Joshua 19
The Territories of the Remaining Tribes
1The second lot came out for Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. Their inheritance was in the middle of the inheritance of the children of Judah.
2They had for their inheritance Beersheba (or Sheba), Moladah,
3Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem,
4Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,
5Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah,
6Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities with their villages;
7Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan; four cities with their villages;
8and all the villages that were around 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.
9Out 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 middle of their inheritance.
10The third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families. The border of their inheritance was to Sarid.
11Their border went up westward, even to Maralah, and reached to Dabbesheth. It reached to the brook that is before Jokneam.
12It turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrise to the border of Chisloth Tabor. It went out to Daberath, and went up to Japhia.
13From there it passed along eastward to Gath Hepher, to Ethkazin; and it went out at Rimmon which stretches to Neah.
14The border turned around it on the north to Hannathon; and it ended at the valley of Iphtah El;
15Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, 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.
17The fourth lot came out for Issachar, even for the children of Issachar according to their families.
18Their border was to Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,
19Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath,
20Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez,
21Remeth, Engannim, En Haddah, and Beth Pazzez.
22The border reached to Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth Shemesh. Their border ended at the Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages.
23This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities with their villages.
24The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families.
25Their border was Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph,
26Allammelech, Amad, Mishal. It reached to Carmel westward, and to Shihorlibnath.
27It turned toward the sunrise to Beth Dagon, and reached to Zebulun, and to the valley of Iphtah El northward to Beth Emek and Neiel. It went out to Cabul on the left hand,
28and Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, even to great Sidon.
29The border turned to Ramah, to the fortified city of Tyre; and the border turned to Hosah. It ended at the sea by the region of Achzib;
30Ummah also, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty-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.
32The sixth lot came out for the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families.
33Their border was from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim, Adami-nekeb, and Jabneel, to Lakkum. It ended at the Jordan.
34The border turned westward to Aznoth Tabor, and went out from there to Hukkok. It reached to Zebulun on the south, and reached to Asher on the west, and to Judah at the Jordan toward the sunrise.
35The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth,
36Adamah, Ramah, Hazor,
37Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor,
38Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth Shemesh; nineteen cities with their villages.
39This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities with their villages.
40The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.
41The border of their inheritance was Zorah, Eshtaol, Irshemesh,
42Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah,
43Elon, Timnah, Ekron,
44Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,
45Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon,
46Me Jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border opposite Joppa.
47The border of the children of Dan went out beyond them; for the children of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and lived therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their forefather.
48This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.
Joshua's Inheritance
49So they finished distributing the land for inheritance by its borders. The children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them.
50According to the LORD’s commandment, they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnathserah in the hill country of Ephraim; and he built the city, and lived there.
51These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the Tent of Meeting. So they finished dividing the land.
Joshua 19 completes the territorial allotment process by distributing land to the remaining six tribes of Israel. The chapter provides detailed boundary descriptions and city lists for Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan, with Simeon notably receiving territory within Judah's oversized portion. The chapter concludes with Joshua himself receiving the city of Timnath Serah as his personal inheritance, demonstrating that even Israel's leader waited until all tribes were settled before claiming his own portion.
Context
This chapter concludes the systematic land distribution that began in chapter 14, completing God's promise to give Israel the promised land.
Key Themes
Outline
- 1-9Simeon's InheritanceSimeon receives cities within Judah's territory because Judah's portion was too large for them.
- 10-16Zebulun's TerritoryThe third lot assigns Zebulun a region in lower Galilee with detailed boundary descriptions.
- 17-23Issachar's AllotmentIssachar receives the fertile Jezreel Valley region with sixteen cities including Jezreel and Shunem.
- 24-31Asher's Coastal TerritoryAsher is granted the Mediterranean coastal region extending north toward Sidon and Tyre.
- 32-39Naphtali's Northern LandNaphtali receives territory in northern Galilee with nineteen fortified cities.
- 40-48Dan's Inheritance and MigrationDan initially receives territory near the Philistines but later migrates north to capture Leshem.
- 49-51Joshua's Personal InheritanceAfter all tribal allotments are complete, Joshua receives Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim.
The Territories of the Remaining Tribes
19:1–19:48The detailed allocation of territorial inheritances to the tribes of Simeon, Zebulun, and Issachar, with specific cities and boundaries listed for each tribal portion. This represents the fulfillment of God's covenant promise to give the Israelites the promised land as their inheritance.
geographic
Balah appears uniquely in Joshua's tribal allocations as one of Simeon's seventeen cities, never mentioned elsewhere in Scripture despite being part of Israel's foundational territorial inheritance.
Joshua's Inheritance
19:49–19:51Joshua receives his personal inheritance of Timnathserah in Ephraim after the completion of the land distribution. The passage concludes the formal division of the promised land among the tribes of Israel.
person_contrast
Joshua uniquely receives his inheritance last and by popular consent rather than divine lot, reversing the typical pattern where leaders claim first rights to conquered territory.
