25. The villages. Nehemiah now leaves the city population of Jerusalem to give a list of towns apparently belonging to the province of Judea. This list makes possible a map of Judea of the time of Nehemiah on a somewhat more secure basis than would otherwise be possible, see The Province of Judah in NehemiahÃâ¢s Time. However, the list as given here is incomplete, since a number of cities mentioned in Ezra 2:20-34 and Neh. 3 known to be populated by Jews in the postexilic period are not listed.
Kirjath-arba. An older name of Hebron (Judges 1:10), and apparently based on the name of its founder Arba, one of the Anakim (Joshua 14:15; 15:13; 21:11). It is of interest to note that the ancient name was restored after the Captivity.
Dibon. Thought to be a variant spelling of Dimonah, listed among cities of the Negeb in Joshua 15:21-26. If so, it would have been in the neighborhood of Aroer, now ‘Ar‘arah, about 12 (7.4 ) southeast of Beersheba. Dibon itself, however, has not yet been located.
Jekabzeel. This unidentified place seems to have been the same as Kabzeel, in the extreme south of Judah.