Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Joshua
Chapter 19: The Leader Served Himself Last
The division of the land is finished. Six more tribes receive their lots, Simeon (within Judah's abundance), Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan. Then comes a quiet act of great beauty: when every tribe had its inheritance, 'the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them.' The leader who had led the conquest took his own portion last of all, and only the city he asked for, which he then had to build. Here is servant leadership, a shadow of the greater Joshua who took the lowest place, that His people might inherit first.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Joshua chapter 19. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here the last six tribes receive their inheritance, and Joshua takes his own portion last of all. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Within Judah
The scattered tribe is carried within Judah's abundance.
Zebulun to Asher
The northern tribes receive their bounded portions.
The Last Lots
Dan, too small, goes up and takes Leshem.
His Portion Last
The leader takes his inheritance after all the rest.
Within the Inheritance of Judah (Joshua 19:1-31)
Simeon receives its portion within Judah's abundant lot, and Zebulun, Issachar, and Asher receive their inheritances in the north.
Judah's Portion Was Too Much for Them
"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. And they had in their inheritance Beersheba, or Sheba, and Moladah, And Hazarshual, and Balah, and Azem, And Eltolad, and Bethul, and Hormah, And Ziklag, and Bethmarcaboth, and Hazarsusah, And Bethlebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities and their villages: Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages: And all the villages that were round about these cities to Baalathbeer, Ramath of the south. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon: for the part of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of them. And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid: And their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that is before Jokneam; And turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrising unto the border of Chislothtabor, and then goeth out to Daberath, and goeth up to Japhia, And from thence passeth on along on the east to Gittahhepher, to Ittahkazin, and goeth out to Remmonmethoar to Neah; And the border compasseth it on the north side to Hannathon: and the outgoings thereof are in the valley of Jiphthahel: And Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages. And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families. And their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem, And Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath, And Rabbith, and Kishion, and Abez, And Remeth, and Engannim, and Enhaddah, and Bethpazzez; And the coast reacheth to Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Bethshemesh; and the outgoings of their border were at Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages. And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families. And their border was Helkath, and Hali, and Beten, and Achshaph, And Alammelech, and Amad, and Misheal; and reacheth to Carmel westward, and to Shihorlibnath; And turneth toward the sunrising to Bethdagon, and reacheth to Zebulun, and to the valley of Jiphthahel toward the north side of Bethemek, and Neiel, and goeth out to Cabul on the left hand, And Hebron, and Rehob, and Hammon, and Kanah, even unto great Zidon; And then the coast turneth to Ramah, and to the strong city Tyre; and the coast turneth to Hosah; and the outgoings thereof are at the sea from the coast to Achzib: Ummah also, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty and two cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages."
Word Study
"scatter," Hebrew puts (פּוּץ). Simeon's inheritance was unusual: it lay "within the inheritance of the children of Judah," absorbed into another tribe's territory. This fulfilled a word spoken long before. When Simeon and Levi murdered the men of Shechem in their anger, their father Jacob prophesied over them, "Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce... I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel" (Genesis 49:7), the word for "scatter" being puts. Both tribes would be scattered, given no compact territory of their own. Yet see how differently God wove that scattering into His purpose for each. Levi's scattering became a blessing and an honor: as priests, they were spread through all the tribes to teach the law and lead worship, and their inheritance was the LORD Himself. Simeon's scattering was more a matter of discipline: absorbed into Judah, they gradually lost distinctiveness. The same word, "scatter," fell on both, but grace turned it to honor for those set apart to God. This teaches something of the ways of God with discipline. A word of judgment need not be the end; God can weave even the consequences of sin into His good purpose for those who turn to Him. And there is mercy even in Simeon's lot, for they were placed "within" Judah, the royal and messianic tribe, near the promise, carried by the strength of another. So puts preaches both the seriousness of sin, whose consequences reach into generations, and the grace of God, who can turn a scattering into an honor, and carry the weak within the strong. What discipline scatters, grace can gather and use; and even under the shadow of an old word of judgment, God shows mercy to His people.
Explanation
Simeon's portion is unusual: it lies "within the inheritance of the children of Judah," having no separate territory of its own. This is no accident of geography but the fulfillment of an old prophecy. Dying Jacob had said of Simeon and Levi, because of their violence at Shechem, "I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel" (Genesis 49:7). Levi was scattered as the landless priestly tribe; Simeon was absorbed into Judah. The very map of the inheritance quietly records that God's word, spoken generations earlier, had come exactly to pass.
