Joshua 19:1 kjv
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.
Joshua 19:1 nkjv
The second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. And their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah.
Joshua 19:1 niv
The second lot came out for the tribe of Simeon according to its clans. Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah.
Joshua 19:1 esv
The second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of the people of Simeon, according to their clans, and their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the people of Judah.
Joshua 19:1 nlt
The second allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of Simeon. Their homeland was surrounded by Judah's territory.
Joshua 19 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 34:25-26 | "...Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword..." | Simeon's violent past, indicating characteristics Jacob refers to. |
| Gen 49:5-7 | "Simeon and Levi are brothers… I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel." | Jacob's prophetic curse/blessing concerning Simeon's dispersal. |
| Num 1:23 | "Those enrolled of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300." | First census, Simeon initially large. |
| Num 25:14-15 | "The name of the man of Israel...was Zimri, son of Salu, head of a father's house of the Simeonites." | Simeon's prominent role in the Baal-Peor sin. |
| Num 26:14 | "These are the clans of the Simeonites: those enrolled of them were 22,200." | Second census, showing drastic population reduction for Simeon. |
| Num 26:52-56 | "The land shall be divided by lot...to a large tribe you shall give a larger inheritance, and to a small tribe a smaller inheritance." | Instruction for land distribution by lot, proportional to size. |
| Josh 13:1 | "Joshua was old and advanced in years...there remains yet very much land to possess." | Setting for the land distribution process. |
| Josh 14:1-2 | "These are the inheritances that the people of Israel received in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest and Joshua...divided by lot among them." | Authority and method of land division emphasized. |
| Josh 15:1 | "The lot for the tribe of the people of Judah according to their clans reached southward to the boundary of Edom." | Judah's vast initial inheritance, which Simeon was part of. |
| Josh 17:10 | "To Manasseh belonged the land of Gilead; and the border of Asher went northward and belonged to Manasseh...and they reached to Zebulun on the east, and to Issachar on the north." | Example of how tribes bordering others was typical, contrasting Simeon's inner placement. |
| Josh 18:6 | "You shall map the land into seven portions and bring the map here to me, and I will cast lots for you here before the Lord our God." | The precise divine process of casting lots at Shiloh. |
| Jdg 1:3 | "Judah said to Simeon his brother, 'Come up with me...that we may fight against the Canaanites, and I in turn will go with you into your inheritance.'" | Simeon and Judah's close alliance and shared territory confirmed. |
| Jdg 1:17 | "And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they struck the Canaanites..." | Further confirmation of their continued joint actions. |
| 1 Sam 27:6 | "...Ziklag, so Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day." | Ziklag, originally a Simeonite city (Josh 19:5), became part of Judah. |
| 1 Chr 4:24-31 | "The sons of Simeon: Nemuel...And they lived at Beer-sheba...until the reign of David. Their villages were five cities: Beer-sheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual..." | Simeonite clans and their towns, primarily in the southern Negeb within Judah. |
| 1 Chr 4:39-43 | "They went to the entrance of Gedor...found rich, good pasture...These, recorded by name, came in the days of Hezekiah...struck down the Amalekites...and have lived there to this day." | Later expansion and seeking pasture, demonstrating their mobile nature and effective 'scattering'. |
| Prov 16:33 | "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord." | Highlights the divine control over the lot's outcome. |
| Psa 78:55 | "He drove out nations before them...and apportioned them an inheritance by measurement; and He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents." | God's sovereignty in land distribution by precise method. |
| Acts 1:26 | "And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was added to the eleven apostles." | The concept of using lots to discern God's will is affirmed even in the New Testament. |
| Eph 1:11 | "In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will." | New Testament concept of spiritual inheritance, echoing Old Testament physical inheritance as God's divine purpose. |
| Col 1:12 | "giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light." | Spiritual inheritance for believers. |
| Heb 9:15 | "Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant...that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance." | The ultimate fulfillment of inheritance promises in Christ. |
| Ezek 48:24-25 | "Beside the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, shall be Gad, one portion. And beside the border of Gad, from the east side to the west, shall be Simeon, one portion." | Future, eschatological re-establishment of Simeon with its own distinct border, indicating restoration. |
Joshua 19 verses
Joshua 19 1 Meaning
Joshua 19:1 records the assignment of the second lot in the distribution of the land of Canaan to the tribe of Simeon. This verse distinctively highlights that Simeon's territorial inheritance was situated uniquely within the larger inheritance of the prominent tribe of Judah. This placement ensured Simeon received its allotted portion of the promised land, yet also fulfilled a long-standing prophecy regarding their dispersal.
Joshua 19 1 Context
Joshua chapter 19 describes the allocation of the remaining territories to seven Israelite tribes—Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan—after Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh had received theirs. The allocation took place at Shiloh, before the Lord, with Eleazar the priest and Joshua leading the process. This specific verse begins the account of Simeon's lot. Following the immense initial allotment to Judah, which encompassed a vast region of the southern Negeb, it was discovered that Judah's territory was "too much for them" (Josh 19:9). Consequently, a portion of Judah's land was assigned to Simeon. This historical context reveals both the method of land distribution—divine determination through lot—and the dynamic adjustments made based on practicalities and God's larger sovereign plan for each tribe.
Joshua 19 1 Word analysis
- The second lot (הַגּוֹרָל הַשֵּׁנִי, ha-gorál ha-sheiní):
- Lot (גּוֹרָל, gorál): A sacred method used to determine God's will. It signifies divine appointment and avoids human bias. Its outcome was considered direct from the Lord (Prov 16:33).
