Yehoshua 19:8

8 And all the villages that were around these towns as far as Baalat Be’er, Ramat Negev. This is the nachalah of the tribe of the Bnei Shim’on according to their mishpekhot.

Yehoshua 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.

Yehoshua 19:8 In-Context

6 And Beit-Levaot, and Sharuchen; 13 towns and their villages;

7 Ain, Rimmon, and Eter, and Ashan; 4 towns and their villages;

8 And all the villages that were around these towns as far as Baalat Be’er, Ramat Negev. This is the nachalah of the tribe of the Bnei Shim’on according to their mishpekhot.

9 Out of the chevel (portion, lot) of the Bnei Yehudah was the nachalah of the Bnei Shim’on; for the chelek of the Bnei Yehudah was too much for them; therefore the Bnei Shim’on had their nachalah within the nachalah of them.

10 And the third goral came up for the Bnei Zevulun according to their mishpekhot; and the boundary of their nachalah was as far as Sarid;