Introduction: The Continuation of the Division of the Land Among the Seven Tribes
Chapter 19 continues the work of dividing the land that was done in Shiloh. After the lot of Yehudah, the lots of Shimon, Zevulun, Yissachar, Asher, Naftali and Dan are recorded here, and at the end of the chapter comes the portion of Yehoshua bin Nun and the description of the completion of the division. Let it be said at the outset: this is a chapter of lists of portions and boundaries, and there would certainly be room to show where each place was and how exactly the borders ran, but we have no map here, so we will go over the material and read it, and dwell on the explanations that contain a novel insight.
The Lot of Shimon Within the Portion of Yehudah
וַיֵּצֵא הַגּוֹרָל הַשֵּׁנִי לְשִׁמְעוֹן לְמַטֵּה בְנֵי־שִׁמְעוֹן לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָם, וַיְהִי נַחֲלָתָם בְּתוֹךְ נַחֲלַת בְּנֵי־יְהוּדָה. - The second lot came out for Shimon, for the tribe of the children of Shimon according to their families, and their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Yehudah.
We already asked above: how did they divide the land into seven portions, when Shimon did not receive a portion of its own but rather an inheritance within the portion of the children of Yehudah? The Malbim answers: from here is proof for what we wrote earlier, that the lot determined only the territory, that is, the location of each tribe. The lot did not determine how much each tribe would receive according to the number of its people, for that Yehoshua determined afterward according to whether the tribe was large or small. The lot said: this one will be in the Galil, this one in the south, this one in the north, this one at this point and that one at another point, but the precise division of how much each would receive according to its population was done by Yehoshua.
And this was the order: the lot cast in Gilgal placed the territory of Yehudah in the south of the Land of Israel, from east to west. Yehoshua began to divide the cities according to the number of people, and found that in Yehudah's portion there fell more cities than they needed. What did he do? He set aside the surplus portion for another tribe. But it was not yet known which tribe would receive an inheritance there, and for this a lot was needed: Yehoshua divides only after the lot fixes each one's location. He indeed divides according to the number of people, but he needed to know who was supposed to be in this region. The part that remained of Yehudah, which the tribe of Shimon inherited, was joined to the remaining six portions, and thus came out seven equal portions, in each of which each tribe received its place, including Shimon, for whom the lot determined that it would be with Yehudah. And Yehoshua divided in such a way that Yehudah would have enough room for its people and Shimon too would have enough room for its people.
The Malbim adds further: it was specifically the lot of Shimon that fell within another inheritance, in order to fulfill what was said, "אֲחַלְּקֵם בְּיַעֲקֹב וַאֲפִיצֵם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל" ("I will divide them in Yaakov and scatter them in Israel"). That is, Shimon does not receive a place of its own, but rather a place within another inheritance, within the tribe of Yehudah.
(2) וַיְהִי לָהֶם בְּנַחֲלָתָם בְּאֵר־שֶׁבַע וְשֶׁבַע וּמוֹלָדָה. (3) וַחֲצַר שׁוּעָל וּבָלָה וָעָצֶם. (4) וְאֶלְתּוֹלַד וּבְתוּל וְחׇרְמָה. (5) וְצִקְלַג וּבֵית־הַמַּרְכָּבוֹת וַחֲצַר סוּסָה. (6) וּבֵית לְבָאוֹת וְשָׁרוּחֶן, עָרִים שְׁלֹשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן. (7) עַיִן רִמּוֹן וָעֶתֶר וְעָשָׁן, עָרִים אַרְבַּע וְחַצְרֵיהֶן. (8) וְכָל־הַחֲצֵרִים אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבוֹת הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה עַד־בַּעֲלַת בְּאֵר רָאמַת נֶגֶב, זֹאת נַחֲלַת מַטֵּה בְנֵי־שִׁמְעוֹן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם. (9) מֵחֶבֶל בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה נַחֲלַת בְּנֵי שִׁמְעוֹן, כִּי־הָיָה חֵלֶק בְּנֵי־יְהוּדָה רַב מֵהֶם, וַיִּנְחֲלוּ בְנֵי־שִׁמְעוֹן בְּתוֹךְ נַחֲלָתָם. - (2) And they had in their inheritance Beer Sheva, and Sheva, and Moladah. (3) And Chatzar Shual, and Balah, and Etzem. (4) And Eltolad, and Betul, and Chormah. (5) And Tziklag, and Beit HaMarkavot, and Chatzar Susah. (6) And Beit Levaot, and Sharuchen, thirteen cities and their villages. (7) Ayin, Rimmon, and Eter, and Ashan, four cities and their villages. (8) And all the villages that were around these cities up to Baalat Beer Ramat Negev; this is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Shimon according to their families. (9) Out of the portion of the children of Yehudah was the inheritance of the children of Shimon, for the portion of the children of Yehudah was too much for them, so the children of Shimon inherited within their inheritance.
