יהושע, פרק י״ט, פסוק ט׳

The allocation of land among the tribes of Israel presents a unique arrangement when it comes to the tribe of Simeon. Unlike the other tribes, Simeon's inheritance does not stand as an independent territory. Instead, it is located entirely within the established borders of another tribe. A portion of the district initially granted to the tribe of Judah was later separated and reassigned to Simeon [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון].

The primary approach among commentators is that this integration was a practical response to the size of Judah's initial territory. The land Judah received was simply too vast for their population and greater than what they actually needed. Since the people of Judah did not require such a massive expanse of land, the people of Simeon were given their inheritance within it.

The historical background for this unique division stems from the conquest of the land itself. The tribe of Judah captured extensive territories, and it was the tribe of Simeon that went up to fight side by side with them [רד״ק]. Consequently, Simeon, which maintained its status as an independent tribe over time despite not being particularly large or prominent, settled in the southern region around Beersheba, fully enclosed within the borders of Judah [ביאור שטיינזלץ].