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Joshua Chapter
Nineteen
Joshua 19
Chapter Contents
The lot of Simeon. (1-9) The lot of Zebulun. (10-16) The
lot of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan. (17-51)
Commentary on Joshua 19:1-9
(Read Joshua 19:1-9)
The men of Judah did not oppose taking away the cities
within their border, when convinced that they had more than was right. If a
true believer has obtained an unintended and improper advantage in any thing,
he will give it up without murmuring. Love seeketh not her own, and doth not
behave unseemly; it will induce those in whom it richly dwells, to part with
their own to supply what is lacking to their brethren.
Commentary on Joshua 19:10-16
(Read Joshua 19:10-16)
In the division to each tribe of Israel, the prophetic
blessings of Jacob were fulfilled. They chose for themselves, or it was divided
to them by lot, in the manner and places that he foresaw. So sure a rule to go
by is the word of prophecy: we see by it what to believe, and it proves beyond
all dispute the things that are of God.
Commentary on Joshua 19:17-51
(Read Joshua 19:17-51)
Joshua waited till all the tribes were settled, before he
asked any provision for himself. He was content to be unfixed, till he saw them
all placed, and herein is an example to all in public places, to prefer the
common welfare before private advantage. Those who labour most to do good to
others, seek an inheritance in the Canaan above: but it will be soon enough to
enter thereon, when they have done all the service to their brethren of which
they are capable. Nor can any thing more effectually assure them of their title
to it, than endeavouring to bring others to desire, to seek, and to obtain it.
Our Lord Jesus came and dwelt on earth, not in pomp but poverty, providing rest
for man, yet himself not having where to lay his head; for Christ pleased not
himself. Nor would he enter upon his inheritance, till by his obedience to
death he secured the eternal inheritance for all his people; nor will he
account his own glory completed, till every ransomed sinner is put in
possession of his heavenly rest.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Joshua》
Joshua 19
Verse 1
[1] And
the second lot came forth to Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of
Simeon according to their families: and their inheritance was within the
inheritance of the children of Judah.
Within the inheritance of Judah — This was so ordered by God's providence, partly to fulfil that
threatning that he would divide and scatter this tribe in Israel, Genesis 49:7, which was hereby done in part,
because they had no distinct lot, but were as inmates to Judah; partly, because
now upon the more exact survey of the land, it appeared, that the part given to
Judah did far exceed the proportion which they needed, or which the other
tribes could expect. And this was the least of the tribes, Numbers 26:14, and therefore fittest to be put
within another tribe.
Verse 11
[11] And their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to
Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that is before Jokneam;
Toward the sea —
The lot of this tribe was washed by the midland sea on the west, and by the sea
of Tiberias on the east, answering Jacob's prophecy, Zebulun shall be an haven
of ships; trading ships on the great sea, and fishing ships on the sea of
Galilee.
Before Jokneam —
Supposed to be Kishon.
Verse 15
[15] And
Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities
with their villages.
Beth-lehem —
Not that where Christ was born, which was in Judah, but another.
Twelve cities —
There are more numbered here, but the rest either were not cities properly so
called, or were not within this tribe, but only bordering upon it, and
belonging to other tribes.
Verse 18
[18] And
their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem,
Jezreel —
The royal city, 1 Kings 21:1. This tribe, because it lay between
Benjamin on the south, and Zebulun on the north, is not here described by its
borders, which were the same with theirs; but by some of its cities.
Verse 26
[26] And Alammelech, and Amad, and Misheal; and reacheth to Carmel westward,
and to Shihorlibnath;
Carmel west-ward — Or,
Carmel by the sea, to distinguish it from Carmel in the tribe of Judah. This
was a place of eminent fruitfulness, agreeable to the prophecy concerning
Asher, Genesis 49:20.
Verse 27
[27] And
turneth toward the sunrising to Bethdagon, and reacheth to Zebulun, and to the
valley of Jiphthahel toward the north side of Bethemek, and Neiel, and goeth
out to Cabul on the left hand,
Cubal — A
city so called.
Left hand —
That is, on the north, which, when men look towards the east, as is usual, is
on their left hand.
Verse 28
[28] And
Hebron, and Rehob, and Hammon, and Kanah, even unto great Zidon;
Kenah —
Namely, Kenah the greater, in the upper Galilee; not Kenah the less, which was
in the lower Galilee.
Zidon —
Called great for its antiquity, and riches, and glory. The city either was not
given to the Israelites, or at least was never possessed by them; not without a
singular providence of God, that they might not by the opportunity of so good a
port, be engaged in much commerce with other nations; from which, together with
wealth, that great corrupter of mankind, they might contract their errors and
vices.
Verse 29
[29] And
then the coast turneth to Ramah, and to the strong city Tyre; and the coast
turneth to Hosah; and the outgoings thereof are at the sea from the coast to
Achzib:
To Ramah —
From the north southward.
To Tyre —
Exclusively, for this city was no part of the land given them. But this was not
the same city we read of afterwards. For that was built on an island, this on
the continent. Probably into these strong holds Tyre and Sidon, many of the
Canaanites fled, when Joshua invaded them.
Verse 30
[30]
Ummah also, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty and two cities with their villages.
Twenty two cities —
Here are more named, but some of them were not within this tribe, but only
bordering places.
Verse 33
[33] And
their coast was from Heleph, from Allon to Zaanannim, and Adami, Nekeb, and
Jabneel, unto Lakum; and the outgoings thereof were at Jordan:
Their coast —
Their northern border drawn from west to east, as appears, because when this
coast is described and brought to its end, the coast is said to turn from the
east westward, verse 34.
The out-goings —
The end of that coast.
Verse 35
[35] And
the fenced cities are Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth,
Cinnereth —
Whence the lake of Cinnereth or Genesareth received its name.
Verse 41
[41] And
the coast of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Irshemesh,
Of their inheritance — Which is here described only by its cities, not its borders, which are
in part the same with Judah's, and their inheritance is in good part taken out
of Judah's too large portion; as appears from divers of the cities here
mentioned, which are also reckoned in Judah's portion.
Verse 47
[47] And
the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them: therefore the
children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with
the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem,
Dan, after the name of Dan their father.
Went up to fight —
This was done after Joshua's death, and seems to be here inserted, that all the
chief places where the Danites dwelt, tho' far distant, might be mentioned
together; and to give an account of this strange accident, why they removed
from their appointed portion to so remote a place; which may be this, that
being much molested by their bad neighbours, they thought fit to go to some
place remote from them, which also they were in a manner constrained to do,
because otherwise they must have taken some part of the portions of other
tribes, whereas now going to the very utmost northern point of the land, they
took that which did not belong to any other tribe.
