And all the villages that [were] round about these cities,.... Not only the suburbs adjoining to those cities which are mentioned before, but the several small distinct towns and villages, scattered up and down in the country:to Baalathbeer, Ramath of the south: this is the same with Baal in 1Ch 4:33; and with Ramath of the south, or south Ramoth, as it is called 1Sa 30:27; all these are the names of one and the same city:this [is] the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon,according to their families; that is, the above named cities fell to the lot of the inheritance of the Simeonites, and were divided among them according to the number of their respective families; at least, these were the chief and principal of them; for all that they possessed are not mentioned, particularly one called Tochen, 1Ch 4:32; and another, the name of which is Etam there, unless that is thought to be the same with Ether here in Jos 19:7.
Josephus says , this tribe took by lot that part of Idumea which lay near to Egypt and Arabia. Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect.