Benjamin’s Inheritance

Benjamin’s lot falls between Judah and Joseph, and the chapter first traces its northern and western boundary lines from the Jordan past Jericho, Bethel, and Beth-horon to Kiriath-jearim.

T¹¹he first lot came up for the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph: ¹²On the north side their border began at the Jordan, went up past the northern slope of Jericho, headed west through the hill country, and came out at the wilderness of Beth-aven. ¹³From there the border crossed over to the southern slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth-addar on the hill south of Lower Beth-horon. ¹⁴On the west side the border curved southward from the hill facing Beth-horon on the south and came out at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the sons of Judah. This was the western side.

The southern and eastern borders are then traced from Kiriath-jearim past the valleys near Jerusalem, down toward the Salt Sea, and back to the Jordan. Benjamin’s territory is enclosed by named landmarks and routes.

¹⁵On the south side the border began at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim and extended westward to the spring at the Waters of Nephtoah. ¹⁶Then it went down to the foot of the hill that faces the Valley of Ben-hinnom at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim and ran down the Valley of Hinnom toward the southern slope of the Jebusites and downward to En-rogel. ¹⁷From there it curved northward and proceeded to En-shemesh and on to Geliloth facing the Ascent of Adummim, and continued down to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. ¹⁸Then it went on to the northern slope of Beth-arabah and went down into the valley. ¹⁹The border continued to the northern slope of Beth-hoglah and came out at the northern bay of the Salt Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan. This was the southern border. ²⁰On the east side the border was the Jordan.

With the borders established, the chapter turns to the cities belonging to Benjamin’s clans and lists the first group, including Jericho, Bethel, and Geba. These towns are counted together with their villages.

²¹These were the cities of the clans of the tribe of Benjamin: ²²Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, ²³Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, ²⁴Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba— twelve cities, along with their villages.

A second set of Benjaminite cities follows, including Gibeon, Mizpeh, Gibeah, and Jebus, identified as Jerusalem. The inheritance closes with a final count of cities and their villages.

²⁵Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, ²⁶Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah, ²⁷Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, ²⁸Zelah, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath-jearim — fourteen cities, along with their villages.