1And the second heritage came out for the tribe of Simeon by their families; and their heritage was in the middle of the heritage of the children of Judah. 2And they had for their heritage Beer-sheba and Shema and Moladah 3And Hazar-shual and Balah and Ezem 4And Eltolad and Bethul and Hormah 5And Ziklag and Beth-marcaboth and Hazar-susah 6And Beth-lebaoth and Sharuhen; thirteen towns with their unwalled places; 7Ain, Rimmon, and Ether and Ashan; four towns with their unwalled places; 8And all the unwalled places round about these towns as far as Baalath-beer-ramah to the south. This is the heritage of the tribe of Simeon by their families. 9The heritage of Simeon was taken out of Judah's stretch of land, for Judah's part was more than they had need of, so the heritage of the children of Simeon was inside their heritage. 10And the third heritage came out for Zebulun by their families; the limit of their heritage was as far as Sarid; 11And their limit goes up to the west to Maralah, stretching to Dabbesheth, and to the stream in front of Jokneam; 12Then turning east from Sarid to the limit of Chisloth-tabor, it goes out to Daberath, and up to Japhia; 13And from there it goes on east to Gath-hepher, to Eth-kazin; ending at Rimmon which goes as far as Neah; 14And the line goes round it on the north to Hannathon, ending at the valley of Iphtah-el; 15And Kattath and Nahalal and Shimron and Idalah and Beth-lehem; twelve towns with their unwalled places. 16This is the heritage of the children of Zebulun by their families, these towns with their unwalled places. 17For Issachar the fourth heritage came out, for the children of Issachar by their families; 18And their limit was to Jezreel and Chesulloth and Shunem 19And Hapharaim and Shion and Anaharath 20And Rabbith and Kishion and Ebez 21And Remeth and En-gannim and En-haddah and Beth-pazzez; 22And their limit goes as far as Tabor and Shahazimah and Beth-shemesh, ending at Jordan; sixteen towns with their unwalled places. 23This is the heritage of the tribe of the children of Issachar by their families, these towns with their unwalled places. 24And the fifth heritage came out for the tribe of Asher by their families. 25And their limit was Helkath and Hali and Beten and Achshaph 26And Alammelech and Amad and Mishal, stretching to Carmel on the west and Shihor-libnath; 27Turning to the east to Beth-dagon and stretching to Zebulun and the valley of Iphtah-el as far as Beth-emek and Neiel to the north; on the left it goes as far as Cabul 28And Ebron and Rehob and Hammon and Kanah, to great Zidon; 29And the limit goes round to Ramah and the walled town of Tyre and Hosah, ending at the sea by Heleb and Achzib; 30And Ummah and Aphek and Rehob; twenty-two towns with their unwalled places. 31This is the heritage of the tribe of the children of Asher by their families, these towns with their unwalled places. 32For the children of Naphtali the sixth heritage came out, for the children of Naphtali by their families; 33And their limit was from Heleph, from the oak-tree in Zaanannim, and Adami-hannekeb and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum, ending at Jordan; 34And turning west to Aznoth-tabor, the limit goes out from there to Hukkok, stretching to Zebulun on the south, and Asher on the west, and Judah at Jordan on the east. 35And the walled towns are Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth 36And Adamah and Ramah and Hazor 37And Kedesh and Edrei and En-Hazor 38And Iron and Migdal-el, Horem and Beth-anath and Beth-shemesh; nineteen towns with their unwalled places. 39This is the heritage of the tribe of the children of Naphtali by their families, these towns with their unwalled places. 40For the tribe of Dan by their families the seventh heritage came out; 41And the limit of their heritage was Zorah and Eshtaol and Ir-shemesh 42And Shaalabbin and Aijalon and Ithlah 43And Elon and Timnah and Ekron 44And Eltekeh and Gibbethon and Baalath 45And Jehud and Bene-berak and Gath-rimmon; 46And on the west was ... opposite Joppa. 47(But the limit of the children of Dan was not wide enough for them; so the children of Dan went up and made war on Leshem and took it, putting it to the sword without mercy, and they took it for their heritage and made a place for themselves there, giving it the name of Leshem-dan, after the name of their father, Dan.) 48This is the heritage of the tribe of the children of Dan by their families, these towns with their unwalled places. 49So the distribution of the land and its limits was complete; and the children of Israel gave Joshua, the son of Nun, a heritage among them; 50By the orders of the Lord they gave him the town for which he made request, Timnath-serah in the hill-country of Ephraim: there, after building the town, he made his living-place. 51These are the heritages which Eleazar the priest and Joshua, the son of Nun, and the heads of families of the tribes of the children of Israel gave out at Shiloh, by the decision of the Lord, at the door of the Tent of meeting. So the distribution of the land was complete.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
The lot of Simeon. (1-9) The lot of Zebulun. (10-16) The lot of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan. (17-51) 1-9 The men of Judah did not oppose taking away the cities within their border, when convinced that they had more than was right. If a true believer has obtained an unintended and improper advantage in any thing, he will give it up without murmuring. Love seeketh not her own, and doth not behave unseemly; it will induce those in whom it richly dwells, to part with their own to supply what is lacking to their brethren. 10-16 In the division to each tribe of Israel, the prophetic blessings of Jacob were fulfilled. They chose for themselves, or it was divided to them by lot, in the manner and places that he foresaw. So sure a rule to go by is the word of prophecy: we see by it what to believe, and it proves beyond all dispute the things that are of God. 17-51 Joshua waited till all the tribes were settled, before he asked any provision for himself. He was content to be unfixed, till he saw them all placed, and herein is an example to all in public places, to prefer the common welfare before private advantage. Those who labour most to do good to others, seek an inheritance in the Canaan above: but it will be soon enough to enter thereon, when they have done all the service to their brethren of which they are capable. Nor can any thing more effectually assure them of their title to it, than endeavouring to bring others to desire, to seek, and to obtain it. Our Lord Jesus came and dwelt on earth, not in pomp but poverty, providing rest for man, yet himself not having where to lay his head; for Christ pleased not himself. Nor would he enter upon his inheritance, till by his obedience to death he secured the eternal inheritance for all his people; nor will he account his own glory completed, till every ransomed sinner is put in possession of his heavenly rest.