Day 9 - Joshua 19, Verses 1-23

By: Norman W. Berry

Narrator: Chris Genthree

Joshua 19:1‑23 • 1 min. read • grade level: 10

V.1-9 This tribe of Simeon received the southern part of what had been given to Judah. Judah failed to do what the children of Joseph did in Joshua 17:14-18¹⁴And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the Lord hath blessed me hitherto? ¹⁵And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee. ¹⁶And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Beth-shean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel. ¹⁷And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only: ¹⁸But the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong. (Joshua 17:14‑18). There, their faith and desire gave them energy to get more. Here, weakness and feebleness causes the loss of some of the land to others.

V.10-16 Of the cities and villages belonging to this tribe, Gittah-hepher (v. 13) is perhaps one of the most important in the tribe’s history. If you will look up 2 Kings 14:25 you will see whose home that city became in later years — the last word of that verse is another spelling of this city.

V.17-23 A touching story takes place in Shunem (v. 18, see 2 Kings 4:8-37), where the great prophet Elisha went one time.

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