Exposition of the Whole Bible

: Th was about 12 miles from Yerufalem, fee the note on ch. X. 10. and to Gezer; which was about a day’s journey from Bethoron, as appears from 4 Maccad.

village called Gazara, 4 miles from Nieopolis, or

Emmaus. \t is the fame with Gadara, as it is fometimes called by Fofephus, who lays“, the tribe of Ephraim took in the land from the river Yordanto Gadara; this was a royal city; fee ch. x, 33. and the outgoings thereof are at the fea, the Mediterranean fea. ils y. 4. So the children of Fofeph, Manaffeb an Ephraim, took their inberitance.| As it fell to them by the lot; by Menaffe is meant the half tribe of Manaffeb, one half of that tribe having been fettled by Afofes on the other fide Yordan; and next

Fofeph’s, 1 Obron. v. 2. and by his children are here meant the ttibe of Ephraim, and the tribe of Manafeh: or the line and border according to the follows an account of the borders of the inherijtance of Ephraim in particular, as that of the half tribe of Menafeh is given in the next chapters lot went forth from Jordan by Fericho unto the

¥. 5. And the border of the children of Ephraim, water of Jericho on the caf? by which it appears, according to their families, was thus, &c.] Or what that this was the fouthern border of the lot; for the tribe of Benjamin, in which Fericho was, lay between fudab and Ephraim, and the border began at Jordan, where it owed near Yericho, and proceeded to a water which belonged to that city, and is generally thought to be the waters Elia healed, follows is the defcription of it: even the border of their inheritance on the eaft-/ide, was Ataroth-addar unto Bethoron the upper; the firft was on the fouth of the inheritance, and the latter on the north, as

Ma/ius has placed them; who has given us atype of.

this defcription, by which it appears that this lot is

2 Kings ii. 19—22. to the wildernefs that goeth up here defcribed in its breadth from fouth to north.

throughout mount Bethel; this was the wildernefs of Bethaven, ch. xviii. 12. ‘archi interprets it of the border that went up through mount Bethel; which is true, and fo might the wildernefs alfo, for which the Targum is exprels; mention is made of a mountain on the eaft of Bethel, Gen. xii. 8.

¥.2. And goeth out from Bethel to Luz, &c.] For though thefe two places in time became one, yet they were originally diftinét. Bethel, at which Facob {topt, and who gave it its name, wasa field ad: jacent to the city of Luz, Gea. xxviii. 11, 19. and therefore with propriety may be, as they here are diftinguifhed: and paffeth along unto the borders of to Fordan: and paffed by it on the eaft to Fanobab; °

Archi to Ataroth; or to Archi-ataroth; thefe two

¥.6. And tke border went out towards the fea, &c.] The Mediterranean fea: to Michmethab on the north-fide; of the border; the fame on which

Bethoron was, from whence the border proceeded ~ on to this place, of which we have no other account but in ch. xvii. 7. by which it appears to have been near Shechem, and in fight of it: and the border went about eaftward unto Taanath-fhilob; this feems to be the fame Yerom« calls Thenath in the tribe of Yo/eph; and who obferves there was in his day a village of this name ten miles from Neapolis (or Shechem) to the eaft, as you go down which the above writer ‘ wrongly calls Fanon, and words being the name of one and the fame place, and to be joined as they are in the Greek verfion, and others; and is the fame with Ataroth-addar,

¥.5. and ch. xviii. 13. Ateroth was its proper name, but it had thefe additional epithets to diftinguifh it from another Ataroth; fee y. 7. Ferom * makes mention of Atharoth by Ramma, in the tribe of ‘Yofepb, and of another in the tribe of Ephraim, now a village at the north of Sedafe, or Samaria, 4 miles from it, called Atbarus; the forfays, that in his time a village of this name was fhewn in the country of Acrabatena, twelve miles to the eaft from Neapolis or Shechem,; the border pafled by Taanatb on the eat of it, and went to this place.

y.7. And it went down from Fanobab to Ataroth, and to Naarath, &c.| This is different from Ataroth before-mentioned; there were feveral places of this name, as before obferved; this feems to be that which Yerom places four miles from Sebafe or mer is here meant. Samaria, fee the note on ¥.2. the fame writer *

Y. 3. And goeth down weftward to the coaft of Japbleti, &c.| This place is now unknown, though no doubt well known to the fons of Yo/eph, when this lot fell to them, ‘and its. border was defcribed: fays, that Naarath was in his time called Naorath, a village of the Fews, five miles from Jericho; and is the village Fo/éphus* calls Neara, where was a water, half of which Archelaus turned, and led unto the coaft of Beth-boron the nether; fo called to diftinguifh it from Bethoran the upper, y. 5. this and, according to the Fewifh writers*, there was to the field planted with palm-trees, near Jericho; — a place called Noaran near to Fericho, which feems(véllages; not the feparate cities on! y, but the lictle to be this: and came to Jericho; where it ended this way, which was eaftward..

¥. 8. The border went out from Tappuah, weftward, &c.} Which was different from the Zappuab in the tribe of Fudab; this was in the tribe ef Ephraim on the border of Manaffeb, ch, xvii. 8. unto the river Kanab; fuppoled by fome to be the brook Cherith, by which £d4jab hid himfelf, » Kings xvii. 3, 5. though objected to by others; it feems to have had its name from the reeds which grew in it, or on the banks of it: aud the goings out thereof were at the fea; if the river Kanab was the brook Cherith, this muft be the dead or falt fea; but that is never called tbe fea, rather the Adedterranean fea is meant, and confequently Kanab could not be Cherith, which was at too great a diftance from this fea: this is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Epbraim by their families; that is, this is the defcription of the border of it; for the cities within are not mentioned, and the defcriptions in general are very obicure.

yg. And the feparate cities for the children of Ephraim, &c.| The tribe of Ephraim, being much larger than the half tribe of Mazajfeh, befides the lot that fell to it, defcribed before by its boundaries, had feveral particular and diftin¢ct cities given to it: which were among the inheritance of the chtldren of Manaffeh; fome that were upon the borders of Ephraim, and within the territory of Manajfeb, and it may be where it jetted out in a nook or corner, fee ch. Xvii. 8, 9. all the cities with their towns adjacent to them. ¥. 10. And they drave not out the Canaanites which dwelt in Gexer, &c.J Which was the border of their tribe length-way, and was near the fea, ¥. 3. in this they did not obey the command of God, and either they did not drive them our, becaufe they could not, God not delivering them up into their hands, becaufe of their fins; or thro’ their flothfulnefs, or it may be through covetoufnefs, being willing to make fome advantage to themfelves by them, being a trading people, which feems to be intended in the next claufe: but. the Canaanites dwelt among the Epbraimites unto this day; which Fofoua, the writer of this book, might truly fay, and be no objection to it, fince the fame is obferved after his death, ‘fudg. i. 29. and indeed they continued to dwell there until the times of Solomon, when it was taken by Pharash king of Egypt, and given as a prefent to his daughter, the wife of Solomon, 1 Kings ix. 15—17. and though this claufe does not furnifm out an argument againft the writing of this book by Fo/bua, yet from the inftance given, it appears it mutt have been written before the times of Solomon, and fo not by Ezra, as fome: and ferve under tribute; fo that they were under their power, and therefore could have driven them out, or flain them, as by the command of God they fhould; but they fpared them for the fake of the tribute they received from them, which feems to agree with the character of the Ephraimites, Hof. xii. 8.

HIS chapter gives an account of the lot that| fell to the half tribe of Manaffeb, to the male-children of Manajfeb, and to the daughters of Zelophehad, y.1—6. and defcribes the coaft of that lot, ¥. 7—13. and relates the requeft of that had no part in Gilead and Bajkan on the other fide Fordan, even for the other half tribe, whofe families are particularly mentioned, as follows: for the children of Abiexer; who is called Yeezer in Numéd. xxvi. 30. and was a fon of Gilead, the fon the fons of Fo/eph, to have their lot enlarged, which was granted, y. 14——18.

y. 1. There was alfo alot for the tribe of Manaffeb, 8c.) As well as for the tribe of Ephraim: for be was the firft-born of Fofeph; and therefore ought to have his part and fhare in the lot of the of Machir, as the reft that follow were: and for the children of Helek, and for the children of Ajriel, and for ihe children of Shechem, and for the children of Hepber, and for the children of Shemida; hence the families of the feexerites, Helekites, Africlites, Shechemites, Hepberites, and Shemidaites, mentioned in Numb. xxvi. 30—32. and for which fami- children of Fofeph, though Ephraim was preferred lies was the lot here {poken of: thefe were the male- before him in the bleffing of Facob, Some think this is given as a reafon why he had a double portion, one on the other fide Fordan, and another in the land of Canaan: to wit, for Machir the firjborn of Manaffeh the father of Gilead; who was the only fon of Manaffeb, and fo through him, and by his fon Gilead, the whole tribe fprung from that patriarch: and becaufe be was a man of war, therefore he bad Gilead and Bafban, which were given to his pofterity by Mo/es, and lay on the other fide Fordan, fee Deut. iii. 13, 15. This Machir very likely had fhewn his warlike difpofition and courage in Egypt, and had fought under the kings there againit the common enemy of that country; for it is highly probable he was dead before the children of J/rael came out from thence, but the fame warlike {pirit continued in his pofterity; they had their part affigned them on the other fide Jordan, to defend that country, whilft the tribes of Reuben and Gad attended to the care of their flocks and herds.: ¥. 2. There was alfo a \ot for the reft of the chil- children of Manaffeh the fon of Fofeph by their families; which is obferved for the fake of, and to lead unto what follows, otherwife in common none but males inherited; but the following is an excepted and remarkable cafe.

¥. 3. But Zelophehad the fon of Hepber, the fon of Gilead, the fon of Machir, the fon of Munaffeb, had no fons, but daughters, &c.| The defcent of this man is particularly given, to fhew the truth and reality of it, upon which his daughters made their requeft, and that granted and now claimed: and thefe are the names of bis daughters, Mablab, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzab; by thé fame names, and in the fame order they are called in Numb xxvi. 33. and xxvii. 1. the order is a little different in ch, xxxvi. 11.

¥. 4. And they came near before Eleazar the pric, and before Fefhua the fon of Nun, and before the princes, &c.] ‘The ten princes, who with Eleazar and Fofhua, were appointed to divide the land, Numb. xxxiv. 17—29. and were now met together for that purpofe, ch. xiv. 1. faving, the dren of Manafféh by their families, &c.] For fuch Lord commanded Mofes to give us an inheritance among our brethrén, thofe of the fame tribe oti! them; for upon their application to Mo/es he enquired of the Lord, who ordered him to grant their requeft, Namb. xxvii. 1—7. therefore according to the commandment of the Lord be gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their fathers; that is, to the half tribe of Manaffeh, the lot which fell to it was divided into ten parts: according to the Yewi/h writers, the fix families before mentioned, had fix parts, and the daughters of Zelophehad had four parts; one on the account of Zelophebad their father, two on the account of as at mount Carmel: and in their grandfather Hepber, who they fay was the firft-born, and one on account of their uncle, their father’s brother, who died in the wildernefs without children, fo Jarchi and Kimchi relate from the Talmud * 5 but the true cafe feems to be this, there were fix portions for the fix families, but there being no fons in Hepher’s family, his part was di- river; of the river Kanab, as well as on the fou of it;-it had cities there, though poflefied by tribe of Ephraim: and the out-goings of it were at the fea, the Mediterranean fea.. | Ng ¥. 10. Southward it was Ephraim’s, and northward it was Manajffeb’s, &c.| As Ephraim lay to the fouth of Manaffeb, Manafjeb lay to the north of Ephraim: and the fea is bis border; the Mediterranean tea was their boundary on the weit: and they met together in Afber on the north; that is, on. the north-weft towards the Mediterranean fea, Ifachar on the eaft,

¥. 11. And Manafh had in Ifachar, and in Afber, Beth-foean and ber towns, &c.\ As Ephraim had cities in Manaffeb, fo had Maneffeb cities in thefe two tribes, which in fome parts bordered on it, before defcribed, even the cities following, and the firft that is named is Beth-/heaw: this lay in vided into five, and given to the five daughters of the tribe of J/achar;, and was the uttermoft border

Zelophehad: befide the land of Gilead and Bajban, which were on the other fide Jordan; which were given to the other half tribe, as before obferved. ¥.6. Becaufe the daughters of Manaffeb had an inheritance among his fons, &c.| Which occafioned fuch a number of portions; the daughters of Zelophehad are meant, who defcended from Manafjeh: and the ref of Manaffeb, fome bad the land of Gilead; that is, thofe befides the fix families before exprefled, namely, the two families of the Machirites and Gileadites, Numb, xxvi. 29.

y.7. And the coaft of Manafeh was from Afber, &c.] Not from the border of the tribe of Aer, as Kimchi, in which he is followed by Vatablus; for that was at too great a diftance; bur a city of the tribe of Manaffeb, and in Ferom’s ' time, a village of this name was fhewn 15 miles from Neapolis or Shechem, as you go from thence to Seythopolis, near the public road: to Michmethab that lieth Before Shechem; the fame place mentioned in the defcription of the border of Ephraim, ch. xvi 6. fee the note there: and the border went along on the right-hand, unto the inhabitants of En-tappuab; that is, leaving this place, and its inhabitants to the right, which was a place in the land of that name, next mentioned; and feems to be fo called from a fountain in it, or near it, as well as from a multitude of apples growing there, and with which perhaps the country abounded, of which in the following verfe.

¥.8. Now Manajffeh had the land of Tappuab, &c.] The whole territory that went by that name, from a city of note in it, next mentioned; all the the fields and villages in it belonged to the tribe of Manaffeh: but Tappuab on the border of Manaffeb belonged to the children of Ephraim; and was one of thofe feparate cities they had among the inheritance of the children of Manaffeb 5 though it feems they had only the city, not the territory adjacent to it, and which was named from it.

¥. 9. And the coaft defcended unto the river Kanab, fouthward of the river, &c.] The fame mentioned in the account of the coaft of Ephraim, ch. xvi.

8. which was north of that river, as Manaffeh was to the fouth of it: she/e cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manaffeh; that is, the cities before mentioned, Alber, Michmethab, En-tappuab, and Tap- of Manafzh that way; it was, as Fofepbus = fays, called Scythopolis; but not from the Scythians, as Pliny " faggefts; but from Succotb, a place where Facob refided, and which was not far from it, Gen. XXxiii, 17. 1 Kings iv. 12. and vii. 46. it lay be+ fore the great plain of Yezree/, and was at the entrance into it, 1 Maccab. v. 52. and was 600 furlongs, or 75 miles trom Yeru/alem, according to 2 Maccab. xii. zg. and was one of the cities of Decapolis, from whence our.Lord had hearers, Matt. iv. 25. It was fuch a pleafant place, that it is faid in the Ta/mud°, that if the garden of Eden was in the land of Jrael, Beth-pean was the gate of it; on which the glofs fays, that its fruits were the fweeteft in the land of I/rael: and Ibleam and ber towns; it feems to be the fame with Biam, by a tranfpofition of the two firft letters, 1 Chron. - vi. 70. and was a place not far from Megiddo, after mentioned, as appears from 2 Kings ix. 27: and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, this had been a royal city, ch. xi. 2. and xii. 23. fee the notes there: and the. inhabitants of Endor and ber towns; this place became famous for a witch there in the times of Saul, 1 Sam. xxviii. 7. in the times of Yerom? it was a large village near mount’ Tabor, four miles to the fouth, which he calls- Aendor, of or in Fezreel; and elfewhere * he fpeaks of Endor, as near the town of Naim, where our Lord raifed the widow’s fon from the dead, and’ is about Scythopolis: and the inbabitants of Taanach and ber towns; this had been a royal city, fee the note on ch, xii. 22: and the inbabitants of Megiddo and ber towns; this was another royal city men= tioned with the former, ch. xii. 21. fee the note there: even ¢hree countries; the three laft ‘cities, with their towns, that are mentioned, Exdor,

Taanach and Megiddo, all which perhaps belonged to Dor, and may be the Naphoth-dor fpoken of ch, xi. 2. and xii. 23. where the fame word is ufed as here; fo Yarchi interprets it.: ’

y. 12. Yet the children of Manaffeh could not drive out the inhabitants of thefe cities, 8c. Men-—

tioned in the preceding verfe, they had not ftrength” at firft to do it, or either were negligent and floth-— ful, and fuffered them to dwell among them, and did not take the advantage they might have don and afterwards it was too late, they became puab; though they were in the tribe of Manaffeb, ftrong and numerous for them, at leaft for atime: _ yet they were inhabited by the Epbraimites: the| coaft of Manaffeh alfo was on the north fide of the but the Canaanites would dwell in the land; whether they would or no. 0 WIG 7 ¥

Ch. xvii. 215—18. FOSHU A. 239 _ Me 3. Yet it came to pafs when the children of Tirael were waxed firong, &c.] Increafed in numbers, and became fuperior to the Canaanites, not only thofe of the “tribe of Manafeh, but of the. other tribes alfo: that they put the Canaanites to tribute, they did not take away their lives, as they were commanded to do, but made them tributaries to them, which feems to arife from a covetous difpofition, and done for the fake of gain: bur did not utterly deftroy them out, which they were ordered to do, and could now have done; for if they were able to make them pay tribute to them, they had power fufficient to drive them out, or deftroy them, and therefore broke the commandment of God, Dewé. vii. 1, 2. and xx. 16, 17.

y. 14. And the children of Fofeph fpake unto Fofoua, &c.| Which fome underftand of the children of Manaffeh only; and indeed the complaint and arguments ufed, as well as fome circumftances in the account, beft agree with them; yet certain it is, that the children of Ephraim accompanied the children of Manaffeb, and were prefent at this in- Werview, as appears from y.17. and if they did not join with them in the requeft and complaint “exprefsly, they countenanced and encouraged the fame by their prefence: why haft thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit; this feems to fuir better with one than both; for there was a lot for the tribe of Manaffeb alfo, as well as for Ephraim, y. 15. And Fofoua anfwered them, &c.] By retorting their own argument upon them: if thou be a great people; which he does not deny, as get they were for numbers and power: then get thee up to the wood country; which byrpber aa and i their borders, and lay on hills and moun. Mins, Behan the OuheIrOF Gilboa, and therefore are bid to go up: and cut down for thyfelf there; cut down the trees of the wood, clear the ground of them, and fo make it habitable, and by that means enlarge the places of their habita, tion: in the land of the Perizzites, and of the giants; or Rephaim, the former of thefe were one of the feven nations of the Canaanites, who from their name feem to have dwelt not in the cities, and walled towns, but in villages, and fcattered dy 4s', or obtained and poffefied by us; we are not able to get it into our hands, there being a valley between us and that: and the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of ‘voz; not chariots made of iron, but chariots with iron fcythes faftened to the fides, or axle trees of them, which when driven with great force and fury, would cut down the infantry in battle, as orafs is cut down with fcythes, fee Jdg. iv. 2, 3: both they who are of Beth-/hean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Fezreel, both which belonged to the tribe of Manaffeh, or were on the borders of it, though as yet they had not got poffeffion, fee y. II. and this circumftance feems to favour the notion, that the tribe of Manaffeh were at leaft chiefly concerned in this addrefs.. 17. And Fofoua {pake unto the houje of Fofeph, even to Epbraim and to Manajeh, &c. | From whence it is clear that fome of both were prefent 3 and they being brethren, and their interefts united, and their cities intermixed, it would be to their mutual advantage to have an enlargement; which the tribe of Manaffeb wanted more elpecially, more of their cities that fell to their lot being in the hands of the Cazaanites, than of any other: /ayimg, thou art a great people, and haft great power were very numerous, and io able to contend with the Canaanites, and make them{elves more room: thou foalt not have one lot only; or only have what they were poffefled of, but fhould have more; and as they wanted more, they were able enough to more; and if they exerted their power, relying on the providence of God, through his bleffing on Be ier iat would certainly have an increafe of their por ion.

¥. 1. by which’it fhould feem that there were two, and if both made this expoftulation, it was nor fact; but it may be, that the inheritance which came to them by lot, was not as yet divided, and fo they called it one Jot and one portion, and then it might with propriety be faid by them both; and their fenfe be, that the lot or portion.affigned them was only fufficient for one of them, and not for both: feeing Iam a great people; as efpecially both tribes ut together were: fora/much as the Lord bath blefed me hitherto? this beft agrees with the tribe of Manaffeh, which fince their coming out of Egypt, was increafed 20,500, whereas the tribe of Ephraim was decreafed; compare Numb. i. 33, 7g. with ch. xxvi. 34, 37- Now it might have been expected by them, that as Fo/bua was of the tribe of Ephraim, that he would have favoured their caufe on that account, and that they fhould have obtained the grant of an addition by that means; but Jo/bua was impartial in his adminiftration, and fhowed no favour and affection ‘on that fcore, as appears by what follows.

_ y. 18. But the mountain fall be thine, &c } Or for * it fhall be thine; thou fhall get the poffeffion of it, though attended with difficulties that feem infuperable: for or if, though * it is a. wooed; the habitation of the Perizzites, and giants, and fo dangerous to go up to it, and full of trees, and fo feems unprofitable and ufelefs: and thou foalt cut i# down; both the inhabitants of it, and the aie of it, and clear it of both, and make it both fafe and commodious to dwell in, which would 7:

houfes, in defart places, arid among the woods, where alfo the giants had retired and dwelt after Jofoua had driven them out of the cities; and by driving thefe out of their prefent habitations, they would gain more room to dwell in, and would find their lot fufficient for them: if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee; either meaning all Ephraim, and even the whole lot of the fons of ¥o/eph, or rather the mount particularly fo called; for the words may be rendered, for mount Ephraim haftens for thee; was clear or open for thee; ready to be delivered to thee, and thou mayeft poffefs it ae once,

¥. 16. And the children of Fofeph faid, the bill is not enough for us, &c.} Meaning either mount Ephraim, and all included in it; or it may be rather the wood-country on the hills and mountains they were bid to go up.to; fignifying, that if they could gain that out of the hands of the Perizzites and giants, and clear it of the wood, and make it habitable, even that would not be fufficient for them; or that hill and mountain cannot be found fine enlargement for them:

Jeall be thine; all it produces when cultivated, and all the parts adjacent to it: for show fhalt drive out the Canaanites, this ‘fofbua affures them of, to encourage them to attempt it: though they bave and the out-goings of ityafraid ‘of their chariots, though terrible, nor of their giants and mighty men, God will be on your \fide, and you have nothing to fear from them, fee Zo. xi. 4, 6. whether the tribes of Ephraim and, Manafth took this advice of Yo/bua, is not faid.

iron chariots, and though they be firong, be not

HIS chapter informs us of the fetting up of the tabernacle at Shiloh, yy. 1. of the notice Fofhua took, that feven tribes had not received their inheritance, ¥. 2. of the inftructions he gave them to fend three men out of each tribe, and defcribe the land not yet difpofed of, and bring the account tohim, which was accordingly done, ¥. 3—9. and then he caft lots for them, and the firft lot came up for Benjamin, y.10, 11. the borders of whole lots are defcribed, y. 12—20. and the feveveral cities in it enumerated, ¥. 21—28.

greater part of it, and all fo as to have no diftur+ bance from, or war with the inhabitants.. y.2. And there remained among the children of Tfrael feven tribes, &c.] Which were thote of Ben- and Dan: which had not yet received their inberi-, tance; and for which the lots were not calk.;

¥. 3. And Fofoua faid unto the children of Ifrael, &c.] To thole of the feven tribes: 2ow long are you flack to go to poffe/s the land which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you? not that they y.1. And the whole congregation of the children of Irael affembled together at Shilob, &c.] - The whole body of the people, men, women and children, as well as the camp, ¥. g. at leaft all that had not received their inheritances in the land. Hither they came from Gilgal, where the campjtion and tabernacle had been ever fince their paflage over Jordan, but aow the land being in the main fubdued, that was too far off both for the camp without having it affigned to them by lot; that they did not do this, is not what is complained of, and they ftand reproved tor; bur that when two tribes and a half had received their inberitance, thefe feemed indifferent to it, fhewed.no inclinaand difpofition towards it, and much lefs eagernels to have a fettlement, and did not apply to the court for it; which dilatorinels might arile from the prefent affluence of all good things they

‘and tabernacle, and therefore they moved farther into the land, and nearer Feru/alem, where in time the tabernacle was to be placed.. The place they afiembled at, Shiloh, was in the tribe of Ephraim, of which tribe Fo/bua was, and whofe lot and inheritance was now fixed, and it was not far from Ferufalem, about two leagues. “Ferom fays ", it was enjoyed through the fpoils of the enemy; and partly through flothfulnefs, being tired of the war, and perceiving that they mudt be involved in it again to difpoffefs the Canaanites of fome of the their flacknefs might be the more increafed, by ob- ten miles fromVeapolis or Shechem, inthe country of lot they had received, and therefore waited till

Acrabatena; and that there were fcarce any ruins of it to be feen in his day, only an altar demolifhed was fhown, It feems to have its name from the peaceable condition the land was now in, and very likely was now given it on that account: and fet up the tabernacle of the congregation there; no doubt by the appointment and direétion of God, fignified to Eleazar the high-prieft, either by a voice, or by Urim and Thummim, and the removal of it and. partly that it might be near where Fo/Eua, the things were adjufted to greater fatisfaction.

¥. 4. Give out from amoug you three men for each tribe, &c.] That is,~ for each of the feven tribes, in all 21; though fome think they were toa be taken out of all the nine tribes and a half, and were 36; and fo fofepbus * feems' to underftand its, but then he makes but one out of each tribe to be. ent, and but ten in all, which is a great overight in that hiftorian: and Iwill fend thenz Fofoua feemed neceffary, partly that becaufe feveral camps P ‘ which furrounded it, were now broken up and fet-} tled in their cities, as Rexben, Judah and Ephraim; faction; but when chofen and prefented to him, he would not take upon him to name the perfons, but left it to their own choice for their greater fatit would give them a commiffion and directions whar overnor of J/rael, refided, Ephraim being his atid and alfo fince Gilga/, on the borders of the land, was too far off for the people to refort to the tabernacle, and therefore it was proper it fhould be more in the heart of the country: when this was done, cannot certainly be determined; Kimchi fays it was ¥4 years after the J/raelites came into the Jand of Canaan; and fo fays * their chronology; but it is highly probably it was before that time, and not longer than feven or eight years at moft; here the tabernacle continued, according to the Yewi/h to do: and they fhall rife; gird themiely prepare for rhea and. fet A ee a /brough the land of Canaan; not the whole of it but that part which as yet was not difpofed, of; though fome think they were to go through moh defcribe the whole land; but I {ee no reafon for that, for what was defcribed was to be divided into feven parts only; and what belonged already to Judah aud Fo/feph, feem plainly to be excepted inn the following verfe: and deferibe it according ta che inheritance of them; take the dimenfions of ity, writers ¥, 369 years, even unto the times of Samiiel, when for the fins of the fons of ZZ it was removed. Eupolemus*, an heathen writer, {peaks number of the tribes that had not received inheritance. archi thinks this defcription and might have taken poffeflion of ic of themfelves, ~ cities that would fall to their lot; and perhaps ferving the diffatisfaction of the tribes with the and divide it into feven parts, according to. the’

ef the holy temple being fixed at Shiloh by Fofbua: and the land was fubdued before them; vifion were not to be made equally, but accor al k the farjing to the largenefs and fmalnefs of the tribes;

Ch. xvi. ¥. 541. but this could not be done by the meafurers, fince the inheritance of each depended on the lot that was afterward to be caft, which by this means would have been rendered needlefs: and they /hall come again to me; which feems to be not only a precept or inftruction to them, that when they had done their bufinefs, they fhould come to Yobua and give him an account of it; but an affurance alfo of their fafety, that they fhould receive no difturbance nor hurt from the remaining Canaan-~ ites, but fhould return fafe and well.

y. 5. And they fhall divide it into feven parts, &c.] According to the number of the feven tribes not yet fettled; and this they were to defcribe and divide, was all the land fubdued, or not fubdued, only the following excepted: Fudah shall abide in ~ their coaft on the fouth; on the fouth of the land of Canaan, where their lot fell, fo that needed not to be meafured and defcribed; and this tribe was to retain what they were poffeffed of, unlefs ic take particular notice, and dn exact furvey of ir, both of the quality and the quantity of it: end defcribe it its cities and towns, hills and dales, the goodnefs and badnefs of the foil, and put’ ic down in a book, or lay it out in a,map, that it may be difcerned by the eye what number of cities, and what {pace of ground it contains, and what parts are hilly and woody, and what otherwife: and come again to me; to make a report of it: that [ may caft lots for you before the Lordi Shilob; that is, for the feveral tribes which they belonged: to, and by whom they were chofen for this purpofe, ¥. 9. And ihe men went and paffed through the land, &c.) Undifturbed by the inhabirants that remained; the fear of the //rac/ifes being ftill upon them, and the providence of God reftraining them, fo that the men paffed through the whole country, and took a furvey of it without any moleftation: and defcribed it by cities, into feven parts, in a books or map, or rather made feven maps of it, and fet fhould appear they had too much, and others want- down the feveral cities in each divifion, with the ed, and they willing to part with fome of it to places adjacent, hills and vales, and marked out their brethren, as they afterwards did to the tribes'a plain and exact chorography of the whole, b of Simeon and Dan: and the bhoufe of Fofeph Joall\ which it appears they muft be men. well fkilled in abide in their coaft on the north, on the north of geometry. Fofepbus ° fays, that Fofua added to the tribe of Zudab; not of the land of Canaan,'them fome that underitood geometry; but doubt- y. 6. Ye foall therefore defcribe the land into feven parts, Sc.) Or ye fhall defcribe the land, even: the feven parts ef it when divided; it feems as if; they were firft to defcribe in general all the land not difpofed of, and then divide it into feven parts, and make a particular defcription of each part, or form a plan, or draw a map of every part: end bring the defcription bither to me; not by word of mouth, but as written in a book, or marked out in a map, and laid before him, fee ¥.°9. that J may caft lots for you here before the Lord your God; in Sbilob, at the. door of the tabernacle, and fo before the Lord who dwelt in it, at whole difpofal the lot was, and by which every one of the feven tribes would have their part and portion affigned them, moft fitting and convenient for them, according to the will and counfel of God, in which it became them to acquiefce.

y.7. But the Levites have no part among you, &c.] And fo needed not to fend any men out of their tribe to meafure the land on their account, and is a reafon why the remaining part of the land was to be divided into feven parts only: for the pricfthood of the Lord is his inheritance, not only the office; but what appertained to it, all the perquifites of it, the tithes, firft-fruits, parts of the facrifices, €8c. fee ch. xiii. 14: and Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manaffeb, have received for fome other tribes lay more northerly. | | lefs the perfons each tribe chofe and fent, were fuch whom they knew were well verfed in that art, and fo fit for the bufinefs; and which they had, no j Boas is be} 2 nas? doubt, learnt in Egypt, this being one part of the wifdom and learning of the Azypsians, who boalted of it as an invention of theirs, as Diodorus Siculus © relates; and indeed they were obliged to ftudy, it, their country being divided into feveral nomes, and thefe into leffer diftriéts, and which alfo were fubdivided, and according thereunto were the king’s taxes levied upon them; and what with the confufion frequently made by the overflowing; of the Nile, they were frequently obliged to meafure their land over again; and hence they became exu pert in this fcience, which is commonly believed took its rife from them, and pafled into Greece, as Herodotus *, and Strabo *, and other authors relate: however, it is certain from this inftance in the time of Fofhua, that geometry was not the invention, of Anaximander, about 00 years before Chrift, as fome have afferted': and came asain to Fofbua to the hoft at Shiloh; where the camp, as well as the people in common, and the tabernacle, were; they returned, as Yofepbus ® fays, at the end of {even months; and to meafure fo much land, and make fuch divifions of it, and give the plans and maps of each divifion, muft take up a confiderable time.

y¥. 10. And Fofhua caft lots for them in Sbilob bes their inheritance beyond ‘fordan on the eaft, which Mojes the fervant of the Lord gave them and had no fhare in the divifion of the land of Caxzagn, being fufficiently provided for. — 55:

y. 8. And the men arofe, and went away, &c.] The feven tribes took the advice of Fofbua, chofe three men out of each tribe, and prefented them to him, who gave them their commiffion and ftruétion to go and defcribe the land of Canaan, not yet difpofed of, and whether fubdued, or not fubdued; upon which they prepared for their journey, and took it, after he had given them the following charge: and Fofoua charged them that went zo defcribe the land, before they departed from him: faying, go and walk through the land; and fore the Lord, &c.| For the feven tribes, as he ojhad for the two tribes and a half at Gilgal; of the manner of cafting lots, fee the note on Numb, xxvi. and there Fofhua divided the land unio the children of Ifrael according to their divifion; the land that was divided into feven parts, he diftributed to the feven tribes, as the lot came up for them, and in-jthen divided thefe feveral parts according to the families.and houfholds in each tribe.

y. 41. And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families, 8c.] This was the firft lot of the feven that came Up 5 it was but a fmall lot, and therefore called Jistle Benjamin, Pf. Ixviii. 27. but the land was very: pleafant and fruitful. Fo/ephus* fays, this lot was very ftrait, becaufe of the goodnefs of the foil, for it took in Fericho, and the city of Ferufalem the coaft of their lot came forth between the children of Fudah, and the children of Fofeph; having Fu- \thoron, as in the preceding verfe: and the goings: lout thereof, the end of the weftern coaft, were at Arrjatb-baal, which is Kirjath-jearim, a city of the children of Fudab;, of which fee ch. xv. 9, 60;

dah on the fouth, and Yo/eph on the north; this was fo ordered by the providence of God, that Benjamin fhould lie clofe to Fo/eph, being own brothers, and the only children of Rachel, Facob’s beloved wife; and that it fhould be next to Fudab, with whom it was to unite, both in religious and civil. affairs, and both met in and had a part of Ferufalem, the metropolis of J/rael; and this lot fell exactly according to the prediction of Mo/es, and the order of it, who places Benjamin between ‘Fudah and Fofeph, the tribe of Levi having no fhare in the divifion of the land, Deut. xxxui. 7, 12, 13.

y. 12. And their border on the north-fide was|xv

from Fordan, &c.) Which was the eaftern boundary of the tribe, and hence proceeded from eaft to weft, and formed its northern border, which is defcribed in like manner as the lot of the children of Jofeph, ch. xvi. 1, 2: aud the border went up to the fide of Fericho on the north-fide, from Fordan it went to the north of Fericho, and fo took in that place, which was within the tribe of Benjamin, y. 21: and went up through the mountains weftward; the mountains that were on the north of as of the other, fee ch. xv. 8.

Fericho, for, as Strabo fays ', Fericho was fur? rounded with mountains, fee ch. ii. 16, 22. thro’ thefe mountains the coaft went on towards the weftern border of the tribe: and the goings out thereof were at the wildernefs of Beth-aven a place near Bethel and 4z, to which there was a wildernefs adjoining, fee ch. vii. 2. and viii. 20. here ended the northern border.

¥. 13. And the border went over from thence towards Luz, &c.) From Betb-aven, where the northern border ended, the weftern began, and went on to Luz: to the fide of Luz, which is Bethel, fouthward; that is, pafied along, leaving that city to the fouth, which formerly was called Luz, but now Bethel, which though diftinct, places former— ly, yet being very near, might in procefs of time be joined; fee the note on ch. xvi. 2. and the border defcended to Ataroth-adar, the fame with /rchi-ataroth, ch. xvi. 2, 5. fee the note there: near the bill that \ieth on the fouth fide of the nether Betbhoron; fo called to diftingwifh it from Bethhoron the upper, fituated on an hill or mountain, ch. xvi. 5. this was rebuilt by Solomon, 1 Kings iv. 17.

y.14. And the border was drawn thence, &c.] From Beth-horon: and compaffed the corner of the fea fouthward, it is hard to fay what fea is meant, or what by it. Fuller * conjectures, that as the this was the weft-quarter; as thus defcribed.

¥.15. And the fouth-quarter was from the end of Kirjath-jearim, &c.} Where the weftern quarter ended: and the border went out on the weft; not directly fouth, but fomewhat wefterly. It is in the original, the fea, and fhould be rendered, from the fea, or frem the weft™; and Yarchi confelles his ignorance, and fays, 1 know not what fea it is; and well-he might, for there was no fea here; bus the Mediterranean fea, being to the weft of the land of J/rae/, it is often ufed for the welt in the Hebrew language, and fo here: and went out ta the well of waters of Nephtoab; {ee the note on ch.

VY. And the border came down, &c.] In the defcription of the border of Yudah, hereabout, it is faid to go up, ch. xv. 5.. becaufe there, as Farchi obferves, the meafure was from eat to weft, but here from weft to eaft: to the end of the mountain that \ieth before the valley of the fon of Hinnom; this fouth-border of Fenjamin is the fame with the north-border of Fudah; and the fame places are mentioned in the defcription of the one, The mountain is mount Moriah, and which is in the valley of the giants on the north; on the north of the valley of Rephaim: and defcended to the valley of Hinnom; the border from the end of mount Moriah to that valley: to the fide of ‘febufi on the fouth; to the fouth-fide of Ferufalem, having that city on the fouth: and defcended to En-rogel; of which fee the note on ch. xv. 7.

¥.17. And was drawn from the north, &c. J Turning northward, and looking that way trom the weft to the eaft: and went forth to Enbemefh;

or the fountain of the fun, fee ch. xv. 7: and went forth toward Geliloth, called Gilgal, ch. xv. 7: which is over-againft the going up to Aduminin; a place between Yerufalem and Fericho, fee ch. xv. 7: and defcended to the ftone of Boban the fou of Reuben; tee ch. xv. 6. i y. 18. And paffed along toward the fide overagainft Arabab northward, &c.] The fame with

Beth-arabah, ch. xv. 6. and fo it is called here in © the Greek verfion: and went down unto Arabah; the fame as before, and included it, for it is mentioned among the cities of this tribe, ¥. 22. ¥. 19. And the border paffed along to the fide of Beth-hoglah northward, &c.| Inclining fomewhat toward the north, but not leaving the city to the north, for it is included in the lot of Benjamin, ¥. 21. of which place fee ch. xv. 6: and the out-

Hebrews call any confluence of water a fea, as call fuch a mere, the great waters in Gibeom may be meant, Yer. xli. 12. for it cannot mean the Mediterranean fea, for Dan lay between Benjamin wel goings of the border were at the north -bay of the /alt fea; here ended the fouthern border of Benjamin, even at the bay or creek of the falt fea, which looked northward, as the fouthern border of JFudab and that; and yet if a fea is meant, no other can be; wherefore it is beft to render it the weft quarter, as it is in the latter part of this verfe; and fo the fame word is tranflated, ¥. 12. the wef, and not the /ea, as it fometimes is; for the border of Benjamin did not reach the fea any where; though Fofepbus' makes it to extend to it, and fays, that the length of it was from the river Fordan to the fea: from the bill that lieth before Beth-boren fouthward; the hill that lay to the fouth of nether Be- began at that bay of it, which looked fouthward, ch. xv. 2: at the fouth-end of Fordan; where it fell into the falt fea: this was the fouth-coaft, as before defcribed. ¥.20. And Fordan was the border of it on the eaftfide, &c.| It had Fordan on the eatt, Dan on the weft, Fudab on the fouth, and Fofeph or Ephraim on the north: this was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the coajts thereof round about, according to their families; this is the ge~ neral defcription of the limits of this tribe, the particular cities in it follow. mentioned;

y. 21. Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, according to their families, were Fericko, &c.] Which though deflroyed, and not to be rebuilt as a city, was yet a place inhabited, in future times was rebuilt, and in great {plendor, and continued to the time of Chrift,; ch. ii. 1. Beth-hoglah, where or near to which _ was the threfhing-floor of Atad, at which tation was made for Facob, Gen. 1. 10. there, and on Foo. xv. 6: and the valley of Keziz; or Emek-keziz; fo. the Greek verfion calls it Amecafis: it is highly probable it was in the plain of Fericho, and perhaps might have its trom the incifion of the balfam-tree there; which, as Pliny” fays, was cut with glafs or a ftone, or with knives made of bone; if cut with iron, it miles from Bethel to the eaft, near Ramah, next and which the fame writer relates 4 was fix miles from Aha: or Ferufalem to the north againtt Bethel. Rauwolff, a traveller in thofe parts, fays', that the town of Rama is fituated on his andjafcent, in plain fields, which extend themfelves for two leagues to the hill of the city of Feru/alem 5 of which fee;thefe fields are very fruitful, and well tilled and fown with corn, cotton, and Indian millet; the lamen-jtown is »pretty large, but very open, like unto a fee the note; village, very pitifully built, where one may ftill fee here and there fome figns of old buildings. Beeroth was a city that belonged to the Gibeonites, valley or ch. ix. 17. and erom fays*, ‘in his time was fhewn name)the village, feven miles from Aka or Ferufalem, as you goto Neapolis or Shechem.

¥. 26. Aud Mizpeb, and Chephirab, and Mozab.] Frequent mention is made of Mizpeb in {cripture;

kills it. according to Fuller‘, it was about eight miles from ¥. 22. And Beth-arabab, and Zemaraim, and Gtbeab; it was near Ramathon, which Fofepbus Beth-el.| Of the firft and laft of thefe, fee the, fays * was 40 furlongs from Ferufalem. C ephirak notes on ch. vii. 2. and xv. 6. One of the fons was one of the cities fubject to Gibeon, ch. ix. 17. of Canaan was named Zemari, Gen. x. 18. by|There was a place called Motza, near to Feru/awhom thiscity Zemaraim might be built, or how-\/em, where they ufed to go to get willows at the ever have its name given it, in memory of him; feait of tabernacles *. there was a mountain of this name in the tribe of| ¥.297. And Rekem, and Irpeel, and Taralab.} Ephraim, near to which this city might be, 2 Chron.'Of thele cities, there is no mention made elfe- Xili, 4. i where.

¥.23. And Avim, and Parab, and Opbrab.] Of the two firft of thefe we read no where elfe. Opbrab is not the fame with Ophra in Fudg. vi. 1x. that belonged to the tribe of Manaffeh, but rather that which was in the land of Shuah, 1 Sam. xiii. 17. Ferom calls this place Aphra, in the tribe Benjamin, and fays °, in his time there was a village called Efrem, five miles from Bethel to the eat, which very probably is the fame with this..

¥. 28. And Zelab, Eleph, and Febufi, which is Ferufalem, Gibeath, and Kirjath, &c.) Zelab was the burying-place of Saul and his family, 2 Sam. Xxi. 14. lepb is no where elfe mentioned; fome ljoin it with Zelab, and make one city of it, bur ofjthen the number of cities given could not be compleated; both Yarchi and Kimchi fay, they Were two cities, as doubtlefs they were; of Feru/alem being called Febufi, fee ch. xv. 63. it belonged partly to the tribe of Fudah, and partly to the tribe of Benjamin; mount Zion belonged to Fudab, and Moriah to Benjamin, Gibeath was a diftin& city both from Gaba and Gibeon 5 by its beine mentioned with Yerufalem, it fhould feem to be near it. Yerom ” {peaks of Gabaatha in the tribe of Benja-;)min, 12 miles from Eleutheropolis, where the grave the prophet Habakkuk was thown; Kirjath fignifies a city, but what city is meant is not known - fourteen cities with. their villages; and juft fo many

¥. 24. And Chephar-haammonai, and Opbni, and Gaba, &c.]. Of the two firft of thefe no mention is made elfewhere. Gaba is the fame with Gibeah, a well-known place, becaufe of the foul fact committed there, which had like to have been the ruin of this tribe, Fudg. xix. and for being the native place of king Sau/, hence called Gibeab of Saul it was about fix or feven miles from eru/a-jof lem, fee the note on Hof. v. 8: siwelve cities with their villages; which agrees with the account of| them.. are mentioned by name: this is the inheritance of

¥.25. Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth.| Gibeon is the place from whence the Gideonites: who deceived Fafbua, ch. ix.

time there was a village thewn of this name, four the children of Benjamin according to their families, came, thefe cities, with others perhaps. not mentioned, Ferom fays?, in hisjwere allotted to the tribe of Benjamin for their. fa~ milies to dwell in.

N this chapter aniaccount is given of the lots of the fix remaining tribes, and the cities in- them, Benjamin's was the firft; otherwife there were thie two lots of Judah and ‘fofeph, which preceded both thefe: 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 Fa- ‘ab, yet it feems as if there were others they had by a fpecial lot caft for them, as many as were fufficient: for: their families: and their inberitance was within the inheritance of the children of Fadab, as of Simeon, whole cities were chiefly within the tribe of Judah, ¥- 1—gs of Zebulun, its border, and cities, ¥. 10—~16. of Ifechar, its border, and ‘cities, ¥. 17—23. of her, its border and:cities, ¥e 24-—31. Of Naphtali, its border and cities, ¥. 32—-39. of Dan, its border and cities, y.

40—48. and laftly of a gift of inheritance to} |which was:done partly becaufe this was buta finall tribe, and particularly becaufe the lot put up,

¥. 1. And the Second lot came forth to Simeon, 8ec. That is, the fecond of the feven lots, of) which fell to: the tribe of Fudab, was too large which'for it, more than they could occupy, too being put to this lot by the firft meafurers of land; and partly to fulfil the prophecy of facob, that the Simeonites fhould be feattered in Facob, and divided in T/rael, Gen. xlix. 7. and hence it is that the lots.of thefe two tribes lying together, and being fo intermixed, that the tribe of Fudab called upon that of Simeon to join them in fighting againft the Caneanites, and taking out of their hands the cities that belonged to them, Judg. i. 3. | feveral place, in the fartheft border of the land of J/rae fouthward, and the reafon of its nameis manifeft, Gen, xxi. 31. feethe note on ch. xv. 28. and Moladah; another of the cities of Fudab, ch. xv. the)the note on y. 42. four cities and their villages, Ain, Remmon, therefore, could not be one city, at this time, as it feems to have been in the times of Nehemiah, ch. xi. 29. or otherwife there would have been but three cities.

y. 8. And allthe villages that were round about thefe cities, &c.1 Not only the fuburbs adjoining tothofe cities which are mentioned before, but the mall diftinét towns and villages, feattered up and down in the country: to Baalath-beer, Ra-, math of the fouth; this is the fame with Baal in 1 Chron. iv. 33. and with Ramath of the fouth, or fouth. Ramoth, as it is called 1 Sam. xxx.27. all thefe are the names of one and the fame city.; ¢bis 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 accordwhich was a well knownjing to the number of their refpective families; at |leaft, thefe were the chief and principal of them; forall that they poffeffed are not mentioned, particularly one called Tochen, 1 Chron. iv. 32. and another the name of which is Etamthere, unlefs

¥.2. And they had in their inheritance Beerfoeba and Sheba, &c.) Or, Beerfoeba, that is, Sheba; for fo the particle Vaz is fometimesufed *, and mutt be fo ufed heres or otherwife inftead of 13, it will appear that there are 14 cities, contrary to the account of them, y. 6. fo Kimchi and Ben Melech make them one city. And it may be obferved; that in the enumeration of the:cities of Simeon, 1 Chron. iv. 28. Sheba is leftout, and only Beerfoeba is mentioned;

26. i that is thought to be the fame with Ether herein

¥. 3. And Hazor-foual, and Balah, and Azem;\ ‘Of thefe places fee the notes on ch. xv. 28, 29. for Balah is the fame with Baalab there, and with Bilba, 1 Chron. iv. 29. and Azem with Ezem theres y¥. 4. And Eltolad, and Bethul, and. Hormah;,\ Thefe were all cities of Fudab, ch. xv. 30. Eltolad is the fame with Zo/ad, and Bethul with Bethuel, 1 Chron. iv. 29, 30. and with Che/l, ch. xv..g0. mentioned there along with Hormab 5 fee the the preceding verfe. ‘Fofepbusfays*, this tribe took by lot that part of Jdumea which lay near to Egypt and Arabia. 2

¥.9. Out of the portion of the children of Fudab was the inheritance’ of the children of Simeon, &c. } Which is the reafon why no defcription is given of the border of their inheritance, becaufe that is before given in the account of the lot of fadab = for the part of the children of Fudah was too much for note there. them; they had more cities than they could fill

¥.5. And Ziklag, &c.] Another of the cities of Fudab, ch. xv. 31. and | Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-fufab; or Sufim, as init Chron. iv. 31. the one fignifies. a chariot-houfe, and the other a court or ftable for, horfes, which made Bochart| conjecture *, that they were places where So/omon kept his chariots and horfes; but it fhould be obfervyed that thefe were the names. by which thefe places went in the times of the old Canaanites; and feem to me rather where fome of their kings hadj their horfes and chariots; or rather where there were temples dedicated to the horfes and chariots of thefun; fee 2 Kings xxiii. 11.

¥.7. Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Afan, 8c.} Of the two firft, which were cities of Fudah, fee the note on ch. xv. 32. and of the two laft, fee.with people, and more Jand than they ‘could cultivate; they had 114 cities with’ their villages: therefore the children’ of Simeon bad their inberitance «within the inheritance of them; the one being a mall tribe, and the other large, and for the reafons given on ¥. 1. fee the note there. *. Pa 2. y.10. And the'third lot came up forthe children of Zebulun, ‘according to their families, &c.] Who though younger than Jfachar, has his. lot before him, agreeable to the order, in which his bleffing is prediéted, both by Facob and Mofes, Gen. xlixi 1 3. Det. xxxiii. 18. and the border of their inberitance) was unto Sarid, or by Sarid, as Mafius, who takes this to be the fouth-weft border of Zebulun, being near Carmel; in which he feems to be right. &i% y. 6. And Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuben, &c.} Whether the firft is the fame with Lebaoth, a city of Yudab, ch. xv. 32. and with the Bethleptepha, of Fofepbus’, and the, Betholene of ‘Pliny +, is not certain: in this place feems toi have been an idol-temple of the Canaanites, dedicated to lions, as in Egypt there was a city called Leentopolis, from whence was the Leontopolitan nome, the inhabitants of which worfhipped lions‘; and the Egyptians had temples dedicated to them, as /ianus * relates. Both thefe places are thought to be'the fame with Bethbiert and Shaaraim in 1 Chron. iv, 31. of the latter of which fee ch. xv. 36. Thofe who-take Sheba, ¥. 2. to be the fame with Shema;, ch. xv. 26. make but one city here, and take away thelaft, as the Greck verfion does, and render the word a#d their fields, and {fo the number itill is as follows:: thirteen cities and their villages; the {um total of thofe enumerated above. ».. of Carmel;

y. 11. And their border went up toward the fea, 8cc.) Weftward towards the Mediterranean’ fea, which fulfilled the prophecies of Jacob and Mojes, that Zebulun fhould dwell by the fea, be an haven of fhips, and fuck ofthe abundance of the feas, as in. the. places before referred to; and fo fofephus fays, the Zebulonites took the land unto the lake of Genefaret, by or about Carmel and the fea: and Maralab; which ferom calls * the’afcent of Zé- dulun, for from hence it went up from the fea, and reached to Dabbafheth;- which Ferom*calls Da/- bath, the word fignifies a bunch that ison aca mel’s back, J/: xxx. 6. fo called becaufe when that is hurt by burdens it is cured with-honey *: it feems to denote fome place or city ata point of land or promontory, that ftood out towards the fea, as that or fome city on the back of Carmel, refembling a camel’s bunch.: and reached to the river that is before Fokneam; of Fokneam, fee the inore onch. xii. 22. and this river was either the ri- ver Kifbon, or Belus, fometimes called Pagida, whence fand was taken to make glafs of *, and was near Carmel, as ‘fokneam was. “i ties, but y¥. t2. And turned from Sarid eaftward, &c.] This deicribes the fouthern border, going on from welt to ealt: towards the fun-rifing, unto the border of Chifloth-iabor; this Ferom places in the tribe of J fackar, it bordered on both tribes; and he fays', that in his time there was a little village called Cha felus, aght miles from Diocefarea, at the foot of mount Jaber in the plains: and then goeth out to Daberath, which alfo was a city in the tribe of J fachary given to the Levites, ch. xxi. 28. Fe-{ rom {peaks of a little village of the Fews by\&c. mount Yabor, of the country belonging to Diocafarea, called Dadira; this place is {tll ig being. Mr. Maundrell fays®, at the bottom of Tabor weftward ftands Debarab, fuppofed by fome to take its name from Deborah, the tamous judge and deliverer of J/rael: and goeth up to faphia, this Ferom °fays is the town called Sycamine, as you go from Ce/area to Ptolemais, above the fea, becaule of mount Carmel, called Epba, thought by fome to be the Febba of Pliny?. It feems, however, to be the apha of Fofephus *, which he fpeaks of as being a ftrong fortified place both by from[belonged to other tribes, and only lay-on the borders of this; and others might not be properly cimall towns.

y. 16. This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun, according to their families, 8c.) Which was allotted to it and divided, according to the -}number of its families: thefe cities with their vil- /ages; before enumerated, excepting fuch as only bordered on them; though indeed there were other cities which belonged to them, or might be after ziven them, not. here mentioned, as Kartab and -] Dimnab, ch. xxi. 34, 35.

y.17. And the fourth lot came out to Ifachar, The fourth of the feven drawn at Shiloh: for the children of I{Jachar, according to their families, among whom the inheritance that came to them by the lot was divided, according to the number of y. 18. And their border was towards Fezreel, &c.] Which wasa royal feat in the time of bab, 1 Kings xxi. 1. and according to Yerom was near to Maximianopolis; fee the note on Ho/. i. 5. and the fame writer * fays in his day a large village of this name was fhewn in the great plain between Scythopolis and Legion (he means the plain of Fezreel) and it was the border of [achar: and Chefulloth and nature and art. Shunem; the firft of thefe was different from the y. 13. And from thence paffeth on along on the eaft to Gittah-bepher, &c.] Which was the native place of Yonah the prophet, 2 Kings xiv. 25. and where Ferom lays * his grave was fhown, and was {mall village in his time two miles from Szppore, then called Diocefarea, to Ittab-kazin, of place we have no account elfe-where, but it was not far from the former: and goeth out to Remmon-methoar to Neab, where the eaftern border ended. Some verfions make Remmon-Methoar, diftin& places; but where either of them were exactly is not known: fome, as the Targum, Farchi, and Kimcbi, render the word Methoar which goes about; that is, the border went about from Remmon to Neah, which by Ferom is called una, and who obferves *, thatthere is another village called 4una, 10 miles from Neapolis, as you go to #lia; and by whom alfo Methoar is reckoned a diftiné place, Chifloth-tabor, ¥.12. that, as Mafius obferves, was to the north, this to the fouth of mount Tabor. Shunem is a place well known for being the dwelajling place of acertain woman in the times of Elifha, whofe fon the prophet raifed from the dead, 2 Kings thisjiv. 8. Ferom calls it Sonam, where was the Shunamite woman; but this city here feems to be what he calls Sulem, in the tribe of Ifachar; and he adds, that there was fhewn in his day a village by this name, 5 miles from mount Tabor to the fouth”: according to Bunting*, it was 48 miles from Ferufalem tothe north, not far from: Naim.

y.19. And Hapbaraim, and Shicn, and Anaharath;| The firft of thefe is by erom ¥ called Aphraim, a city of the tribe of [fachar; and adds, there is at this day a village called Afarea, 6 miles from Legion to the north; and of Seon or Soen, the fame with Shion here, he fays * there was a vil- and called Amathar. lage of this name fhewn in his time near mount y.14. And the border compaffeth it from the north fide to Hannathon, &c.| This is the northern border of the tribe, which took a circuit from the laft place to this; of which and the following place we have no. account; Yerom only makes mention oflof them as in the tribe of Zebulun: and the outgoings thereof are in'the valley of Fiphthab-el 5 here the northern border ended, which Mafius conjeétures was part of the valley of Carmel. y. 21. y¥. 15. And Kattab, and Naballal, and Shimvon, and Idalah, and Bethlebem, &c.) Of the two firft of thefe we read no where elfe, but in ch. xxi. 24, 35. andin Fudg. i. 30. Shimron was a royal city, the king of which Yofhva took and hanged, ofp. Xie 2. and xii. 20.

conjectures * where the goddefs Venus was worthipped, Jdalia being one of her’names; and Berhlebem is a different place from that which was the birth-place. of, our Lord, called’ Bethlehem of Fudab, to-diftinguifh it from this:- ¢ewelve cities with their villages; more are named, but fome of them Tabor, of the latter we have no account -elfe-;; where.:

y. 20. dnd Rabbith, and Kifbion, and Abex 3} The firft of thefe: Ferom calls Rabboth in the tribe [achar; ‘and Kifbion, as Ma/fius notes, feems to have given name to the river Ki/bon near it; fome take it to be the fame with Kede/fh, 1 Chren. vi. 92. of Abex no mention is made elfewhere.., And Remeth and En-gannim, and Enhaddab, and Beth-pazzez;| Remeth feems to be the fame with Farmuth, ch. xxi. 29. and with Ramoth, 1 Chrom vi. 73. and En-gannim the fame with Anem in the fame place: there were feveral of this name, which feem to have been places full ‘Idalab is a place Bochartjof gardens, and well watered; for the word fignifies a fountain of gardens. En-gannim is now called Fenine, diftant from Tabor 22 miles, a place of gardens, of water and of pleafure, asa traveller > of ours tells us; who-alfo declares *, that in his whole journey from Damajfcus to Ferufalem, jhe faw not more fruitful ground, and fo much to- gether, than he did in 22 miles riding between mount Tabor and Ex-gannim. ‘This feems to be the fame place Mr. Maundrell * calls Feneen, a large old town on the fkirts of E/draelon. Dr. Lightfoot*is inclined to believe, that Nia, where the widow’s fon was raifed to life, Lwke vii. 11. is the fame with En-gannim, for which he gives divers reafons. ‘ferom fays, in his time ‘ there was a yillage called Enadda, 10 miles from Eleutheropclis, as you go from thence to #/ia, but feems not to

