And at Bethmarcaboth, and Hazar-susim, and at Bethbirei, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities unto the reign of David.
And at Beth-birei, х Beeyt-Bir'iy (H1011); supposed by Wilton ('Negeb,' p. 216) to have been originally (beeyt) haa'ªriy, or (beeyt) haa'ªriym, house of the lions = Beth-lebaoth, the dwelling of lionesses (Joshua 19:6)].
These were their cities unto the reign of David. In consequence of the sloth or cowardice of the Simeonites, some of the cities within their allotted territory were only nominally theirs, but were never taken from the Philistines until David's time, when, the Simeonites having forfeited all claim to them, he assigned them to his own tribe of Judah (1 Samuel 27:6).