Bible Strands
Joshua 19:8
and all the villages surrounding these cities as far as Baalath-beer (Ramah of the Negev). This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Simeon.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Joshua records the territorial allotment for the tribe of Simeon to the Israelite leadership as the land distribution nears completion. The narrator specifies the geographic boundaries of Simeon's inheritance within Judah's broader portion.
The words — The text uses חֲצֵרִים (cha.tze.Rim), literally "villages" or "enclosures," to describe the smaller settlements attached to the main cities. It also employs עַד ('ad), translated "to" or "as far as," to mark the northern limit of the territory at Baalath.
The thread — The phrase "all their surrounding villages" reappears in 1 Chronicles 4:33 alongside the same geographic markers, confirming the settlement pattern. The location Baalath also surfaces in 1 Samuel 30:27 as part of the Negev region's network of towns.
Why it lands — The passage demands recognition that tribal inheritances were defined by precise boundaries and dependent settlements rather than abstract claims. It requires the reader to accept that land allocation was a concrete, recorded reality tied to specific geographic limits.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- 1 Chronicles 4:33 and all their surrounding villages as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they kept a genealogical record:
- 1 Samuel 30:27 He sent gifts to those in Bethel, Ramoth Negev, and Jattir;