bileam.” Most modern translations retain the name “Gath Rimmon,” however.

[21:27]  ¹⁰ tn The words “they assigned” and “the following cities” are supplied for clarification (also in v. 34).

[21:36]  ¹¹ tc 21:36-37 are accidentally omitted from a number of significant Hebrew mss. They are, however, found in some Hebrew mss, the LXX and Vulgate.

[21:41]  ¹² tn Heb “in the midst of the possession of the sons of Israel.”

[21:42]  ¹³ tn Heb “these cities were city [by] city, and its grazing areas [were] around it; so [it was] for all these cities.”

[21:43]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “which he had sworn to give to their fathers.”

[21:43]  ¹⁵ tn Or “possessed.”

[21:44]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “gave them rest all around.”

[21:44]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “according to all he swore to their fathers.”

[21:44]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “not a man stood from before them from all their enemies.”

[21:45]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “the house of Israel.” Cf. NCV “the Israelites”; TEV “the people of Israel”; CEV, NLT “Israel.”

[21:45]  ²⁰ tn Heb “not a word from all the good word which the Lord spoke to the house of Israel fell; the whole came to pass.”

[4:24]  ²¹ tn Heb “in order that.”

[4:24]  ²² tn Or “peoples.”

[4:24]  ²³ tn Heb “know the hand of the Lord that it is strong.”

[4:24]  ²⁴ tn Heb “fear.”

[4:1]  ²⁵ tn Heb “And when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.”

[4:1]  ²⁶ tn Heb “And when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.”

[6:1]  ²⁷ map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[6:1]  ²⁸ tn Heb “was shutting and shut up.” HALOT 2:743 paraphrases, “blocking [any way of access] and blocked [against any who would leave].”

[6:1]  ²⁹ tn Heb “there was no one going out and there was no one coming in.”