THEOSISJerome of Stridon
What is left shall be designated for the leader, encompassing the areas around the holy site and the city, extending from the initial twenty-five thousand reeds to the eastern border and towards the sea along the same distance. This territory shall serve as the inheritance of the leader, with the holy sanctuary located at its center. Among the lands belonging to the Levites and the city, the section situated between the borders of Judah and Benjamin will also be allocated to the leader. Previously, it was noted that this leader received as much as a tribe, but it is now revealed that he will alone inherit all that remains from the tribes.
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Each tribe has contributed offerings to him—not from anywhere else, but from the treasures designated for the temple, the sanctuary, and the chosen portions within the city. This understanding aligns with the phrase, "Against the twenty-five thousand seed to the eastern border or to the sea border," where the seed lies between the seven and five tribes, with the city and its surroundings laid upon this seed, and at its heart, the sanctuary of the temple.
Furthermore, all that remains from the Levites’ and the city’s possessions shall be given to the leader. The outermost territories of the seven tribes will be adjacent to the seed, the city, and the temple within the tribe of Judah, while the farthest sections of the five tribes will similarly belong to the tribe of Benjamin, all designated for the leader. Consequently, the scriptural laws invite reflection and awe rather than mere explanation. In the original division of the land beyond the Jordan, carried out by Moses, the inheritance was allotted to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and a half-tribe of Manasseh. On the Jordan's western shore, Judah received its southern allotment from Joshua and Eleazar, while Ephraim and half of Manasseh acquired the northern territory.
Later, spies sent from Shiloh reported back about the land distribution to Joshua and Eleazar, resulting in Benjamin's inheritance being situated southward near Judah and adjacent to Ephraim and half of Manasseh. The tribe of Simeon was assigned land within Judah, fulfilling the prophecy concerning Levi and Simeon: "I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel" (Genesis 49:7). Zebulun was granted Galilee, home to Mount Tabor. Issachar received territory extending to the Jordan. Asher's land reached Mount Carmel, bordering the great sea, including areas surrounding Tyre and Sidon. Naphtali occupied the lands of Galilee, extending as far as the Jordan, where Tiberias, formerly known as Heneref, is located. The tribe of Dan's territory extended to Joppa, near the towers of Ailon, Selebi, and Emmaus, known today as Nicopolis. Following this, the Danites pushed beyond to claim the city of Leshem in their tribe, currently referred to as Paneas.
Given this, the significant differences between the initial tribal distribution and the present scenario warrant attention, particularly concerning the positioning of the city and the temple between Judah and Benjamin in both distributions. In the earlier division, Judah lay to the south and Benjamin to the north; now, it is reversed, with Judah in the north and Benjamin in the south. Following are Simeon second, Issachar third, Zebulun fourth, and Gad fifth, encompassing the five tribes as further elaborated upon in the text.