The Third Lot: Zevulun
(10) וַיַּעַל הַגּוֹרָל הַשְּׁלִישִׁי לִבְנֵי זְבוּלֻן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם, וַיְהִי גְּבוּל נַחֲלָתָם עַד־שָׂרִיד. (11) וְעָלָה גְבוּלָם לַיָּמָּה וּמַרְעֲלָה וּפָגַע בְּדַבָּשֶׁת וּפָגַע אֶל־הַנַּחַל אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי יׇקְנְעָם. (12) וְשָׁב מִשָּׂרִיד קֵדְמָה מִזְרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ עַל־גְּבוּל כִּסְלֹת תָּבֹר, וְיָצָא אֶל־הַדָּבְרַת וְעָלָה יָפִיעַ. (13) וּמִשָּׁם עָבַר קֵדְמָה מִזְרָחָה גִּתָּה חֵפֶר עִתָּה קָצִין, וְיָצָא רִמּוֹן הַמְּתֹאָר הַנֵּעָה. (14) וְנָסַב אֹתוֹ הַגְּבוּל מִצְּפוֹן חַנָּתֹן, וְהָיוּ תֹּצְאֹתָיו גֵּי יִפְתַּח־אֵל. (15) וְקַטָּת וְנַהֲלָל וְשִׁמְרוֹן וְיִדְאֲלָה וּבֵית לָחֶם, עָרִים שְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן. (16) זֹאת נַחֲלַת בְּנֵי־זְבוּלֻן לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָם, הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן. - (10) And the third lot came up for the children of Zevulun according to their families, and the border of their inheritance was up to Sarid. (11) And their border went up toward the sea, and to Maralah, and reached Dabeshet, and reached the brook that is before Yokneam. (12) And it turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrise to the border of Kislot Tavor, and went out to Daberat, and went up to Yafia. (13) And from there it passed on eastward to Gitah Chefer, to Itah Katzin, and went out to Rimmon, extending to Neah. (14) And the border turned around it on the north to Chanaton, and its endings were the valley of Yiftach El. (15) And Katat, and Nahalal, and Shimron, and Yidalah, and Beit Lechem, twelve cities and their villages. (16) This is the inheritance of the children of Zevulun according to their families, these cities and their villages.
The Fourth Lot: Yissachar
(17) לְיִשָּׂשכָר יָצָא הַגּוֹרָל הָרְבִיעִי, לִבְנֵי יִשָּׂשכָר לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָם. (18) וַיְהִי גְּבוּלָם יִזְרְעֶאלָה וְהַכְּסוּלֹת וְשׁוּנֵם. (19) וַחֲפָרַיִם וְשִׁיאֹן וַאֲנָחֲרַת. (20) וְהָרַבִּית וְקִשְׁיוֹן וָאָבֶץ. (21) וְרֶמֶת וְעֵין־גַּנִּים וְעֵין חַדָּה וּבֵית פַּצֵּץ. (22) וּפָגַע הַגְּבוּל בְּתָבוֹר וְשַׁחֲצִימָה וּבֵית שֶׁמֶשׁ, וְהָיוּ תֹּצְאוֹת גְּבוּלָם הַיַּרְדֵּן, עָרִים שֵׁשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן. (23) זֹאת נַחֲלַת מַטֵּה בְנֵי־יִשָּׂשכָר לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם, הֶעָרִים וְחַצְרֵיהֶן. - (17) The fourth lot came out for Yissachar, for the children of Yissachar according to their families. (18) And their border was Yizreelah, and Kesulot, and Shunem. (19) And Chafarayim, and Shion, and Anacharat. (20) And Rabit, and Kishyon, and Avetz. (21) And Remet, and Ein Ganim, and Ein Chadah, and Beit Patzetz. (22) And the border reached Tavor, and Shachatzimah, and Beit Shemesh, and the endings of their border were the Yarden, sixteen cities and their villages. (23) This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Yissachar according to their families, the cities and their villages.