Joshua 19:1
Numbers 33:54lexicalYou shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger groups you shall give a larger inheritance,…
Joshua 14:2lexicalby the lot of their inheritance, as the LORD commanded by Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half-tribe.
Numbers 36:3lexicalIf they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then their inheritance will be tak…
Joshua 21:6lexicalThe children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, out of the tribe of Ash…
Joshua 21:4lexicalThe lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. The children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had thir…
Joshua 19:4
Joshua 15:30lexicalEltolad, Chesil, Hormah,
Joshua 19:7
1 Chronicles 4:32lexicalTheir villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan, five cities;
Joshua 15:32lexicalLebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon. All the cities are twenty-nine, with their villages.
Joshua 15:42lexicalLibnah, Ether, Ashan,
Joshua 19:8
Joshua 15:1lexicalThe lot for the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families was to the border of Edom, even to the wilder…
Joshua 18:28lexicalZelah, Eleph, the Jebusite (also called Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is t…
Joshua 13:23lexicalThe border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben acco…
Joshua 13:28lexicalThis is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and its villages.
Numbers 36:8lexicalEvery daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel shall be wife to one of the family of…
Joshua 19:9
Numbers 18:20lexicalThe LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I a…
Deuteronomy 32:9lexicalFor the LORD’s portion is his people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
Jeremiah 12:14lexicalThe LORD says, “Concerning all my evil neighbors, who touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inhe…
Numbers 18:24lexicalFor the tithe of the children of Israel, which they offer as a wave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites fo…
Joshua 17:6lexicalbecause the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons…
Joshua 19:10
Numbers 33:54lexicalYou shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger groups you shall give a larger inheritance,…
Joshua 15:1lexicalThe lot for the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families was to the border of Edom, even to the wilder…
Joshua 18:11lexicalThe lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families. The border of their lot went out b…
Joshua 19:11
Joshua 17:10lexicalSouthward it was Ephraim’s, and northward it was Manasseh’s, and the sea was his border. They reached to Asher on the no…
Numbers 34:5lexicalThe border shall turn about from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and it shall end at the sea.
Joshua 17:9lexicalThe border went down to the brook of Kanah, southward of the brook. These cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of…
Joshua 15:4lexicaland it passed along to Azmon, went out at the brook of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This shall be your south…
Ezekiel 48:28lexical“By the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar to the waters of Meribath Kadesh…
Joshua 19:14
Numbers 34:4lexicalYour border shall turn about southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass along to Zin; and it shall pass southward of…
Joshua 18:14lexicalThe border extended, and turned around on the west quarter southward, from the mountain that lies before Beth Horon sout…
Numbers 34:5lexicalThe border shall turn about from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and it shall end at the sea.
Joshua 15:7lexicalThe border went up to Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that faces the ascent of…
Joshua 15:11lexicaland the border went out to the side of Ekron northward; and the border extended to Shikkeron, and passed along to Mount…
Joshua 19:16
Joshua 13:28lexicalThis is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and its villages.
Joshua 13:23lexicalThe border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben acco…
Joshua 18:28lexicalZelah, Eleph, the Jebusite (also called Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is t…
Joshua 19:22
Numbers 34:12lexicalThe border shall go down to the Jordan, and end at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to its borders around…
Joshua 18:12lexicalTheir border on the north quarter was from the Jordan. The border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went…
Joshua 13:23lexicalThe border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben acco…
Joshua 19:23
Joshua 21:6lexicalThe children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, out of the tribe of Ash…
Joshua 18:28lexicalZelah, Eleph, the Jebusite (also called Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is t…
Joshua 13:23lexicalThe border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben acco…
Joshua 13:28lexicalThis is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and its villages.
Numbers 33:54lexicalYou shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger groups you shall give a larger inheritance,…
Joshua 19:24
Joshua 21:6lexicalThe children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, out of the tribe of Ash…
Numbers 33:54lexicalYou shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger groups you shall give a larger inheritance,…
Joshua 21:4lexicalThe lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. The children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had thir…
Joshua 21:20lexicalThe families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, even the rest of the children of Kohath, had the cities of their lo…
Joshua 15:1lexicalThe lot for the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families was to the border of Edom, even to the wilder…
Joshua 19:27
Joshua 17:10lexicalSouthward it was Ephraim’s, and northward it was Manasseh’s, and the sea was his border. They reached to Asher on the no…
Zechariah 14:4lexicalHis feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives w…
Isaiah 41:25lexical“I have raised up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, one who calls on my name, and he shal…
Judges 21:19lexicalThey said, “Behold, there is a feast of the LORD from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the ea…
Joshua 19:29
Joshua 16:8lexicalFrom Tappuah the border went along westward to the brook of Kanah; and ended at the sea. This is the inheritance of the…
Joshua 15:11lexicaland the border went out to the side of Ekron northward; and the border extended to Shikkeron, and passed along to Mount…
Joshua 18:14lexicalThe border extended, and turned around on the west quarter southward, from the mountain that lies before Beth Horon sout…
Numbers 34:5lexicalThe border shall turn about from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and it shall end at the sea.
