Joshua 19:15

15 And Cateth and Naalol and Semeron and Jedala and Bethlehem: twelve cities and their villages.

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 it passeth along from thence to the east side of Gethhepher and Thacasin: and goeth out to Remmon, Amthar and Noa.

14 And it turneth about to the north of Hanathon: and the outgoings thereof are the valley of Jephtahel,

15 And Cateth and Naalol and Semeron and Jedala and Bethlehem: twelve cities and their villages.

16 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Zabulon by their kindreds, the cities and their villages.

17 The fourth lot came out to Issachar by their kindreds.