Verse 49
[49] When
they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts, the
children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them:
The children of Israel — That is, they are said to give it, because the whole land was given to
Joshua, and Eleazar, and the princes, as joint trustees, acting in the name,
and for the good of the people: so that even Joshua could take nothing without
their gift.
Verse 50
[50]
According to the word of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked, even
Timnathserah in mount Ephraim: and he built the city, and dwelt therein.
The word of The Lord — As God had promised, or commanded; either formerly, or at this time by
Eleazar.
He built —
That is, repaired and enlarged it, in which sense Nebuchadnezzar is said to
have built Babylon, Daniel 4:30.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Joshua》
19 Chapter 19
Verses 1-51
The part of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore
the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of them.
A too extensive earthly portion
A fine lesson for such who, in the amplitude of their earthly
portion, have more than themselves or their families in conscience require,
when numbers of their brethren, high-born as themselves and heirs to the
noblest hopes, have many of them not only a scanty lot, but scarcely the common
necessaries of life. If the one has too little, surely it may be said, though
few are likely to allow it, the other has too much. And why this disparity in
the condition of the brethren but for the trial of faith in the one and the display of charity in
the other? What
an admonition in so impoverished a world as this, where so many, comparatively
speaking, yea, and in cases not a few, literally are houseless and helpless,
without means of daily sustenance, to contract their own borders that room may
be given to these destitute Simeonites. The first Christians did this to an
extent not now required: so powerfully did the love of Christ operate in their
hearts, and so little hold had earthly things of their affections when placed
in competition with spiritual and heavenly interests, that the multitude of
them that believed were of one heart and of one soul--and in this too, in
practice as well as in sentiment (Acts 4:34-35). Without reducing to one
common stock, that distribution which should be alike to all, a state of things
evidently adapted only to times of persecution, and that under no other
circumstances could answer the designs of Providence in a condition of trial
common to this life, who is there that thinks he has too much, and is so
affected with the little which others have of the same household of faith, that
he is cheerfully ready to allow a part in his portion? therein discovering that
amiable feature of the Christian character which the apostle has marked as
strikingly beautiful, “willing to distribute.” (W. Seaton.)
An inheritance to Joshua,--
The leader disinterested
As in a shipwreck the captain is the last to leave the
doomed vessel, so here the leader of the nation was the last to receive a
portion. With rare self-denial he waited till every one else was provided for.
Here we have a glimpse of his noble spirit. That there would be much grumbling
over the division of the country he no doubt counted inevitable, and that the
people would be disposed to come with their complaints to him followed as a
matter of course. See how he circumvents them! Whoever might be disposed to go
to him complaining of his lot knew the ready answer he would get--“You are not
worse off than I am, for as yet I have got none!” Joshua was content to see the
fairest inheritance disposed of to others, while as yet none had been allotted
to him. He might have asked for an inheritance in the fertile and beautiful vale
of Shechem, consecrated by one of the earliest promises to Abraham, near to
Jacob’s well and his ancestor Joseph’s Comb, or under shadow of the two
mountains, Ebal and Gerizim, where so solemn a transaction had taken place
after his people entered the land. He asks for nothing of the kind, but for a
spot on one of the highland hills of Ephraim, a place so obscure that no trace
of it remains. It is described in Judges 2:9 as “Timnath-heres, in the hill
country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.” The north side of
the mountain does not indicate a spot remarkable either for amenity or
fertility. In the days of Jerome his friend Paula is said to have expressed
surprise that the distributer of the whole country reserved so wild and
mountainous a district for himself. His choice of it was a splendid rebuke to
the grumbling of his tribe, to the pride and selfishness of the “great people”
who would not be content with a single lot, and wished an additional one to be
assigned to them. “Up with you to the mountain,” was Joshua’s spirited reply;
“cut down the wood, and drive out the Canaanites!” In any case, he set a
splendid example of disinterested humility. How nobly contrasted with men like
Napoleon, who used his influence so greedily for the enrichment and
aggrandisement of every member of his family! Joshua came very near to the
spirit of our blessed Lord. (W. G. Blaikie, D. D.)
Self the last to be considered
The servant, though honourable above all, and worthy a double
portion, was as the last and least among them, and gave rest to others before
he took rest himself. In this he was a striking type of that adorable Redeemer,
the captain of the host of the Lord, who, till He had obtained full conquest
and possession for His people, sat not down at the right hand of God, in the
presence of His triumphant Church. Though Lord of all, yet He became the
servant of all, and as an example ever to be studied and copied by His
followers, said in expressive condescension and abasement, “Am not I among you
as one that serveth?” Oh! that this mind were more evidently in us which was in
Christ Jesus, who, in all He sacrificed, suffered, and forewent, ever looked on
the things of others, and in His self emptyings placed His own felicity and
glory in the salvation of His people. The lot assigned Joshua was his choice,
and within the portion of his own tribe. There was nothing of pre-eminence to
distinguish it from the possession of others, except as himself gave note to
it, and being the residence of one so exalted in character, so great in
achievements. It does not appear the best of the land, yet it possessed one
advantage, beyond what it could have had in fertility and extent, being near to
Shiloh, the habitation of holiness and seat of mercy. Lot chose Sodom for the
pleasantness and fertility of its plain, but Joshua chose Timnath-serah for the
holiness of its vicinity. How few in the settlements of life, whose means
afford the advantage of choice, are determined by considerations of piety and
the hope of rendering service to God and His people! Generally a residence is
sought which promises gratifications most congenial with their earthly wishes,
or where they may receive the
greatest good to themselves, and not where they may do the greatest good to others. (W.
Seaton, M. A.)
──《The Biblical Illustrator》
19 Chapter 19
INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 19
In
this chapter an account is given of the lots of the six remaining tribes, and
the cities in them, as of Simeon, whose cities were chiefly within the tribe of
Judah, Joshua 19:1; of
Zebulun, its border and cities, Joshua 19:10; of
Issachar, its border and cities, Joshua 19:17; of
Asher, its border and cities, Joshua 19:24; of
Naphtali, its border and cities, Joshua 19:32; of
Dan, its border and titles, Joshua 19:40; and
lastly of a gift of inheritance to Joshua, Joshua 19:49.
