Joshua 15:20-63
The Cities of Judah
20 This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families:
21 The cities at the limits of the tribe of the children of Judah, toward the border of Edom in the South, were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor, Hadattah, Kerioth, Hezron (which is Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27 Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet, 28 Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Bizjothjah, 29 Baalah, Ijim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twenty-nine, with their villages.
33 In the lowland: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 36 Sharaim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim: fourteen cities with their villages; 37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, 39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40 Cabbon, Lahmas, Kithlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages; 42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Jiphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities with their villages; 45 Ekron, with its towns and villages; 46 from Ekron to the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages; 47 Ashdod with its towns and villages, Gaza with its towns and villages—as far as the Brook of Egypt and the Great Sea with its coastline.
48 And in the mountain country: Shamir, Jattir, Sochoh, 49 Dannah, Kirjath Sannah (which is Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh: eleven cities with their villages; 52 Arab, Dumah, Eshean, 53 Janum, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron), and Zior: nine cities with their villages; 55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages; 58 Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon: six cities with their villages; 60 Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim) and Rabbah: two cities with their villages.
61 In the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi: six cities with their villages.
63 As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.
Judah inherited at least one hundred and one cities in the promised land as mentioned here, along with the small towns and villages surrounding them. They were identified from the southern border, the lowland, the mountain areas, and in the wilderness. The only city not in their reach at the time was Jerusalem, which would later be acquired (2 Samuel 5:6, 7) by King David. According to the prophecy of Jacob (Israel) in Genesis 49:8–12, Judah would give birth to many kings in this city when it was taken at last, culminating eventually with the King of Kings, the Messiah who we call Jesus Christ. When this account was written, Jerusalem was still out of reach of Judah, but it was still promised and eventually became the capital of Israel through Judah’s descendants. Such was the earthly inheritance of this important family of Israel that led to our Lord and Savior coming to us with the promise of a far better promised land (John 14:2, Hebrews 11:15, 16) that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:26-27, 28) or taken away by any opposing adversary like the devil (Genesis 3:15, Romans 16:20, Ephesians 6:12, 1 John 5:4) or mortal enemy (1 Corinthians 15:24-26) like death. Thanks be to God who gives us the final victory and the eternal inheritance as the spiritual tribe of true Israel (Romans 9:6, 8, Ephesians 2:13, 14-15, 16), of the promised land set aside for us all who have believed in His Son, and the work on the cross to reconcile us to Himself! We then spiritually obtain Judah’s inheritance in the kingdom in and through Christ.
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