The Fifth Lot: Asher
(24) וַיֵּצֵא הַגּוֹרָל הַחֲמִישִׁי לְמַטֵּה בְנֵי־אָשֵׁר לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָם. (25) וַיְהִי גְּבוּלָם חֶלְקַת וַחֲלִי וָבֶטֶן וְאַכְשָׁף. (26) וְאַלַמֶּלֶךְ וְעַמְעָד וּמִשְׁאָל, וּפָגַע בְּכַרְמֶל הַיָּמָּה וּבְשִׁיחוֹר לִבְנָת. (27) וְשָׁב מִזְרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בֵּית דָּגֹן, וּפָגַע בִּזְבֻלוּן וּבְגֵי יִפְתַּח־אֵל צָפוֹנָה בֵּית הָעֵמֶק וּנְעִיאֵל, וְיָצָא אֶל־כָּבוּל מִשְּׂמֹאל. (28) וְעֶבְרֹן וּרְחֹב וְחַמּוֹן וְקָנָה עַד צִידוֹן רַבָּה. (29) וְשָׁב הַגְּבוּל הָרָמָה וְעַד־עִיר מִבְצַר־צֹר, וְשָׁב הַגְּבוּל חֹסָה, וְהָיוּ תֹצְאֹתָיו הַיָּמָּה מֵחֶבֶל אַכְזִיבָה. (30) וְעֻמָה וַאֲפֵק וּרְחֹב, עָרִים עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם וְחַצְרֵיהֶן. (31) זֹאת נַחֲלַת מַטֵּה בְנֵי־אָשֵׁר לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם, הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן. - (24) The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families. (25) Their border was Chelkath, Chali, Beten and Achshaf. (26) And Alammelech, Amad and Mishal, and it reached Carmel westward and Shichor Livnath. (27) Then it turned eastward to Beth Dagon, reached Zebulun and the valley of Yiphtach El northward, Beth Haemek and Neiel, and went out to Cabul on the left. (28) And Ebron, Rechob, Chammon and Kanah as far as Great Sidon. (29) Then the border turned to Ramah and to the fortified city of Tyre, and the border turned to Chosah, and its ends were at the sea in the region of Achzib. (30) And Ummah, Aphek and Rechob, twenty two cities with their villages. (31) This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages.
The Sixth Lot: Naphtali
(32) לִבְנֵי נַפְתָּלִי יָצָא הַגּוֹרָל הַשִּׁשִּׁי, לִבְנֵי נַפְתָּלִי לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם. (33) וַיְהִי גְבוּלָם מֵחֵלֶף מֵאֵלוֹן בְּצַעֲנַנִּים וַאֲדָמִי הַנֶּקֶב וְיַבְנְאֵל עַד־לַקּוּם, וַיְהִי תֹצְאֹתָיו הַיַּרְדֵּן. (34) וְשָׁב הַגְּבוּל יָמָּה אַזְנוֹת תָּבוֹר, וְיָצָא מִשָּׁם חוּקֹקָה, וּפָגַע בִּזְבֻלוּן מִנֶּגֶב וּבְאָשֵׁר פָּגַע מִיָּם, וּבִיהוּדָה הַיַּרְדֵּן מִזְרַח הַשָּׁמֶשׁ. (35) וְעָרֵי מִבְצָר: הַצִּדִּים צֵר וְחַמַּת רַקַּת וְכִנָּרֶת. (36) וַאֲדָמָה וְהָרָמָה וְחָצוֹר. (37) וְקֶדֶשׁ וְאֶדְרֶעִי וְעֵין חָצוֹר. (38) וְיִרְאוֹן וּמִגְדַּל־אֵל חֳרֵם וּבֵית־עֲנָת וּבֵית שָׁמֶשׁ, עָרִים תְּשַׁע־עֶשְׂרֵה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן. (39) זֹאת נַחֲלַת מַטֵּה בְנֵי־נַפְתָּלִי לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם, הֶעָרִים וְחַצְרֵיהֶן. - (32) The sixth lot came out for the children of Naphtali, for the children of Naphtali according to their families. (33) Their border ran from Cheleph, from Elon in Zaanannim, and Adami Hannekeb and Yabneel as far as Lakkum, and its ends were at the Jordan. (34) The border turned westward to Aznoth Tabor, and from there went out to Chukkok, reaching Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west, and Judah at the Jordan toward the east. (35) The fortified cities: the Ziddim, Zer, Chammath, Rakkath and Kinnereth. (36) And Adamah, Ramah and Chazor. (37) And Kedesh, Edrei and En Chazor. (38) And Yiron, Migdal El, Chorem, Beth Anath and Beth Shemesh, nineteen cities with their villages. (39) This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities with their villages.
