Joshua 19:8

8 And all the unwalled places round about these towns as far as Baalath-beer-ramah to the south. This is the heritage of the tribe of Simeon by their families.

Joshua 19:8 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 19:8

And all the villages that [were] round about these cities
Not only the suburbs adjoining to those cities which are mentioned before, but the several small distinct towns and villages, scattered up and down in the country:

to Baalathbeer, Ramath of the south:
this is the same with Baal in ( 1 Chronicles 4:33 ) ; and with Ramath of the south, or south Ramoth, as it is called ( 1 Samuel 30:27 ) ; all these are the names of one and the same city:

this [is] the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon,
according to their families;
that is, the above named cities fell to the lot of the inheritance of the Simeonites, and were divided among them according to the number of their respective families; at least, these were the chief and principal of them; for all that they possessed are not mentioned, particularly one called Tochen, ( 1 Chronicles 4:32 ) ; and another, the name of which is Etam there, unless that is thought to be the same with Ether here in ( Joshua 19:7 ) . Josephus says ^F6, this tribe took by lot that part of Idumea which lay near to Egypt and Arabia.

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 22.

Joshua 19:8 In-Context

6 And Beth-lebaoth and Sharuhen; thirteen towns with their unwalled places;

7 Ain, Rimmon, and Ether and Ashan; four towns with their unwalled places;

8 And all the unwalled places round about these towns as far as Baalath-beer-ramah to the south. This is the heritage of the tribe of Simeon by their families.

9 The heritage of Simeon was taken out of Judah's stretch of land, for Judah's part was more than they had need of, so the heritage of the children of Simeon was inside their heritage.

10 And the third heritage came out for Zebulun by their families; the limit of their heritage was as far as Sarid;