Joshua 19:15

15 and Kattath, and Nahalal, and Shimron, and Jidalah, and Beth-lehem: twelve cities and their hamlets.

Joshua 19:15 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 19:15

And Kattath, and Nahallal
Of the two first of these we read nowhere else, but in ( Joshua 21:34 Joshua 21:35 ) ( Judges 1:30 ) ;

and Shimron
was a royal city, the king of which Joshua took and hanged, ( Joshua 11:1 ) ( 12:20 ) ;

and Idalah
is a place Bochart conjectures ^F20 where the goddess Venus was worshipped, Idalia being one of her names;

and Bethlehem
is a different place from that which was the birthplace of our Lord, called Bethlehem of Judah, to distinguish it from this:

twelve cities with their villages;
more are named, but some of them belonged to other tribes, and only lay on the borders of this; and others might not be properly cities, but small towns.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 Canaan, l. 1. c. 3. col. 356.

Joshua 19:15 In-Context

13 and from thence it passed eastward toward the sun-rising to Gath-Hepher, to Eth-kazin, and went out to Rimmon which reaches to Neah;

14 and the border turned round it northwards to Hannathon: and ended in the valley of Jiphthah-el; ...

15 and Kattath, and Nahalal, and Shimron, and Jidalah, and Beth-lehem: twelve cities and their hamlets.

16 This was the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities and their hamlets.

17 The fourth lot came forth to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families.