And Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Beth-lehem: twelve cities with their villages.
The casting of lots for the land is the distribution of allotted shares or divisions as determined by providence rather than mere chance. The verse belongs to the geographical record of how the Promised Land was divided among the tribes of Israel, naming towns and villages in the allotment. The twelve cities with their villages named here were assigned to the tribe of Zebulun. The Beth-lehem named here is among the towns of Zebulun, showing that there were two places called Bethlehem.
Zebulun's allotted territory was part of Galilee, and the country from Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee belonged to Zebulun. Galilee also included the districts assigned to Asher, Naphtali, and Issachar. Asher, Naphtali, and Issachar did not fully possess their territories but settled among the Canaanite population, sometimes making them tributary.
The casting of lots for the land is the distribution of allotted shares or divisions as determined by providence rather than mere chance. The verse belongs to the geographical record of how the Promised Land was divided among the tribes of Israel, naming towns and villages in the allotment. The twelve cities with their villages named here were assigned to the tribe of Zebulun. The Beth-lehem named here is among the towns of Zebulun, showing that there were two places called Bethlehem.
Zebulun's allotted territory was part of Galilee, and the country from Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee belonged to Zebulun. Galilee also included the districts assigned to Asher, Naphtali, and Issachar. Asher, Naphtali, and Issachar did not fully possess their territories but settled among the Canaanite population, sometimes making them tributary.