Gospel Focus
The division continues, tribe by tribe. Simeon receives its portion "within the inheritance of the children of Judah," for "the part of the children of Judah was too much for them." Here is a quiet picture of generosity: Judah's lot was so abundant that it gladly made room for Simeon within its borders. The tribe with much shared with the tribe with less, the abundance of one becoming the inheritance of another. And there is grace in Simeon's placement, for the once-cursed, scattered tribe was carried within Judah, the royal tribe from which Christ would come, near the very heart of the promise. Then Zebulun, Issachar, and Asher receive their portions in the north, each carefully bounded. Zebulun's lot included Bethlehem (a northern town of that name) and lay near Nazareth and the sea of Galilee, the region where the Light would one day dawn, for Isaiah prophesied that "the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali" would see "a great light" (Isaiah 9:1-2; Matthew 4:13-16), fulfilled when Jesus ministered in Galilee. Even in these boundary lists, the map of the tribes is quietly the map of redemption, the land where the Saviour would walk. For the Apostolic reader the section teaches two things. First, the generosity of the abundant toward the needy: Judah shared its "too much" with Simeon, a pattern for God's people, "your abundance may be a supply for their want" (2 Corinthians 8:14). Second, the grace that carries the weak within the strong: scattered Simeon found a home within royal Judah. So we learn to share our abundance with those who have less, and we take comfort that God carries the weak and the disciplined within the strength of His grace, near the heart of His promise, where the Light of the world would rise.
They Gave an Inheritance to Joshua Last (Joshua 19:32-51)
Naphtali and Dan receive the last tribal lots, and when all the tribes are settled, Israel gives Joshua his own inheritance, the city he asked for, taken last of all.
The City Which He Asked
"The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families. And their coast was from Heleph, from Allon to Zaanannim, and Adami, Nekeb, and Jabneel, unto Lakum; and the outgoings thereof were at Jordan: And then the coast turneth westward to Aznothtabor, and goeth out from thence to Hukkok, and reacheth to Zebulun on the south side, and reacheth to Asher on the west side, and to Judah upon Jordan toward the sunrising. And the fenced cities are Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth, And Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor, And Kedesh, and Edrei, and Enhazor, And Iron, and Migdalel, Horem, and Bethanath, and Bethshemesh; nineteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities and their villages. And the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families. And the coast of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Irshemesh, And Shaalabbin, and Ajalon, and Jethlah, And Elon, and Thimnathah, and Ekron, And Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath, And Jehud, and Beneberak, and Gathrimmon, And Mejarkon, and Rakkon, with the border before Japho. And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages. When they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts, the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them: According to the word of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnathserah in mount Ephraim: and he built the city, and dwelt therein. These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, divided for an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So they made an end of dividing the country."
Word Study
"made an end," Hebrew kalah (כָּלָה). The verb means to complete, to finish, to bring to an end; twice it marks the close of the great work: "When they had made an end of dividing the land," and, "So they made an end of dividing the country." The task begun in chapter 13, the dividing of the whole inheritance among the tribes, is now finished, every tribe settled, every portion assigned, the work complete. This is a note of God's faithfulness in finishing what He begins. He had promised Abraham the land; He gave it under Joshua; and now the inheritance is fully divided, the promise brought to completion. God is a finisher. "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). And the completed division at Shiloh, "before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle," foreshadows the completed work of our salvation. The greater Joshua, Jesus, cried from the cross the word this verb points to: "It is finished" (John 19:30), the work of redemption fully accomplished, the inheritance secured for His people. As Israel's inheritance was completely divided and given, so in Christ our inheritance is completely secured, "an inheritance incorruptible... reserved in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:4). So kalah assures us that God finishes His work. The dividing of the land was brought to an end; the work of salvation was finished at the cross; and the good work God has begun in His people He will surely complete. What God starts, He ends; His promises are not left half-done, but brought to their full and finished consummation.
Explanation
When every tribe has its portion, one man is served last: "the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua... the city which he asked." The leader who apportioned the whole land to everyone else took his own share only when all others were satisfied. It is a quiet model of servant-leadership — the shepherd eats after the flock, the greatest putting himself last. Joshua asked for a modest town in the hills, Timnath-serah, and there he would be buried. The one who could have claimed the best waited for the least.