- Second: This indicates the sequence in which the lots were drawn for the remaining tribes at Shiloh. It does not imply significance in size or prominence, merely the order of allocation.
- came out (יָצָא, yatsa'): Literally "went out" or "emerged." It conveys the idea that the lot was drawn and its result was clearly revealed. This verb underscores the definitive nature of the divine selection.
- for Simeon (לְשִׁמְעוֹן, le-Shim'on):
- Simeon (שִׁמְעוֹן, Shim'on): The second son born to Jacob by Leah, whose name means "he has heard." This tribe plays a specific role in Israel's history, marked by its eventual dwindling numbers and unique territorial situation.
- for the tribe of the people of Simeon (לְמַטֵּה בְנֵי שִׁמְעוֹן, le-matteh benei Shim'on):
- Tribe (מַטֶּה, matteh): Often represented by a staff or rod, symbolizing authority or a distinct branch of a larger group. It reinforces that the inheritance was for the collective tribal entity.
- People of (בְנֵי, benei): Literally "sons of." This signifies the descendants, highlighting the corporate identity receiving the land.
- according to their clans (לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם, le-mishpachotam):
- Clans (מִשְׁפָּחָה, mishpachah): Subdivisions within a tribe, essentially extended families. This detail ensures that the land was allocated fairly and specifically down to the family units based on their size and number. It emphasizes ordered internal distribution.
- and their inheritance (וְנַחֲלָתָם, ve-nachalatām):
- Inheritance (נַחֲלָה, nachalah): More than mere land or property; it denotes an enduring possession, a divinely given and guaranteed ancestral homeland that provides identity and sustenance. It ties directly into God's covenant promises to Abraham and his descendants.
- was in the midst of the inheritance of the people of Judah (הָיְתָה בְּתוֹךְ נַחֲלַת בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה, haytah be-tokh nachalat benei Yehudah):
- In the midst of (בְּתוֹךְ, be-tokh): This is the most crucial phrase, indicating inclusion or encirclement. Simeon's territory was not independently bordered but surrounded or embedded within Judah's vast area.
- Judah (יְהוּדָה, Yehudah): Jacob's fourth son, the most dominant tribe, from whom kings (including David) and the Messiah would come. Their vast inheritance was the largest allotted. This unique arrangement fulfilled Jacob's prophecy concerning Simeon and reflects Simeon's diminished size after events like the Baal-Peor plague.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "The second lot came out for Simeon": This highlights the divinely guided process for land distribution, underscoring God's sovereignty over the Promised Land and its allocation to specific tribes, irrespective of their perceived power or standing. The 'lot' system prevents human contention over territory.
- "for the tribe of the people of Simeon, according to their clans": This phrase emphasizes the hierarchical and detailed nature of the land distribution. The allotment was for the collective tribe, then precisely subdivided and distributed internally among its various families and clans, ensuring that every Israelite family received its entitled portion according to its size.
- "and their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the people of Judah": This is the distinctive and unique aspect of Simeon's inheritance. It contrasts with other tribes that received contiguous, outwardly bounded territories. This unusual placement within the largest and most powerful tribe (Judah) is widely interpreted as a direct fulfillment of Jacob's prophecy in Gen 49:7, where he declares that Simeon and Levi will be "scattered in Israel." For Simeon, this scattering involved not having their own distinct external territory, but being absorbed into another tribe's allocation. It also reflects Simeon's significant numerical decline.
Joshua 19 1 Bonus section
- The placement of Simeon within Judah highlights a divine pattern of both judgment (in the sense of the prophecy's fulfillment through dispersal) and mercy (in still receiving a tangible inheritance within the promised land). God's discipline serves His larger redemptive purposes and does not negate His promises.
- Simeon’s fate provides a contrast to Levi. Both were "scattered" according to Jacob's prophecy. Levi's scattering involved religious service across all tribes, a privileged role; Simeon's involved being geographically dependent and effectively assimilated. This demonstrates varying applications of prophetic fulfillment based on subsequent tribal history and spiritual standing.
- This arrangement allowed Judah to share its excessively large inheritance, indicating practical wisdom guided by divine provision. It avoided having too much land for one tribe while another lacked adequate space.
Joshua 19 1 Commentary
Joshua 19:1 marks the start of Simeon's inheritance allocation, uniquely positioning it within the territory of Judah. This isn't just a geographical detail; it is deeply significant theologically and historically. The distribution by lot affirmed God's sovereign control over the land, demonstrating that Israel's possession was a divine gift, not merely a conquest by strength.
Simeon's placement fulfills Jacob's prophecy in Genesis 49:7, which spoke of Simeon and Levi being "scattered." While Levi, having no territorial inheritance, received cities among all tribes, Simeon's scattering took the form of being subsumed by Judah, indicating their loss of independent tribal power. This particular arrangement likely stemmed from their greatly diminished numbers after the plague at Baal-Peor (Num 25; 26:14) and potentially reflected the lasting consequence of their earlier violent actions (Gen 34). Despite their challenges and prophecy of dispersion, God remained faithful to His covenant, ensuring even Simeon received an inheritance within the Promised Land, upholding His pledge to Abraham. The absorption into Judah indicates their later integration and effective loss of distinct political identity, yet still ensured their presence in the land.