village, and so was not useless to this tribe. Gilgal was in this tribe, where Israel first encamped when Saul was made king, 1 Sam. 11. 14. It was afterward a very profane place, Hos. 9. 15, All their wickedness is in Gilgal. Beth-el was in this tribe, a famous place; though Benjamin adhered to the house of David, yet Beth-el, it seems, was in the possession of the house of Joseph; Judg. 1. 23..25. and there Jeroboam set up one of his calves. Gibeon was in this tribe, where the altar was in the beginning of Solomon's time, 2 Chron. 1. 3. Gibeah likewise, that infamous place, where the Levite's concubine was abused; Mizpeh, and near it, Samuel's Eben-ezer; Anathoth also, Jeremiah's city, were in this tribe, as was the northern part of Jerusalem. Paul was the honour of this tribe, Rom. 11. 1. Phil. 3. 5. but where his land lay, we know not, he sought the better country.
CHAP. XIX.
In the description of the lots of Judah and Benjamin, we have an account both of the borders that surrounded them, and of the cities contained in them. In that of Ephraim and Manasseh we have the borders, but not the cities; in this chapter, Simeon and Dan are described by their cities only, and not their borders, because they lay very much within Judah, especially the former, the rest have both their borders described, and their cities named, especially frontiers. Here is, I. The lot of Simeon, v. 1..9. II. Of Zebulun, v. 10..16. III. Of Issachar, v. 17..23. IV. Of Asher, v. 24..31. V. Of Naphtali, v. 32..39. VI. Of Dan, v. 40..48. Lastly, the inheritance assigned to Joshua himself and his own family, v. 49..51.
1.AND the second lot came forth to Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families; and their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah. 2. And they had in their inheritance, Beer-sheba or Sheba, and Moladah, 3. And Hazar-shual, and Balah, and Azem, 4. And Eltolad, and Bethul, and Hormah, 5. And Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah, 6. And Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities and their villages: 7. Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages: 8. And all the villages that were round about these cities to Baalath-beer, Ramath of the south. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. 9. Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon; for the part of the children of Judah was too much for them; therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of them.
Simeon's lot was drawn after Judah's, Joseph's, and Benjamin's, because Jacob had put that tribe under disgrace, yet it is put before the two younger sons of Leah and the three sons of the hand-maids. Not one person of note, either judge or prophet, was of the tribe, that we know of.
1. The situation of their lot was within that of Judah, v. 1, and was taken from it, v. 9. It seems, they that first surveyed the land, thought it larger than it was, and that it would have held out, to give every tribe in proportion as large a share as they had carved out of Judah; but, upon a more strict inquiry, it was found that it would not reach, v. 9, the part of the children of Judah was too much for them, more than they needed, and more, as it proved, than fell to their share. Yet God did not by the lot lessen it, but left it to their prudence and care afterward to discover and rectify the mistake, which when they did, (1.) The men of Judah did not oppose the taking away of the cities again, which by the first distribution fell within their border, when they were convinced that they had more than their proportion. In all such cases, errors must be expected, and a review admitted if there be occasion. Though, in strictness, what fell to their lot, was their right against all the world, yet they would not insist upon it, when it appeared that another tribe would want what they had to spare. Note, We must look on the things of others, and not on our own only. The abundance of some must supply the wants of others, that there may be something of an equality, for which there may be equity where there is not law. (2.) That which was thus taken off from Judah to be put into a new lot, Providence directed to the tribe of Simeon, that Jacob's prophecy concerning this tribe might be fulfilled, I will divide them in Jacob. The cities of Simeon were scattered in Judah, with which tribe they were surrounded, except on that side toward the sea. This brought them into a confederacy with the tribe of Judah, Judg. 1. 3. and afterward was a happy occasion of the adherence of many of this tribe to the house of David, at the time of the revolt of the ten tribes to Jeroboam, 2 Chron. 15. 9, out of Simeon they fell to Asa in abundance. It is good being in a good neighbourhood.
2. The cities within their lot are here named. Beer-sheba, or Sheba, for they seem to be the same place, is put first, Ziklag is one of them, which we read of in David's story. What course they took to enlarge their borders and make room for themselves, we find 1 Chron. 4. 39, &c.
10. And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun, according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid: 11, And their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah,and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that is before Jokneam; 12. And turned from Sarid eastward, toward the sun-rising, unto the border of Chisloth-tabor, and then goeth out to Daberath, and goeth up to Japhia, 13. And from thence passeth on along on the east to Gittah-hepher, to Ittah-kazin, and goeth out to Remmon-methoar to Neah: 14. And the border compasseth it on the north side to Hannathon: and the outgoings thereof are in the valley of Jiphthah-el: 15. And Kattath, and Nahalal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Beth-lehem: twelve cities with their villages. 16. This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.
This is the lot of Zebulun, who, though born of Leah after Issachar, yet was blessed by Jacob and Moses before him; and therefore it was so ordered, that his lot was drawn before that of Issachar's, north of which it lay, and south of Asher.
1. The lot of this tribe was washed by the great sea on the west, and by the sea of Tiberius on the east, answering Jacob's prophecy, Gen. 49. 13, Zebulun shall be a haven of ships; trading ships on the great sea, and fishing ships on the sea of Galilee.
2. Though there were some palaces in this tribe
