Joshua 19:22

The coast. Rather “the boundary.” The Hebrew has the same word that is usually translated “boundary,” or “border.” From the places mentioned, the reference is probably to the northern boundary.

Tabor. The city probably received its name from Mt. Tabor, on whose plateau it is thought to have been situated. It is identified, probably correctly, with the village of Deburiyeh, west of the mountain, on the ridge leading to Nazareth.

Shahazintah. The site of Shahazimah is not definitely known, but it was probably, like this Beth-shemesh, on the north border of Issachar toward the Jordan, perhaps a little to the northeast.

Beth-shemesh. “House of the sun,” not to be confused with a town of the same name in Judah (ch. 15:10) and one in Naphtali (ch. 19:38). It has been identified with el-‘Abeidiyeh. The number of cities by this name shows the prevalence of sun worship.

Sixteen cities. Including Tabor. Otherwise there would be only 15, which shows that Tabor should be considered as a city rather than a mountain. Their total inheritance was not large, but it contained some of the richest soil of the country. Issachar was quite powerful. When counted at Sinai, the adult males numbered 54,400 (Num. 1:28, 29), and later, on the plains of Shittim, they had increased to 64,300 (Num. 26:25), being exceeded only by Judah and Dan.