THEOSISJerome of Stridon
And there will be a single inheritance from the boundary of Dan extending from the eastern side to the sea of Dan, and similarly, there will be one inheritance from the border of Dan stretching from the eastern side to the sea of Asher. Additionally, from the border of Dan on the eastern side to the coasts of Asher, there will be one inheritance. Following that, beyond the border of Asher, a single inheritance will stretch from the eastern side to the coast of Naphtali. Furthermore, extending beyond the border of Naphtali from the east to the coastline, there will be one inheritance for Manasseh. Beyond Manasseh's territory, moving from the eastern border to the western side, there will be one inheritance for Ephraim.
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Continuing beyond Ephraim, from the eastern boundary to the sea, there will be one inheritance allocated to Reuben. Lastly, beyond Reuben's boundary, extending from the east side to the coastline, there will be one inheritance for Judah. In total, these delineate the boundaries proceeding from north to south, starting at Ephalon towards Emath, including the court of Aser-Enom and the boundary of Damascus mentioned earlier. This delineation begins with the tribe of Dan, followed by Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, and Judah on the left side, totaling seven tribes. The next part addresses the priests and Levites, with the temple of the Lord positioned in the center, alongside the holy of holies. The city itself is described, measuring four thousand five hundred cubits on each of its four sides, and the sections for the priests, Levites, and the prince are also outlined accordingly.
On the opposite side, there follow the five tribes from the eastern boundary to the west, beginning with Benjamin, followed by Simeon, which has its independent inheritance separate from Judah, then Issachar third, Zebulun fourth, and Gad fifth, each designated by three gates on each city border, along with the city's name inscribed on a golden plaque held by the high priest. All these details will be discussed in due course. It is important to note that the names of the forty-eight cities granted to the tribe of Levi, along with their suburbs, are not mentioned here, as documented in the book of Numbers, nor the cities of refuge—three of which, Bosor, Ramoth, and Gablon, were located across the Jordan for the two and a half tribes, while three more, Kadesh, Shechem, and Cariafarbeh, were situated on this side. In this symbolic depiction, alongside the dwelling of the saints and their existence, it was unnecessary to describe the provisions for those seeking refuge or what was needed by Israel as they journeyed on earth amid various struggles and perils, striving to reach this city, echoing through the voices of the saints, "I am a stranger and an alien, as were all my fathers" (Psalms 38:13). Additionally, "I am with the villages of Kidar, my soul is many" (Psalm 119:5-6).