Verse 1
And the second lot came forth to Simeon,.... That is,
the second of the seven lots, of which Benjamin's was the first; otherwise
there were the two lots of Judah and Joseph, which preceded both these:
even for the tribe
of the children of Simeon, according to their families; for though
many of their cities had been given by lot to the tribe of Judah, yet it seems
as if there were others they had by a special lot cast for them, as many as
were sufficient for their families:
and their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children
of Judah; which was done partly because this was but a small tribe, and
particularly because the lot put up, which fell to the tribe of Judah, was too
large for it, more than they could occupy, too much being put to this lot by
the first measurers of the land; and partly to fulfil the prophecy of Jacob,
that the Simeonites should be scattered in Jacob, and divided in Israel, Genesis 49:7; and
hence it is that the lots of these two tribes lying together, and being so
intermixed, that the tribe of Judah called upon that of Simeon to join them in
fighting against the Canaanites, and taking out of their hands the cities that
belonged to them, Judges 1:3.
Verse 2
And they had in their inheritance Beersheba and Sheba,.... Or,
Beersheba, that is, Sheba; for so the particle "vau" is sometimes
usedF26Vid. Noldium, p. 280. No. 1200. , and must be so used here;
or otherwise, instead of thirteen, it will appear that there are fourteen
cities, contrary to the account of them, Joshua 19:6; so
Kimchi and Ben Melech make them one city. And it may be observed, that in the
enumeration of the cities of Simeon, 1 Chronicles 4:28;
Sheba is left out, and only Beersheba is mentioned; which, was a well known
place in, the farthest border of the land of Israel southward, and the reason
of its name is manifest, Genesis 21:31; See
Gill on Joshua 15:28,
and Moladah; another of the cities of Judah, Joshua 15:26.
Verse 3
And Hazarshual,.... See Gill on Joshua 15:28,
and Balah, and Azem; of these places see Gill
on Joshua 15:29; for
Balah is the same with Baalah there, and with Bilhah 1 Chronicles 4:29;
and Azem with Ezem there.
Verse 4
And Eltolad, and Bethul, and Hormah. These were all
cities of Judah, Joshua 15:30;
Eltolad is the same with Tolad, and Bethul with Bethuel, 1 Chronicles 4:29,
and with Chesil, Joshua 15:30,
mentioned there along with Hormah; See Gill on Joshua 15:30.
Verse 5
And Ziklag,.... Another of the cities of Judah; see Gill on Joshua 15:31,
and Bethmarcaboth, and Hazarsusah; or Hazarsusim, as in 1 Chronicles 4:31;
the one signifies a chariot house, and the other a court or stable for horses,
which made Bochart conjectureF1Hierozoic. l. 2. c. 9. col. 158. ,
that they were places where Solomon kept his chariots and horses; but it should
be observed that these were the names by which these places went in the times
of the old Canaanites; and seem to me rather where some of their kings had
their horses and chariots; or rather where there were temples dedicated to the
horses and chariots of the sun; see 2 Kings 23:11.
Verse 6
And Bethlebaoth, and Sharuhen,.... Whether the first is
the same with Lebaoth, a city of Judah, Joshua 15:32; and
with the Bethleptepha of JosephusF2De Jud. Bell. l. 4. c. 8. sect.
1. , and the Betholene of PlinyF3Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 14. , is not
certain: in this place secret to have been an idol temple of the Canaanites,
dedicated to lions, as in Egypt there was a city called Leontopolis, from
whence was the Leontopolitan nome, the inhabitants of which worshipped lionsF4Strabo.
Geograph. l. 17. p. 559. ; and the Egyptians had temples dedicated to them, as
AelianusF5De Animal. l. 12. c. 7. relates. Both these places are
thought to be the same with Bethbirei and Shaaraim in 1 Chronicles 4:31;
of the latter of which see Joshua 15:36. Those
who take Sheba, Joshua 19:2, to be
the same with Shema, Joshua 15:26, make
but one city here, and take away the last, as the Greek version does, and
render the word "and their fields", and so the number still is as
follows:
thirteen cities and their villages; the sum total of those
enumerated above.
Verse 7
Ain, Remmon,.... Of the two first, which were cities of Judah; see Gill on Joshua 15:32,
and Ether, and Ashan; of the two last; see
Gill on Joshua 19:42,
four cities and their villages; Ain, Remmon, therefore,
could not be one city, at this time, as it seems to have been in the times of
Nehemiah, Nehemiah 11:29; or
otherwise there would have been but three cities.
Verse 8
And all the villages that were round about these cities,.... Not only
the suburbs adjoining to those cities which are mentioned before, but the
several small distinct towns and villages, scattered up and down in the
country:
to Baalathbeer, Ramath of the south: this is the same with
Baal in 1 Chronicles 4:33;
and with Ramath of the south, or south Ramoth, as it is called 1 Samuel 30:27; all
these are the names of one and the same city:
this is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of
Simeon,
according to their families; that is, the above named
cities fell to the lot of the inheritance of the Simeonites, and were divided
among them according to the number of their respective families; at least,
these were the chief and principal of them; for all that they possessed are not
mentioned, particularly one called Tochen, 1 Chronicles 4:32;
and another, the name of which is Etam there, unless that is thought to be the
same with Ether here in Joshua 19:7.
Josephus saysF6Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 22. , this tribe took by
lot that part of Idumea which lay near to Egypt and Arabia.
Verse 9
Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the
inheritance of the children of Simeon,.... Which is the reason
why no description is given of the border of their inheritance, because that is
before given in the account of the lot of Judah:
for the part of the children of Judah was too much for them: they had more
cities than they could fill with people, and more land than they could
cultivate; they had an hundred fourteen cities with their villages:
therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the
inheritance of them; the one being a small tribe, and the other large, and for the
reasons given; See Gill on Joshua 19:1.
Verse 10
And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun,
according to their families,.... Who, though younger
than Issachar, has his lot before him, agreeably to the order in which his
blessing is predicted, both by Jacob and Moses, Genesis 49:13;
and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid; or "by
Sarid", as Masius, who takes this to be the southwest border of Zebulun,
being near Carmel; in which he seems to be right.
Verse 11
And their border went up toward the sea,.... Westward
towards the Mediterranean sea, which fulfilled the prophecies of Jacob and
Moses, that Zebulun should dwell by the sea, be an haven of ships, and take of
the abundance of the seas, as in the places before referred to; and so Josephus
says, the Zebulunites took the land unto the lake of Gennesaret, by or about
Carmel and the sea:
and Maralah; which Jerom callsF7De loc. Heb. fol. 90. K. the
ascent of Zebulun; for from hence it went up from the sea, and reached to
Dabbasheth; which Jerom calls Dasbath; the word signifies a hump that is on a
camel's back, Isaiah 30:6; so
called because when that is hurt by burdens it is cured with honeyF8T.