The Seventh Lot: Dan, and an Inheritance at the Edge of the Border
(40) לְמַטֵּה בְנֵי־דָן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם יָצָא הַגּוֹרָל הַשְּׁבִיעִי. (41) וַיְהִי גְּבוּל נַחֲלָתָם צׇרְעָה וְאֶשְׁתָּאוֹל וְעִיר שָׁמֶשׁ. (42) וְשַׁעֲלַבִּין וְאַיָּלוֹן וְיִתְלָה. (43) וְאֵילוֹן וְתִמְנָתָה וְעֶקְרוֹן. (44) וְאֶלְתְּקֵה וְגִבְּתוֹן וּבַעֲלָת. (45) וִיהֻד וּבְנֵי־בְרַק וְגַת־רִמּוֹן. (46) וּמֵי הַיַּרְקוֹן וְהָרַקּוֹן עִם־הַגְּבוּל מוּל יָפוֹ. - (40) The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families. (41) The border of their inheritance was Zorah, Eshtaol and Ir Shemesh. (42) And Shaalabbin, Ayalon and Yithlah. (43) And Elon, Timnathah and Ekron. (44) And Eltekeh, Gibbethon and Baalath. (45) And Yehud, Bene Berak and Gath Rimmon. (46) And the waters of the Yarkon and Rakkon, with the border opposite Yafo.
(47) וַיֵּצֵא גְבוּל־בְּנֵי־דָן מֵהֶם, וַיַּעֲלוּ בְנֵי־דָן וַיִּלָּחֲמוּ עִם־לֶשֶׁם וַיִּלְכְּדוּ אוֹתָהּ וַיַּכּוּ אוֹתָהּ לְפִי־חֶרֶב וַיִּרְשׁוּ אוֹתָהּ וַיֵּשְׁבוּ בָהּ, וַיִּקְרְאוּ לְלֶשֶׁם דָּן כְּשֵׁם דָּן אֲבִיהֶם. - (47) The border of the children of Dan went out beyond them, and the children of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, captured it, struck it with the edge of the sword, took possession of it and settled in it, and they called Leshem Dan, after the name of Dan their father.
The Malbim explains: we see that the children of Dan inherit at the far edge of the Land of Israel, at the frontier, near the border, and the reason is that they were unable to drive out the Emorite, as is stated explicitly in Judges chapter 1, verse 34. This is the meaning of what is written here, "וַיֵּצֵא גְבוּל־בְּנֵי־דָן מֵהֶם": the border went out of their hands, they did not take possession of their border, for the Emorite would not let them come down into the valley, and they could not inherit it at that time.
Based on this, we can also understand what is stated in Judges chapter 18, "כִּי לֹא נָפְלָה לוֹ עַד הַיּוֹם הַהוּא בְּתוֹךְ שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּנַחֲלָה", for it would seem that here we do in fact see that an inheritance fell to him. Rather, the intent of the verse is that his inheritance did not fall within the tribes, but only at the western extremity, at the frontier near the border. And for this reason, "וַיַּעֲלוּ בְנֵי־דָן וַיִּלָּחֲמוּ עִם־לֶשֶׁם", which is in the east of the Land of Israel, and it is the Laish mentioned there, and this event took place in the days when the Judges ruled.
(48) זֹאת נַחֲלַת מַטֵּה בְנֵי־דָן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם, הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן. - (48) This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.
