Joshua 19:8

8 round about their cities as far as Balec as go to Bameth southward: this the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Symeon according to 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 Batharoth, and their fields, thirteen cities, and their villages.

7 Eremmon, and Thalcha, and Jether, and Asan; four cities and their villages,

8 round about their cities as far as Balec as go to Bameth southward: this the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Symeon according to their families.

9 The inheritance of the tribe of the children of Symeon of the lot of Juda, for the portion of the children of Juda was greater than theirs; and the children of Symeon inherited in the midst of their lot.

10 And the third lot came out to Zabulon according to their families: the bounds of their inheritance shall be—Esedekgola shall be their border,