Bab. Sabbat, fol. 154. 2. ; it seems to denote some place or city at a point of
land or promontory, that stood out towards the sea, as that of Carmel; or some
city on the back of Carmel, resembling a camel's hump:
and reached to the river that is before Jokneam; of Jokneam;
see Gill on Joshua 12:22; and
this river was either the river Kishon, or Belus, sometimes called Pagida; from
whence sand was taken to make glass ofF11Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 19.
& l. 36. c. 26. , and was near Carmel, as Jokneam was.
Verse 12
And turned from Sarid eastward,.... This describes the
southern border, going on from west to east:
towards the sunrising, unto the border of Chislothtabor; this Jerom
places in the tribe of Issachar, it bordered on both tribes; and he saysF12De
loc. Heb. fol. 88. D. H. , that in his time there was a little village called
Chaselus, eight miles from Diocaesarea, at the foot of Mount Tabor in the
plains:
and then goeth out to Daberath; which also was a city in
the tribe of Issachar, given to the Levites, Joshua 21:28. JeromF13lbid.
fol. 90. I. speaks of a little village of the Jews by Mount Tabor, of the
country belonging to Diocaesarea, called Dabira; this place is still in being.
Mr. Maundrell saysF14Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 115. , at the
bottom of Tabor westward stands Debarah, supposed by some to take its name from
Deborah, the famous judge and deliverer of Israel:
and goeth up to Japhia; this JeromF15De
loc. Heb. fol. 92. K. says is the town called Sycamine, as you go from Caesarea
to Ptolemais, above the sea, because of Mount Carmel, called Epha, thought by
some to be the Jebba of PlinyF16Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 19. . It seems,
however, to be the Japha of JosephusF17De Bello Jud. l. 3. c. 6.
sect. 31. , which he speaks of as being a strong fortified place both by nature
and art.
Verse 13
And from thence passeth on along on the east to Gittahhepher,.... Which was
the native place of Jonah the prophet, 2 Kings 14:25; and
where Jerom saysF18Praefat. in Jonam. his grave was shown, and was a
small village in his time two miles from Sippore, then called Diocaesarea:
to Ittahkazin; of this place we have no account elsewhere,
but it was not far from the former:
and goeth out to Remmonmethoar to Neah; where the
eastern border ended. Some versions make Remmonmethoar distinct places; but
where either of them were exactly is not known: some, as the Targum, Jarchi,
and Kimchi, render the word "Methoar which goes about"; that is, the
border went about from Remmon to Neah, which by Jerom is called Anna, and who
observesF19De loc. Heb. fol. 38. H. , that there is another village
called Anna, ten miles from Neapolis, as you go to Aelia; and by whom also
Methoar is reckoned a distinct place, and called Amathar.
Verse 14
And the border compasseth it from the north side to Hannathon,.... This is
the northern border of the tribe, which took a circuit from the last place to
this; of which and the following place we have no account; Jerom only makes
mention of them as in the tribe of Zebulun:
and the outgoings thereof are in the valley of Jiphthahel; here the
northern border ended, which, Masius conjectures, was part of the valley of
Carmel.
Verse 15
And Kattath, and Nahallal,.... Of the two first of
these we read nowhere else, but in Joshua 21:34,
and Shimron was a royal city, the king of which Joshua took and hanged, Joshua 11:1,
and Idalah is a place Bochart conjecturesF20Canaan, l. 1. c. 3.
col. 356. where the goddess Venus was worshipped, Idalia being one of her
names:
and Bethlehem is a different place from that which was the
birthplace of our Lord, called Bethlehem of Judah, to distinguish it from this:
twelve cities with their villages; more are named, but some
of them belonged to other tribes, and only lay on the borders of this; and
others might not be properly cities, but small towns.
Verse 16
This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun, according to
their families,.... Which was allotted to it and divided, according to the
number of its families:
these cities with their villages; before enumerated,
excepting such as only bordered on them; though indeed there were other cities
which belonged to them, or might be after given them, not here mentioned, as
Kartah and Dimnah, Joshua 21:34.
Verse 17
And the fourth lot came out
to Issachar,.... The fourth of the seven drawn at Shiloh:
for the children of Issachar, according to their families: among whom
the inheritance that came to them by the lot was divided, according to the
number of them.
Verse 18
And their border was towards Jezreel,.... Which was
a royal seat in the time of Ahab, 1 Kings 21:1; and
according to Jerom was near to Maximianopolis; See Gill on Hosea 1:5; and the
same writerF21De loc. Heb. fol. 92. I. says in his day a large
village of this name was shown in the great plain between Scythopolis and Legion
(he means the plain of Jezreel), and it was the border of Issachar:
and Chesulloth was different from the Chislothtabor, Joshua 19:12; that,
as Masius observes, was to the north, this to the south of Mount Tabor:
and Shunem is a place well known for being the dwelling place of a certain
woman in the times of Elisha, whose son the prophet raised from the dead, 2 Kings 4:8; Jerom
calls it Sonam, where was the Shunammite woman; but this city here seems to be
what he calls Salem, in the tribe of Issachar; and he adds, that there was
shown in his day a village by this name, five miles from Mount Tabor to the
southF23De loc. Heb. fol. 94. K. L. : according to BuntingF24Travels,
p. 143. , it was forty eight miles from Jerusalem to the north, not far from
Nain.
Verse 19
And Hapharaim,.... The first of these is by JeromF25Ut
supra, (De loc. Heb.) fol. 88. I. called Aphraim, a city of the tribe of
Issachar; and adds, there is at this day a village called Affarea, six miles
from Legion to the north:
and Shion; of Seon or Soen, the same with Shion here, he saysF26lbid.
fol. 94. K. , there was a village of this name shown in his time near Mount
Tabor:
and Anaharath, of which we have no account elsewhere.
Verse 20
And Rabbith,.... The first of these Jerom callsF1De loc. Heb. fol.
94. B. Rabboth in the tribe of Issachar:
and Kishion, as Masius notes, seems to given name to the river Kishon near
it; some take it to be the same with Kedesh, 1 Chronicles 6:72,
and Abez, of which no mention is made elsewhere.
Verse 21
And Remeth,.... Remeth seems to be the same with Jarmuth, Joshua 21:29; and
with Ramoth, 1 Chronicles 6:73,
and Engannim seems to be the same with Anem in 1 Chronicles 6:73,
there were several of this name, which seem to have been places full of
gardens, and well watered; for the word signifies a fountain of gardens.
Engannim is now called Jenine, distant from Tabor twenty two miles, a place of
gardens, of water, and of pleasure, as a travellerF2Biddulph apud
Lightfoot. Talmud. Exercitat. in John iv. 1. of ours tells us; who also
declaresF3lb. apud Fuller's Pisgah Sight, p. 161. , that, in his
whole journey from Damascus to Jerusalem, he saw not more fruitful ground, and
so much together, than he did in twenty two miles of riding between Mount Tabor
and Engannim. This seems to be the same place Mr. MaundrellF4Journey
from Aleppo, &c. p. 111. calls Jeneen, a large old town on the outskirts of
Esdraelon. Dr. LightfootF5Chorograph. notes in Luke, p. 370. is
inclined to believe, that Nain, where the widow's son was raised to life, Luke 7:11, is the
same with Engannim, for which he gives various reasons:
and Enhaddah; Jerom says, in his timeF6Ut
supra. (De. loc. Heb. fol. 94. B.) there was a village called Enadda, ten miles
from Eleutheropolis, as you go from thence to Aelia; but seems not to be the
same with Enhaddah here:
and Bethpazzez; of Bethpazzez no mention is made elsewhere.
"Beth" signifies a "house", and "Pazzez" in the
Arabic tongue signifies "silver"; so this with the old Canaanites
might be a treasure city, like those in Egypt, Exodus 1:11. But
where a word begins with "Beth", as the name of a place, I always
suspect there was an idol temple there; now as the word in Hebrew signifies the
same as "Peor", opening, here might be a temple to that deity, or to
one that was similar to the god of the Moabites, and design a Priapus, among
the Canaanites like that; or as the word in the Syriac and Chaldee languages
signifies to redeem, deliver, and save, this temple might be dedicated to some
idol as their deliverer and saviour.
Verse 22
And the coast reacheth to Tabor,.... Tabor was the name
of a mountain in those parts; it is generally supposed to be the mountain on
which our Lord was transfigured, though it is not sufficiently evident; See
Gill on Jeremiah 46:18.
There was a city of this name near it, 1 Chronicles 6:77,
and which is meant here, and which either gave unto or received name from the
mount. The Greeks call it Itabyrium, and it is described by PolybiusF7Hist.
l. 5. p. 413. as situated on a hill rising in the form of a pap or breast, and
has an ascent of more than fifteen furlongs, and he calls it a city:
and Shahazimah is not mentioned any where else:
and Bethshemesh; there seem to have been several cities, at
least more than one, of the name of Bethshemesh; one in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 21:16; and
another in the tribe of Naphtali, Joshua 19:38; which
perhaps may be the same with this, it lying on the borders of both tribes. In
this, and so in others of the same name, was a temple dedicated to the sun by
the Heathens, as there was one of the same name in Egypt for the same reason, Jeremiah 43:13,
and the outgoings of their border were at Jordan; here it
ended: so Josephus says, that the border of this tribe in the length of it were
Mount Carmel (at one end), and the river (i.e. Jordan, at the other); and at
the breadth of it the mountain Itabyrium, or Mount Tabor: it had Jordan on the
east, the sea on the west, Zebulun on the north, and Manasseh on the south:
sixteen cities with their villages; which was the sum total
of them.
Verse 23
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of
Issachar,.... Which fell to them by lot, as before described:
according to their families; was divided among them,
according to the number of them:
the cities and their villages; the cities before
enumerated, and the villages adjacent to them.
Verse 24
And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher,.... Which
entitled them to an inheritance next described:
according to their families; which was sufficient for
them, and divided to them according to their number.
Verse 25
And their border was Helkath,.... Helkath seems to be
the same with Hukok, 1 Chronicles 6:75;
and according to Masius it lay ten or twelve miles above Ptolemais:
and Hali, of which we read nowhere else.
and Beten is by JeromF8De loc. Heb. fol. 89. H. called Bathne,
and was in his time a village by the name of Bethebem, eight miles from
Ptolemais to the east. RelandF9Palestin. Illustrat. tom. 2. p. 617.
seems to think it might be the Ecbatana of PlinyF11Nat. Hist. l. 5.
c. 19. , which he speaks of as near Mount Carmel, and not far from Ptolemais:
and Achshaph was a royal city, whose king was taken by
Joshua; see Gill on Joshua 11:1.
Verse 26
And Alammelech, and Amad,.... Of the two first of
these there is no mention elsewhere:
and Misheal is the same with Mashal, 1 Chronicles 6:74;
and is by JeromF12De loc. Heb. fol. 93. E. called Masan, and said to
be near Carmel to the sea:
and reacheth to Carmel westward; or, "to the
sea", as Carmel is called "Carmel by the sea"; see Gill on Jeremiah 46:18, it
is hereby distinguished from Carmel in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:55;
(PlinyF13Ut supra. (Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 19.) calls it a promontory):
and to Shihorlibnath; the Vulgate Latin and
Septuagint versions make two places of it: but the sum of the cities after
given will not admit of it: more rightly Junius renders it Sihor by Libhath,
and takes Sihor to be the river Belus, or Pagidus; so called either because of
its likeness to the Nile, one of whose names is Sihor, Jeremiah 2:18; or
because its waters might be black and muddy; it was the river out of which sand
was fetched to make glass of: and Libnath, which has its name from whiteness,
the same writer thinks may be the Album Promontorium, or white promontory of
PlinyF14Ibid. , which he places near Ptolemais, between Ecdippa and
Tyre, and is very probable.
Verse 27
And turneth towards the sunrising,.... Or eastward:
to Bethdagon; there was a city of this name in the tribe
of Judah; see Gill on Joshua 15:41.
Dagon, being a god of the Phoenicians, had temples built for him in various
places in Canaan:
and reacheth to Zebulun; not the tribe of
Zebulun, but a city so called, the same JosephusF15De Bello Jud. l.
2. c. 18. sect. 9. calls a strong city of Galilee, which had the name of Men,
perhaps from the populousness of it, and separated Ptolemais from Judea:
and to the valley of Jiphthahel; see Joshua 19:14,
toward the north side of Bethemek; of Bethemek no mention
is made elsewhere: perhaps here was an idol temple before dedicated to the god
of the valleys; see 1 Kings 20:28,
and Neiel; which the Greek version calls Inael, of which Jerom saysF16De
loc. Heb. fol. 88. I. , it is a certain village called Betoaenea, fifteen miles
from Caesarea, situated on a mountain to the east, on which are said to be
wholesome baths:
and goeth out to Cabul on the left hand; not the land
of Cabul, 1 Kings 9:13; but a
city, which JosephusF17Vita ejus, sect. 43. calls a village on the
borders of Ptolemais. The JewsF18Echa Rabbati, fol. 75. 4. speak of
a city of this name, destroyed because of contentions in it.
Verse 28
And Hebron,.... Hebron seems to be the same with Abdon, Joshua 21:30; ר and ד being changed, of which
there are other instances; and hereby this is distinguished from another Hebron
in the tribe of Judah, more commonly known, Joshua 15:54,
and Rehob; in the time of JeromF19De loc. Heb. fol. 94. A. ,
there was a village called Rooba, four miles from Scythopolis, and which he
says was a city separated to the Levites, as this was, or one of the same name
in this tribe; for there was another, Joshua 19:30; see Joshua 21:31; but
whether either of them is the same with this is not certain:
and Hammon; of this city we read nowhere else:
and Kanah; this Kanah is generally thought to be the same where Christ
wrought his first miracle, John 2:1. Jerom
expressly saysF21Ibid. fol. 90. B. , there was a Cana in the tribe
of Asher, where our Lord and Saviour turned water into wine, John 2:1, and from
whence was Nathanael, John 21:2; and it
is at this day, adds he, a town in Galilee of the Gentiles. PhocasF23Apud
Reland. Palestin. Illustrat. tom. 2. p. 680. places Cana between Sippori and
Nazareth, which is now shown six Roman miles from Sippori to the west, a little
inclining to the north; and there is also in the same tract Cephar Cana, four
miles from Nazareth to the north, inclining to the east; and it is disputed which
of these two is Cana of Galilee the New Testament: with this account agrees
pretty much what our countryman Mr. MaundrellF24Journey from Aleppo,
&c. p. 117. gives of his travels in those parts:"taking leave of
Nazareth, (he says,) and going at first northward, we crossed the hills that
encompassed the vale of Nazareth at that side; after which we turned to the
westward, and passed in view of Cana of Galilee, the place signalized with the
beginning of Christ's miracles, John 2:11; in an
hour and a half more we came to Sepharia;'
or
Sippori:
even unto great
Zidon; of great Zidon, and why so called; see Gill on Joshua 11:8.
Verse 29
And then the coast turneth to Ramah,.... Which was
a city in the tribe of Naphtali, Joshua 19:36; and
on the borders of Asher; though JeromF25De loc. Heb. fol. 94. B.
distinguishes them, and speaks of a Ramah in Asher, and another in Naphtali, as
different cities of the same name; as there were several of this name, so
called from their being built on an eminence. Masius conjectures it is the same
with Sarepta, Luke 4:26; famous
for its wine; and Bacchus, as the poet says, loves the hills:
and to the strong city Tyre; it is thought this is
not to be understood of the famous city, so much spoken of in other parts of
Scripture, and in profane history; since, as it is observed, that is not
mentioned in Scripture until the times of David; and though Homer makes frequent
mention of Sidon, yet never of Tyre. The words signify the strong fortress of a
rock, or a fortress on a high rock; so Kimchi and Ben Melech; and it might be a
fortified city, which being built on a rock, might have the name of Zor or
Tyre, and not be the famous city of that name. JeromF26De loc. Heb.
fol. 94. B. renders it the fortified city of the Assyrians:
and the coast turneth to Hosah; of which we nowhere else
read:
and the outgoings thereof are at the sea; the
Mediterranean sea; where the coast ended this way:
from the coast to Achzib; this JeromF1Ibid.
fol. 88. I. says is Ecdippa, nine miles from Ptolemais, as you go to Tyre; and
this is confirmed by a learned traveller of our own nationF2Maundrell's
Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 53. ; it is now called Zib; See Gill on Micah 1:14.
Verse 30
Ummah also,.... Ummah is not mentioned any where else:
and Aphek; of which; see Gill on Joshua 12:18,
and Rehob; of which; see Gill on Joshua 19:28,
twenty and two cities with their villages: there are
more set down in the account, but some of them did not belong to the tribe,
only were on the border of it.
Verse 31
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of
Asher,.... As before described, a goodly heritage; it was, according to
the prediction of Jacob and Moses, Genesis 49:20; a
very fruitful country. JosephusF3Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 22. says,
the country from Carmel called the valley, because it was such, even all over
against Sidon, fell to the Asherites, Asher had Mount Libanus on the north,
Naphtali on the east, Zebulun on the south and southeast, the sea on the west:
according to their families; the number of them, so
their lot was divided to them:
these cities with their villages; before named.
Verse 32
The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali,.... The tribe
of Naphtali, and directed what should be the inheritance of this tribe:
even for the
children of Naphtali, according to their families; which was to
be divided among them, according to the number of their, families.
Verse 33
And their coast was from Heleph,.... That is, their
northern coast, reaching from west to east, as appears by the ending of it at
Jordan; the Alexandrian copy of the Greek version calls it Mlepeh, the Targum,
Meheleph, and Jerom, Mealeb, which he calls the border of Naphtali; which,
though to the north, cannot be expressly said what and where it was:
from Allon to Zaanannim; or rather from the oak,
or from the plain in ZaanannimF4"Ab querceto in
Tzahanannimis", Junius & Tremellius; so Piscator. ; for it seems to be
the same with the plain of Zanaaim, Judges 4:11.
and Adami, Nekeb; some make these to be but one city, and the
latter only an epithet of the former; but the TalmudistsF5T. Hieros.
Megillah, fol. 70. 1. make them two, as we do, and call the first Damin, and
the latter Ziadetha; but what and where either of them were exactly is not
known; for Adami cannot be the same with Adam, Joshua 3:16; as
some think; for that was in Peraea, on the other side Jordan; See Gill on Joshua 3:16,
and Jabneel; Jabneel is different from that which was on the borders of
Judah, Joshua 15:11; and
is called by the JewsF6T. Hieros. Megillah, fol. 70. 1. since
Cepherjamah:
unto Lakum; of which we nowhere else read:
and the outgoings thereof were at Jordan; here the
coast ended this way.
Verse 34
And then the coast turneth westward to Aznothtabor,.... This was
the southern border, reaching from east to west; it began at Aznothtabor, which
JeromF7De loc. Heb. fol. 88. I. says was a village in his time
belonging to the country of Diocaesarea, in the plains; there is another place
called Chislothtabor, on the borders of Zebulun, Joshua 19:12,
and goeth out from thence to Hukkok: there the southern
border ended, which was in the border of Asher, and is the same with Helkath, Joshua 19:25; with
which compare 1 Chronicles 6:75,
and reacheth to Zebulun on the south side, and reacheth to Asher
on the west side and to Judah upon Jordan towards the sunrising; so that as it
was bounded by Lebanon, on the north, near to which some of the cities were,
mentioned in Joshua 19:33, it
had Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west, and Jordan to the east; for by
Judah is not meant the tribe of Judah, from which Naphtali was at a great
distance, but a city so called, as FullerF8Pisgah-Sight, B. 2. c. 4.
p. 104. seems rightly to conjecture.
Verse 35
And the fenced cities are Ziddim,.... The later
name of Ziddim, according to the TalmudF9Ut supra. (T. Hieros.
Megillah, fol. 70. 1.) , was Cepharchitiya, or the village of wheat, perhaps
from the large quantity or goodness of wheat there:
Zer is called by JeromF11De loc. Heb. fol. 95. A. Sor, and
interpreted Tyre, the metropolis of Phoenicia, very wrongly, and, in the tribe
of Naphtali:
and Hammath probably was built by the youngest son of Canaan, Genesis 10:18; or
had its name in memory of him; it lay to the north of the land of Israel; see Numbers 34:8,
Rakkath, and Chinnereth; Rakkath according to the
Jewish writersF12T. Hieros. ut supra. (Megillah, fol. 70. 1.) is the
same with Tiberias, as Chinnereth with Gennesaret, from whence the lake or sea
of Tiberias, and the country and lake of Gennesaret, had their names, often
mentioned in the New Testament. Gennesaret was a most delicious and fruitful
spot, and fulfilled the prophecy of Moses, Deuteronomy 33:23;
concerning Naphtali.
Verse 36
And Adamah,.... Adamah is different from Adami, Joshua 19:33; and
may seem to confirm the notion of some, that Nekeb there is an epithet of it,
and so distinguishes it from Adamah here:
and Ramah; of Ramah, as there were several places of this name; see Gill on
Joshua 19:29,
and Hazor was a royal city, of which; see Gill on Joshua 11:1.
Verse 37
And Kedesh,.... This is Kedesh in Galilee, in Mount Naphtali, to distinguish
it from others of the same name; it was one of the cities of refuge, Joshua 20:7. Jerom
saysF13Ut supra, (De loc. Heb.) fol. 90. B. in his day it was called
Cidissus, and was twenty miles from Tyre by Paneas; See Gill on Joshua 12:22.
and Edrei is a different place from one of that name in the kingdom of Og, Numbers 21:33,
and Enhazor, of which we read nowhere else.
Verse 38
And Iron,.... Of Iron no mention is made elsewhere:
and Migdalel, which Jerom calls Magdiel, he saysF13De
loc. Heb. fol. 93. L. was shown a small village, five miles from Dara, as you
go to Ptolemais:
and Horem is not mentioned anywhere elsewhere;
and Bethanath; Jerom also relatesF14Ibid. fol.
89. H. , that Bathana, in the tribe of Naphtali, was a village that went by the
name of Betbanes, fifteen miles from Caesarea:
and Bethshemesh was another city, in which was a temple
dedicated to the sun, when inhabited by the Canaanites; see Joshua 19:22; and
so in Bethanath there might be a temple dedicated to some deity, though now
uncertain what:
nineteen cities with their villages; there are more
mentioned, but some of them might be only boundaries, and so belonged to
another tribe.
Verse 39
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali,.... Which
JosephusF15Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 22. thus describes;"the
country to the east, as far as Damascus the city, and upper Galilee, the
Naphtalites took, unto Mount Lebanon, and the fountains of Jordan, which flow
out of the mount, reaching the northern border of the city Arce:"
according to their families; which was divided among
them, according to the number of their families:
the cities and their villages; before enumerated.
Verse 40
And the seventh lot came out
for the tribe of the children of Dan,.... Which was the last
lot drawn, and which appointed an inheritance to this tribe:
according to their families; the number of them.
Verse 41
And the coast of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol,.... The tribe
of Dan is not described by places the boundaries of it, as other tribes, but by
its cities, which were chiefly, at least several of them, taken out of the
tribe of Judah, as the two first of these most manifestly were; See Gill on Joshua 15:33,
and Irshemesh signifies the city of the sun, as the Targum
interprets it, and was so called very probably from a temple in it, dedicated
to the idolatrous worship of the sun, but a different place from Bethshemesh in
other tribes; though those of that name, as this, had it for the like reason;
and so Heliopolis, in Egypt, which signifies the same, where was a temple of
the same kind; as there was another city of this name, between the mountains of
Libanus and Antilibanus, now called BalbecF16See Maundrell's Journey
from Aleppo, &c. p. 120, 138. , where the ruins of the temple are yet to be
seen: but this was a different place, the Septuagint version calls it Sammaus,
and it was, according to JeromF17Comment. in Ezek. xlviii. fol. 263.
A. , the same with Emmaus, afterwards called Nicopolis; which, if the same
Emmaus with that in Luke 24:13; though
some doubt it, was sixty furlongs from Jerusalem, or seven miles and a half.
Verse 42
And Shaalabbin,.... The first of these is the same with
Shaalbim, Judges 1:35; and
which JeromF18De loc. Heb. fol. 94. K. calls Selab, in the tribe of
Dan; and which he says was in his day shown a large village on the borders of
Sebaste, by the name of Selaba.
and Ajalon is famous for the standing still of the moon in its valley while
Joshua pursued his enemies; see Gill on Joshua 10:12,
and Jethlah, of which we read nowhere else.
Verse 43
And Elon,.... Of Elon no mention is made elsewhere:
and Thimnathah is a different place from Timnah in the
tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:10. JeromF19De
loc. Heb. fol. 88. E. speaks of the Thamnitic country, so called from the
village Thamna, which seems to be this:
and Ekron was one of the five principalities of the Philistines, and never
possessed by the Israelites; it first fell by lot to the tribe of Judah, and
afterwards given to the tribe of Dan, Joshua 15:45.
Verse 44
And Eltekeh,.... Eltekeh was a city given to the Levites, Joshua 21:23; and
supposed by some to be the same with Eltekon in the tribe of Judah given to the
Danites, Joshua 15:59,
and Gibbethon was in the hands of the Philistines in the
reign of Asa, 1 Kings 15:21; and
in the same place JeromF20De loc. Heb. fol. 92. C. calls Gabatha a
city of the strangers, or Philistines; and which lie places near Bethlehem in
the tribe of Judah:
and Baalath is not the same with Baalah, Joshua 15:29; but
the Baalath rebuilt by Solomon, 1 Kings 9:18;
called by JosephusF21Antiqu. l. 8. c. 6. sect. 1. Baleth, and spoken
of by him as near to Gazara in the land of the Philistines; of these two last
cities, the TalmudistsF23T. Hieros. Sanhedrin, fol. 18. 3. say that
their houses belonged to Judah, and their fields to Dan.