"They Finished Inheriting" and "They Finished Dividing": Two Divisions
וַיְכַלּוּ לִנְחֹל־אֶת־הָאָרֶץ לִגְבוּלֹתֶיהָ, וַיִּתְּנוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נַחֲלָה לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן בְּתוֹכָם. - They finished inheriting the land according to its borders, and the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Yehoshua son of Nun in their midst.
Here it says "וַיְכַלּוּ לִנְחֹל" (they finished apportioning), and in verse 51 it says "וַיְכַלּוּ מֵחַלֵּק אֶת־הָאָרֶץ" (they finished dividing the land), and apportioning and dividing are two distinct things. The Malbim explains: here, "they finished apportioning," refers to the first division that was done by lot, which set the boundaries of each tribe's territory: where each tribe would dwell, this one in the Galil, this one in the north, this one in the center, and so on. Afterward there was the division by head count, which Yehoshua carried out according to whether the tribe was large or small, and about this it says at the end of the chapter "they finished dividing the land."
Yehoshua's Portion: By God's Word and Not by Lot
עַל־פִּי יְהוָה נָתְנוּ לוֹ אֶת־הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר שָׁאָל, אֶת־תִּמְנַת־סֶרַח בְּהַר אֶפְרָיִם, וַיִּבְנֶה אֶת־הָעִיר וַיֵּשֶׁב בָּהּ - By God's word they gave him the city he requested, Timnat-Serach in the hill country of Efrayim, and he built the city and dwelt in it.
Yehoshua's portion was given to him immediately after the lots, even before the division by head count. "By God's word they gave him" - the Malbim explains that this was joined together with the lot, for the lot itself was also by God's word. That is, they did not wait until the second division that was carried out by Yehoshua, which is the division by head count, since here Yehoshua is, as it were, taking for himself. Rather it was done in the original division that was by location, and his portion was already given to Yehoshua.
And this is what the Gemara says in Bava Batra 122: "אַךְ בְּגוֹרָל יֵחָלֵק אֶת־הָאָרֶץ" (only by lot shall the land be divided) - Yehoshua and Kalev were excluded. The Malbim explains: indeed, the specific division by head count was not done by lot, but rather Yehoshua divided it according to whether the tribe was large or small; yet nevertheless, before the second division was carried out by Yehoshua, how much each head would receive, per person, it was not possible to give in advance to Yehoshua and Kalev without a division, and therefore the matter had to be by God's word. And if you should ask: "by God's word" - perhaps here too a lot was cast? To this the Sages came and said that Yehoshua and Kalev were excluded, for with them there was no lot; rather they gave him the city he requested, by the word of a prophet, by God's word, and not by lot. So too Kalev took Chevron by God's word and not by lot. Therefore both of them could receive even before the specific division, since the specific division is carried out by Yehoshua, and Yehoshua may receive his portion since he himself is the divider, and thus they received before the others received their portions.
The Completion of the Division at Shiloh
אֵלֶּה הַנְּחָלֹת אֲשֶׁר נִחֲלוּ אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן וְרָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לְמַטּוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגוֹרָל בְּשִׁלֹה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, וַיְכַלּוּ מֵחַלֵּק אֶת־הָאָרֶץ - These are the inheritances that Elazar the Kohen and Yehoshua bin Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses apportioned to the tribes of the children of Israel by lot at Shiloh before God at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and they finished dividing the land.
The Malbim explains: here it refers to the division by head count, which Yehoshua carried out according to whether the tribe was large or small, as we explained.
In Summary:
Chapter 19 completes the lots of the seven tribes: Shimon, Zevulun, Yissachar, Asher, Naftali, and Dan. The principle that recurs throughout is the distinction between two divisions: the lot that set for each tribe its place and territory, and following it Yehoshua's division according to the head count, according to whether the tribe was large or small. From this it is understood why Shimon inherited within the portion of Yehudah, since Yehudah's portion was larger than it needed, and through this was also fulfilled "I will divide them in Yaakov and scatter them in Israel." Dan inherited at the edge of the land near the border, because it could not dispossess the Emori, and therefore it went up in the days of the Judges and captured Leshem and called it Dan. And finally Yehoshua, like Kalev, received his portion by God's word and not by lot, and with this the work of dividing the land was completed at Shiloh before God at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.