Joshua 19:6

6 Beth Lebaoth and Sharuhen. The total number of towns was 13. Some of them had villages near them.

Joshua 19:6 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 19:6

And Bethlebaoth, and Sharuhen
Whether the first is the same with Lebaoth, a city of Judah, ( Joshua 15:32 ) ; and with the Bethleptepha of Josephus ^F2, and the Betholene of Pliny ^F3, is not certain: in this place secret to have been an idol temple of the Canaanites, dedicated to lions, as in Egypt there was a city called Leontopolis, from whence was the Leontopolitan nome, the inhabitants of which worshipped lions ^F4; and the Egyptians had temples dedicated to them, as Aelianus ^F5 relates. Both these places are thought to be the same with Bethbirei and Shaaraim in ( 1 Chronicles 4:31 ) ; of the latter of which see ( Joshua 15:36 ) . Those who take Sheba, ( Joshua 19:2 ) , to be the same with Shema, ( Joshua 15:26 ) , make but one city here, and take away the last, as the Greek version does, and render the word "and their fields", and so the number still is as follows:

thirteen cities and their villages;
the sum total of those enumerated above.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 De Jud. Bell. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 1.
F3 Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 14.
F4 Strabo. Geograph. l. 17. p. 559.
F5 De Animal. l. 12. c. 7.

Joshua 19:6 In-Context

4 Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,

5 Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah,

6 Beth Lebaoth and Sharuhen. The total number of towns was 13. Some of them had villages near them.

7 Here's another list of towns that were given to Simeon. Ain, Rimmon, Ether and Ashan. The total number of towns was four. Some of them had villages near them.

8 The towns and all of the villages that were around them reached all the way to Ramah in the Negev Desert. That was the share of land the tribe of Simeon received, family group by family group.