Gospel Focus
The last two lots fall to Naphtali (whose land, with Zebulun's, would see the great light of Christ's Galilean ministry) and to Dan. Dan's portion proved "too little for them," and the chapter notes, almost in passing, that they went north and took Leshem, a move that would later lead the tribe into idolatry (Judges 18). But the crown of the chapter is its closing scene. When "they had made an end of dividing the land," and every tribe had received its inheritance, then, and only then, "the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them." Joshua, the great leader who had led the conquest and overseen the division, took his own portion last of all. He did not seize the choicest land, or take his share first; he served every tribe, saw them all settled, and then received "the city which he asked," Timnath-serah, a place he then had to build up himself. Here is a beautiful picture of servant leadership. The leader put himself last. He used his position not to enrich himself but to serve the people, and took his own reward only after all others had theirs. This is the very spirit Jesus commended and embodied: "whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister" (Matthew 20:27-28); "he that is greatest among you shall be your servant" (Matthew 23:11). Joshua is a shadow of the greater Joshua, Jesus, who, being Lord of all, took the lowest place, washed His disciples' feet, and gave Himself last and least, that His people might inherit first and most. For the Apostolic reader this is a searching model of leadership and of the Christian heart. True greatness in God's kingdom is not in being served but in serving, not in taking the best for ourselves but in seeing others provided for first. Joshua took his portion last; Christ took the cross that we might have the crown. So we lead as servants, we put others' good before our own, and we follow the greater Joshua, who served us to the uttermost and gave Himself that we might inherit all.
Chapter 19 in Review
Joshua 19 completes the division of the land. Simeon receives its portion "within the inheritance of the children of Judah," for Judah's part "was too much for them"; Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan receive their lots. When "they had made an end of dividing the land," Israel "gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them," "the city which he asked, even Timnathserah," which he then "built... and dwelt therein." "So they made an end of dividing the country," at Shiloh, "before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation."
For the Apostolic reader this closing chapter of the division holds several treasures. In Simeon carried within Judah we see grace turning an old word of discipline into mercy, the scattered tribe carried within the royal one, near the heart of the promise, and Judah's generosity in sharing its "too much" with a tribe that had less. In the completed division, "they made an end," we see the God who finishes what He begins: the inheritance fully divided, the promise brought to completion, a shadow of the finished work of salvation, for the greater Joshua cried, "It is finished." And in Joshua taking his own portion last of all, only the city he asked for, and that he had to build, we see the beauty of servant leadership. The leader put himself last, serving every tribe before taking his own reward, a picture of Christ, who, being Lord of all, took the lowest place and gave Himself last and least, that His people might inherit first. So we learn to share our abundance with those in need, we rest in the God who completes His work and secures our inheritance in Christ, and above all we follow the greater Joshua in servant-hearted love, counting true greatness not in being served but in serving, and putting the good of others before our own.
- Judah shared its "too much" with Simeon: the abundant supplying the needy (19:9; 2 Corinthians 8:14).
- Scattered Simeon was carried within royal Judah: grace turning discipline to mercy (19:1; Genesis 49:7).
- Zebulun and Naphtali's land would see "a great light" in Christ's Galilee (19:10, 32; Isaiah 9:1-2).
- "They made an end": God finishes the work He begins (19:49, 51; Philippians 1:6).
- The completed division foreshadows the finished work of salvation, "It is finished" (19:51; John 19:30).
- Joshua took his portion last: servant leadership, a shadow of Christ (19:49-50; Matthew 20:27-28).
Questions for Reflection
- Do you share your abundance with those who have less?
- How does it comfort you that God finishes the work He begins?
- Do you lead and serve by putting others' good before your own, as Joshua did?
- How does the greater Joshua, who took the lowest place, shape your idea of greatness?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. Simeon within Judah; the scattering; sharing abundance: Joshua 19:1-9; Genesis 49:5-7; 1 Chronicles 4:24-31, 39-43; 2 Corinthians 8:13-15. Zebulun and Naphtali; the light of Galilee: Joshua 19:10-16, 32-39; Isaiah 9:1-2; Matthew 4:13-16. Dan too little; the move north: Joshua 19:40-48; Judges 1:34; 18:1-31. The division completed; God finishes His work: Joshua 19:49, 51; Joshua 11:23; 21:43-45; Philippians 1:6; John 19:30; 1 Peter 1:4. Joshua's portion last; servant leadership: Joshua 19:49-50; Joshua 24:30; Matthew 20:25-28; 23:11; John 13:3-15; Philippians 2:5-8. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Simeon within Judah; the scattering turned to mercy; sharing abundance: Joshua 19:1-9; Genesis 49:7; 2 Corinthians 8:14.
- Zebulun and Naphtali; the land that would see the great light of Christ: Joshua 19:10-39; Isaiah 9:1-2; Matthew 4:16.
- "They made an end": God finishes His work; the finished salvation: Joshua 19:49, 51; Philippians 1:6; John 19:30.
- Joshua takes his portion last: servant leadership, a shadow of Christ: Joshua 19:49-50; Matthew 20:27-28; John 13:14.