Joshua 19:2

And they had in their inheritance Beersheba, or Sheba, and Moladah,

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

19:1-9 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The inheritance of Simeon was taken out of the portion of Judah, which proved on experience to be larger than the numbers of that tribe required. The Simeonite territory is described by its towns, of which fourteen were in the Negeb, and four others Joshua 19:7 partly in the Negeb and partly in "the valley." On the narrow confines here assigned to Simeon, and its insignificant position altogether among the Twelve tribes, see Deuteronomy 33:6 note.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 19

Jos 19:1-9. The Lot of Simeon.

1. the second lot came forth to Simeon—The next lot that was drawn at Shiloh, gave the tribe of Simeon his inheritance within the territory, which had been assigned to that of Judah. The knowledge of Canaan possessed by the Israelites, when the division of the land commenced, was but very general, being derived from the rapid sweep they had made over it during the course of conquest; and it was on the ground of that rough survey alone that the distribution proceeded, by which Judah received an inheritance. Time showed that this territory was too large (Jos 19:9), either for their numbers, however great, to occupy and their arms to defend, or too large in proportion to the allotments of the other tribes. Justice therefore required (what kind and brotherly feeling readily dictated) a modification of their possession; and a part of it was appropriated to Simeon. By thus establishing it within the original domain of another tribe, the prophecy of Jacob in regard to Simeon was fulfilled (Ge 49:7); for from its boundaries being not traced, there is reason to conclude that its people were divided and dispersed among those of Judah; and though one group of its cities named (Jos 19:2-6), gives the idea of a compact district, as it is usually represented by map makers, the other group (Jos 19:7, 8) were situated, two in the south, and two elsewhere, with tracts of the country around them.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Beer-sheba, Sheba, or,

or Sheba, i.e. otherwise called; for that Beer-sheba and Sheba were one and the same city is manifest, both from Joshua 19:6, where all the cities are reckoned to be but thirteen; and from 1 Chronicles 4:28, where Simeon’s cities are enumerated, and Sheba omitted as superfluous.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And they had in their inheritance Beersheba and Sheba,.... Or, Beersheba, that is, Sheba; for so the particle "vau" is sometimes used (z), and must be so used here; or otherwise, instead of thirteen, it will appear that there are fourteen cities, contrary to the account of them, Joshua 19:6; so Kimchi and Ben Melech make them one city. And it may be observed, that in the enumeration of the cities of Simeon, 1 Chronicles 4:28; Sheba is left out, and only Beersheba is mentioned; which, was a well known place in, the farthest border of the land of Israel southward, and the reason of its name is manifest, Genesis 21:31; See Gill on Joshua 15:28,

and Moladah; another of the cities of Judah, Joshua 15:26.

(z) Vid. Noldium, p. 280. No. 1200.

Geneva Study Bible

And they had in their inheritance Beersheba, and Sheba, and Moladah,

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. And they had in their inheritance] First Group. 1. Beersheba, see note ch. Joshua 15:28; or Shema, so ch. Joshua 15:26 : comp. 1 Chronicles 4:28 with Genesis 26:33; Genesis 2. Moladah = el-Milh, see ch. Joshua 15:26, about four English miles from Tel Arad, eighteen from Hebron, and nine or ten due east of Beersheba;

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - Beersheba. A locality well known in Scripture, from Genesis 21:31 onwards. And Sheba. Some would translate here, or Sheba (see below). No doubt the city, of which nothing further is known, derived its name from Beer-sheba, "the well of the oath," close by. It is true that some little difficulty is caused by the omission of this city in 1 Chronicles 4:28, by the identification of Shehah with Beer-sheba in Genesis 26:33, and by the fact that in ver. 6 we are told that there were thirteen cities in this catalogue, whereas there are fourteen. On the other hand, Keil has remarked that in Joshua 15:32 the number of names does not correspond to the whole number of cities given; and we have a Shema, probably a mistake for Sheba, in Joshua 15:26, mentioned before Moladah among the cities of Judah. And, lastly, we have very few instances in Scripture of the disjunctive use of ו, though it seems impossible to deny that it is used in this sense in 1 Kings 18:27. Joshua 19:2

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Beersheba: see at Joshua 15:28. Sheba is wanting in the Chronicles, but has no doubt been omitted through a copyist's error, as Shema answers to it in Joshua 15:26, where it stands before Moladah just as Sheba does here. - On the names in Joshua 19:3-6, see the exposition of Joshua 15:28-32. - The sum total given in Joshua 19:6, viz., thirteen towns, does not tally, as there are fourteen names. On these differences, see the remarks on Joshua 15:32.