The Cities of Judah
The inheritance of Judah is stated, and the cities in the Negev near Edom are listed town by town, ending with their total and villages. The territory begins to look inhabited rather than merely bounded.
T20his is the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Judah. 21These were the southernmost cities of the tribe of Judah in the Negev toward the border of Edom: 22Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor), 26Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet, 28Hazar-shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, 29Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 30Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, 31Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 32Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon— twenty-nine cities in all, along with their villages.
The list turns to the foothills, naming clusters of cities and villages and stretching westward from inland towns to Ekron, Ashdod, and Gaza by the Great Sea. Judah's settlement is shown across the lowland frontier.
33These were in the foothills: 34Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 36Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (or Gederothaim)— fourteen cities, along with their villages. 37Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad, 38Dilan, Mizpeh, Joktheel, 39Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40Cabbon, Lahmas, Chitlish, 41Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah— sixteen cities, along with their villages. 42Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah— nine cities, along with their villages. 45Ekron, with its towns and villages; 46from Ekron to the sea, all the cities near Ashdod, along with their villages; 47Ashdod, with its towns and villages; Gaza, with its towns and villages, as far as the Brook of Egypt and the coastline of the Great Sea.
The chapter next names cities in the hill country and then in the wilderness, again grouping them with their villages. Judah's inheritance is filled out from uplands to desert edges.
48These were in the hill country: 49Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir), 50Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51Goshen, Holon, and Giloh— eleven cities, along with their villages. 52Arab, Dumah, Eshan, 53Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, 54Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior— nine cities, along with their villages. 55Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah— ten cities, along with their villages. 58Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor, 59Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon— six cities, along with their villages. 60Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah— two cities, along with their villages. 61These were in the wilderness: 62Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi— six cities, along with their villages.
The register ends with an unfinished fact: Judah does not drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem, and they remain there among Judah to this day.
63But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the descendants of Judah.