Joshua 17:9lexicalThe border went down to the brook of Kanah, southward of the brook. These cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of…
Joshua 19:31
Joshua 21:6lexicalThe children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, out of the tribe of Ash…
Joshua 13:23lexicalThe border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben acco…
Joshua 18:28lexicalZelah, Eleph, the Jebusite (also called Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is t…
Joshua 13:28lexicalThis is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and its villages.
Numbers 33:54lexicalYou shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger groups you shall give a larger inheritance,…
Joshua 19:33
Joshua 15:11lexicaland the border went out to the side of Ekron northward; and the border extended to Shikkeron, and passed along to Mount…
Numbers 34:12lexicalThe border shall go down to the Jordan, and end at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to its borders around…
Joshua 18:12lexicalTheir border on the north quarter was from the Jordan. The border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went…
Joshua 19:34
Joshua 17:10lexicalSouthward it was Ephraim’s, and northward it was Manasseh’s, and the sea was his border. They reached to Asher on the no…
Deuteronomy 3:17lexicalthe Arabah also, and the Jordan and its border, from Chinnereth even to the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, under the s…
Joshua 13:27lexicaland in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, the J…
Joshua 18:19lexicalThe border passed along to the side of Beth Hoglah northward; and the border ended at the north bay of the Salt Sea, at…
Judges 21:19lexicalThey said, “Behold, there is a feast of the LORD from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the ea…
Joshua 19:39
Joshua 21:6lexicalThe children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, out of the tribe of Ash…
Joshua 13:23lexicalThe border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben acco…
Joshua 18:28lexicalZelah, Eleph, the Jebusite (also called Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is t…
Joshua 13:28lexicalThis is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and its villages.
Numbers 33:54lexicalYou shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger groups you shall give a larger inheritance,…
Joshua 19:40
Joshua 21:5lexicalThe rest of the children of Kohath had ten cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, out of the tribe o…
Joshua 18:11lexicalThe lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families. The border of their lot went out b…
Joshua 21:20lexicalThe families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, even the rest of the children of Kohath, had the cities of their lo…
Numbers 33:54lexicalYou shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger groups you shall give a larger inheritance,…
Joshua 21:6lexicalThe children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, out of the tribe of Ash…
Joshua 19:41
Judges 18:8lexicalThey came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol; and their brothers asked them, “What do you say?”
Joshua 15:33lexicalIn the lowland, Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,
Judges 16:31lexicalThen his brothers and all the house of his father came down and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zora…
Judges 13:25lexicalThe LORD’s Spirit began to move him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Judges 18:2lexicalThe children of Dan sent five men of their family from their whole number, men of valor, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to…
Joshua 19:44
Joshua 21:23lexicalOut of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pasture lands, Gibbethon with its pasture lands,
Joshua 19:47
Jeremiah 32:24lexical“Behold, siege ramps have been built against the city to take it. The city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans who f…
Judges 1:8lexicalThe children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, took it, struck it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.
Joshua 19:48
Joshua 21:5lexicalThe rest of the children of Kohath had ten cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, out of the tribe o…
Joshua 18:28lexicalZelah, Eleph, the Jebusite (also called Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is t…
Joshua 13:23lexicalThe border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben acco…
Joshua 13:28lexicalThis is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and its villages.
Joshua 16:8lexicalFrom Tappuah the border went along westward to the brook of Kanah; and ended at the sea. This is the inheritance of the…
Joshua 19:49
Joshua 17:4lexicalThey came to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the princes, saying, “The LORD commanded Moses to…
Deuteronomy 1:38lexicalJoshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, shall go in there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
Numbers 34:17lexical“These are the names of the men who shall divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son…
Joshua 14:1lexicalThese are the inheritances which the children of Israel took in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the…
Exodus 33:11lexicalThe LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. He turned again into the camp, but his servant Josh…
Joshua 19:51
Joshua 14:1lexicalThese are the inheritances which the children of Israel took in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the…
Joshua 18:10lexicalJoshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD. There Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according t…
Numbers 34:17lexical“These are the names of the men who shall divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son…
Numbers 26:55lexicalNotwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inhe…
Joshua 21:1lexicalThen the heads of fathers’ houses of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to t…
Interlinear
Word-by-word original language
Historical Context
Places and events in this chapter