Verse 45
And Jehud,.... Of Jehud no mention is made elsewhere:
and Beneberak signifies sons of lightning; see Mark 3:17. JeromF24De
loc. Heb. fol. 89. H. speaks of tills as the name of two places, Bane in the
tribe of Dan, and Barach in the same tribe, and which was in his day near
Azotus. This place was famous in later times among the Jews for being a place
where one of their noted Rabbins, R. Akiba, abode and taught for some timeF25T.
Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 32. 2. :
and Gathrimmon was in Jerom'sF26De loc. Heb.
fol. 92. C. time a very large village, twelve miles from Diospolis, or Lydda,
as you go from Eleutheropolis to it; it was a city given to the Levites, Joshua 21:24.
Verse 46
And Mejarkon, and Rakkon,.... Of the two first of
these we read no where else.
with the border before Japho; Japho is the same with
Joppa, now called at this day Jaffa, a port in the Mediterranean sea, famous
for being the place where Jonah took shipping; see Gill on Jonah 1:3; and
where the Apostle Peter resided some time; see Gill on Acts 9:36; and See
Gill on Acts 9:38. It is
not certain whether Joppa itself was in the tribe of Dan, or only on the
borders of it; the coast of Dan reached "over against" it, as it may
be rendered, and included the villages and little cities that were near it; for
such there were, as JosephusF2De Bello Jud. l. 3. c. 8. sect. 4.
testifies.
Verse 47
And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little
for them,.... Being a very numerous tribe, the cities allotted them were
not sufficient for them; or rather, leaving out the supplement "too
little", the words will run, it "went out from them"; they lost
part of it, being driven out of the valley into the mountain by the Amorites, Judges 1:34; which
obliged them to seek out elsewhere for habitations:
therefore the children of Dan went out to fight against Leshem; called Laish,
Judges 18:1, where
the whole story is related of their lighting against this place and taking it;
which, though some time after the death of Joshua, is here recorded to give at
once an account of the inheritance of Dan; and which is no argument against
Joshua's being the writer of this book, as is urged; since it might be inserted
by another hand, Ezra, or some other inspired man, for the reason before given:
and took and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it,
and dwelt therein; being a Canaanitish city, they put all in
it to the sword, as the Lord had commanded, and took possession of it for an
habitation:
and called Leshem Dan, after the name of Dan their father; this is the
place which is always meant, where the phrase is used "from Dan to
Beersheba", Judges 20:1, this
being at the utmost northern border of the land of Canaan, as Beersheba was at
the further part of the southern coast of it. It was, according to JeromF3De
loc. Heb. fol. 93. A. , situated near Paneas, out of which the river Jordan
flowed; and Kimchi on the text observes, their RabbinsF4T. Bab.
Megillah, fol. 6. 1. & Bava Bathra, fol. 74. 2. say, that Leshem is Pamias
(i.e. Paneas), and that Jordan flows from the cave of Pamias, and had its name שיודד מדן because it descended
from Dan; and so JosephusF5Antiqu. l. 15. c. 10. sect. 3. De Bello
Jud. l. 1. c. 21. sect. 3. & l. 3. c. 9. sect. 7. says, that Panium is a
cave under a mountain, from whence rise the springs of Jordan, and is the
fountain of it; and Pliny also saysF6Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 15. , the
river Jordan rises out of the fountain Paneas. This city was enlarged and
beautified by Philip Herod, and he called it by the name of Caesarea Philippi,
both in honour of Tiberius CaesarF7Joseph. Antiqu. l. 18. c. 2.
sect. 1. and after his own name, by which name it goes in Matthew 16:13; and
is called in the Jerusalem Targum on Genesis 14:14, Dan
of Caesarea.
Verse 48
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan,.... Before
described by its cities, which were in it. This tribe was bounded by Ephraim on
the north, by Judah on the east, by Simeon on the south, and by the
Mediterranean sea on the west. JosephusF8Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect.
22. says, the Danites enjoyed the vale which lies to the setting sun, bounded
by Azotus and Doris, and all Jamnia and Getta, from Accaron (or Ekron) to the
mountain from whence the tribe of Judah begins:
according to their families; which inheritance was
distributed according to the number of their families:
their cities with their villages; before named.
Verse 49
And when they made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by
their coasts,.... That is, Eleazar, Joshua, and the ten men appointed for
this, purpose; when all the lots were drawn, and the several inheritances which
came up to them were divided among the families of the respective tribes, this
work being finished:
the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of
Nun among them; most interpreters observe the modesty of Joshua, that though the
oldest and the greatest man in the nation, the chief governor, yet had his
inheritance last of all; nor did he take any part to himself, it was given to
him by the people, who had the whole land divided among them; in which he was a
type of Christ; see 2 Corinthians 8:9 Philemon 2:6.
Verse 50
According to the word of the Lord,.... Or mouth of the
Lord; either according to the oracle of Urim and Thummim, which Eleazar
consulted on this occasion; or according to what the Lord had said to Moses, at
the same time that Hebron was ordered to Caleb, Joshua 14:6; and
they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnathserah in
Mount Ephraim; he chose a place in his own tribe, for he was of the tribe of
Ephraim; and it seems that what he chose was none of the best of places; for
Paula, as JeromF9Epitaph. Paulae, fol. 59. L. relates, when she
travelled into those parts, wondered that the distributor of the possessions of
the children of Israel should choose such a rough and mountainous place for
himself; of its situation, see Joshua 24:30,
and he built the city, and dwelt therein; he rebuilt
it, and fitted it for his own habitation, and for those that belonged to him.
(Timnathserah means "an abundant portion" or "a place in the
sun". Joshua great reward was in seeing the promises of God fulfilled
before his very eyes Joshua 21:45 and
the children of Israel serving the Lord's during his lifetime Joshua 24:31.
Joshua may have received but a small inheritance in the promised land but this
was just an earnest of his future glorious inheritance in eternity. The saints
of God have the best portion saved for the last John 2:10 whereas
the worldling has his best portion now; his worst is yet to come. Editor.)
Verse 51
These are the inheritances which Eleazar the priest, and
Joshua the son of Nun,.... The one the high priest, and the other the chief governor of
the nation:
and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of
Israel; the princes appointed for this service, whose names are given Numbers 34:18; the
inheritances before described in the preceding chapters by their boundaries and
cities, these the said persons
divided for an inheritance by lot in Shiloh; and so has
particular reference to the seven lots drawn there for seven of the tribes, by
which their inheritances were assigned to them: and this was done
before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; see Joshua 18:1,
so they made an end of dividing the country; though it was
not as yet wholly subdued.
──《John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible》