Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes (עַיִן וְיֻתָּה וּבֵית־שֶׁמֶשׁ, Ayin veYuttah uVeit-Shemesh)—Beth-shemesh ("house of the sun") carried pagan connotations, likely a former Canaanite solar worship site, yet became a Levitical city. This site later witnessed the judgment upon those who looked into the ark of the covenant (1 Samuel 6:19-20), demonstrating that proximity to holiness without reverence brings destruction. The phrase nine cities out of those two tribes (תֵּשַׁע עָרִים מֵאֵת שְׁנֵי הַשְּׁבָטִים הָאֵלֶּה, tesha arim me'et shenei hashvatim ha'eleh) refers to Judah and Simeon, whose territories overlapped (Joshua 19:1).
The precise enumeration—exactly nine cities from Judah/Simeon—reveals God's mathematical precision in fulfilling the Levitical allocation prescribed in Numbers 35. No city was forgotten; no promise left incomplete.
Historical Context
Beth-shemesh (Tell er-Rumeileh) guarded the strategic Sorek Valley, a major route from the Philistine coastal plain into the Judean highlands. Excavations uncovered a substantial Israelite settlement with cultic installations. Its border location made it vulnerable to Philistine incursions (1 Samuel 6; 2 Kings 14:11-13). Ain may be the same as Ashan (1 Chronicles 6:59). Juttah (Yatta) lies 5 miles south of Hebron and may have been the city where John the Baptist's parents lived (Luke 1:39-40, "city of Judah" in the hill country).
Questions for Reflection
How does Beth-shemesh's tragic ark incident warn against casual familiarity with sacred things?
What does God's precise allocation of exactly nine cities teach about His faithfulness to detailed promises?
How should Christians today balance accessibility to God through Christ with reverence for His holiness?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes (עַיִן וְיֻתָּה וּבֵית־שֶׁמֶשׁ, Ayin veYuttah uVeit-Shemesh)—Beth-shemesh ("house of the sun") carried pagan connotations, likely a former Canaanite solar worship site, yet became a Levitical city. This site later witnessed the judgment upon those who looked into the ark of the covenant (1 Samuel 6:19-20), demonstrating that proximity to holiness without reverence brings destruction. The phrase nine cities out of those two tribes (תֵּשַׁע עָרִים מֵאֵת שְׁנֵי הַשְּׁבָטִים הָאֵלֶּה, tesha arim me'et shenei hashvatim ha'eleh) refers to Judah and Simeon, whose territories overlapped (Joshua 19:1).
The precise enumeration—exactly nine cities from Judah/Simeon—reveals God's mathematical precision in fulfilling the Levitical allocation prescribed in Numbers 35. No city was forgotten; no promise left incomplete.