¥.25. And their border was Helkath, and Hali, and Beten, and Achfhaph;\ Halkath feems to be the

to Mafius it lay 10 or 12 miles above Péolemais, of Hali we read no where elfe. Beten is by Ferom* called Bathne, and was in his time a village by the name of Bethebem, 8 miles from Ptolemais to theeaft. Reland ‘ feems to think it might be the Ecbatana of Pliny *, which he {peaks of as near mount Carmel, and not far from Ptolemais, Ach- be the fame with En-baddab here; but of Betb-| baph was a royal city, whofe king was taken by pazzez no mention is made elfewhere. Beth fignifies a houfe, and Pazzez in the Arabic tongue fignifies filver; fo this with the old Canaanites might be a treafure-city, like thofe in Egypt, Exod. i. 11. But where a word begins with eth, as the

Joeal, &c.| Of the two firft of thefe there is no mention elfewhere. Mifhea/ is the fame with Ma- name of a place, I always fufpect there was an\ am, and faid to be near Carmel to the fea: and idol-temple there; now as the word in Hebrew fig nifies the fame as Peor, opening, here might be a temple to that deity, or to one that was fimilar to the God of the Moadites, and defign a Priapus, among the Canaanites like that; or as the word in the Syriac and Chgldee languages fignifies to redeem, deliver, and fave, this temple might be dedicated to fome idol as their deliverer and faviour.

y. 22. And the coaft reacheth to Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Beth-foemefh, &c.| Tabor was the name of a mountain in thofe parts; it is generally fuppofed to be the mountain on which our Lord was transfigured, though it is not fufficiently evident; fee the note on Fer. xlvi.18. There was a city of this name near it, 1 Chron. vi. 77. and which is meant here, and which either gave unto, or received name from the mount. The Greeks call it Ftabyrium, and it is defcribed by Polydius * as fituated on a hill rifing in the form of a pap or breaft, and has an afcent of more than fifteen furlongs, and he calls it a city. Shahazimab is not mentioned any where elfe; and there feem to have fio-| reacheth to Carmel weftward;

or, fo the fea, as Carmel is called Carmel by thefea, Fer. xlvi. 18. fee the note there: it is hereby diftinguifhed from Carmel in the tribe of fudah, ch. xv. 55. (Pliny® calls it a promontory): end to Sibor-libnath; the Vulgate Latin and Septuagint verfions make two places of it; but the tum of the cities after given will not admit of it: more rightly Junius renders it Sibor by Libnath, and takes Sibor to be theriver Belus, or Pagidus; {fo called either becaufe of its likenefs to the Vile, one of whofe names is: Sibor, Fer. ii. 18. or becaufe its waters might be black and muddy; it was the river out of which fand was fetched to make glafs of: and Libuath, which has its name from whitenefs, the fame writer thinks may be the d/buim Promontorium, or white promontory of Plizy®, which he places near Prolemais, between Ecdippa and Tyre, and is very probable. ¥.27. And turneth towards the fun-rifing, Se.) Or eaftward, to Beth-dagen; there was a city of this name in the tribe of Fadaeb, ch. xv. 44, fee the note there. Dagon being a God of the Phanicians, had temples built for him in various places in been feveral cities, at leaft more than one, of the Canaan: and reacheth to Zebulun, not the tribe of name of Beth-/beme/b; one in the tribe of Judah, ch, xxi. 16. and another in the tribe of Napthali, ¥. 38. which perhaps may be the fame with this,

Zebulun, but a city fo called, the fame Fo/ephus® calls aftrong city of Galilee, which had the name of Men, perhaps from the populoufnels of it, and it lying on the borders’ of both tribes. In this! and fo in others of the fame name, was a temple dedicated to the fun by the heathens, as was one of the fame name in Egypt for the fame reafon, Fer. xliii.13. and the outgoings of their border were at fordan;, here it ended: fo Jofepbus fays, that the border of this tribe in the length of feparated Ptolemais from Fudea': and to the velley of Jipthab-el; fee ¥. 14. toward the north fide of © there! Beth emek, and Neiel; of Beth-emek no mention is made elfewhere: perhaps here was an idol-temple. before dedicated to the God of the vallies; fee 1 Kings xx. 28. the latter the Greek verfion calls Isae/, of which Yerom fays®, it is a certain vilit were mount Carmel (at one end) and the river (i.e. Yordan at the other) and at the breadth of it the mountain Jtabyrium, or mount Tader: it had Jordan on the eaft, the fea on the weft, Zebulun on thenorth, and Manafeb on the fouth: /xteen cities with their villages; which was the fum total of them:)

¥. 23. Lhis is the inheritance of. the.trive of the children of Ifachar, &c.| Which fell to them by lot, as before defcribed: 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 thend.28 ete)

¥.24. And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Afber, 8c.] Which entitled them to an inheritance next defcribed: according to their families 3 which was fufficient for them, and divided to them, according to their number.

lage called Betoaenea, 15 miles from Cz/erea; fituated on a mountain to the eaft, on which are faid” to be wholefome baths: and goeth out to Cabul on. the left hand, not the land of Cabul, 1 Kings ix. 13. but a city, which Jo/éphus calls a village on the borders of Prolemais. The Fews* fpeak of a city of this name, deftroyed becaufe of contentions in it. +f

¥. 28. And Hebron, and. Rebob, and Hamman, &c.] Hebron feems to be, the fame with Abdon, ch. xxi. 30. 1 Chron. vi. 74. “and \ being changed, of which there are other inftances; and hereby this is diftinguifhed from another Hebrom in the tribe

In the time of Ferom*, there was a village Rooba, 4,miles from Scythopolis, and which he fays was a city feparated to the Levites, as this was, or one of the fame name in this tribe; for there was i:

“alfo in the fame tract Cephar Cana, 4 miles from of them is the fame with this is not certain; of Hammon we read no where elle: and Kanab, even unto great Zidon, this Kanab is generally thought to be the fame where Chrié wrought his firft miracle, Yoh. ii. 1,11. Yeromexpreflyfays «, there was a Cana in the tribe of Aber, where our lord and faviour turned water into wine, and from whence was Nathanael; and itis at this day, adds he, a town in Galilee of the Gentiles. Phocas* places Cana between Sippori and Nazareth, which is now fhewn 6 Roman miles from Sipporito the weft, a little inclining to the north; and there is ¥acob and Mo/es, Gen. xlix. 20. Deut. xxtxiii. 24, 25. a very fruitful country. Fo/epbus < fays, the country from Carmel called the valley, becaufe it was fuch, even all over againft Sidon, fell to the dherites. Afber had mount Lidanus. on the north, Naphtali on the eaft, Zebulun on the fouth and fouth-eaft, the fea on the weft: according to their families; the number of them, fo their lot was divided tothem: thefe cities with their villages; before named.:

y. 32. The fixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, &c.] The tribe of Naphrali, and direé&- ed what fhould 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.

¥. 33. And their coaft was from Heleph, &c.] That is, their northern coaft, reaching from weft toeaft, as appears by the ending of it at Fordan;

Nazareth to the north, inclining to the eaft, and it is difputed which of thefe two is Cana of Galilee in the new teftament: with this account agrees pretty much what our countryman Mr. Maundrell * gives of his travels in thofe parts: “ taking leave ot Nazareth, he fays, and going at firft northward, we croffed the hills that encompafied the vale of Nazareth at that fide; after which we turned to the weftward, and paffed in view of Cana of Gelilee, the place fignalized with the beginning Chrift’s miracles, ‘fob. ii. 11. in an hour and a half more we came to Sepharia;” or Sippori: of great Zidon, and why fo called, fee the note on ch. the Alexandrian copy of the Greek verfion calls it Mlepeh, the Targum Mebeleph, and Ferom Mealeb, which he calls the border of Nephtali; which tho’ ofjto the north, cannot be exprefly faid what and where it was: from Allon to Zaanannim; or rather from the oak, or from the plainin Zaamnannim®; for it feems tobe the fame with the plain of Zanaaim, y. 29. And then the coaft turneth to Ramab, &c.] Which. was -a city in the tribe of Naphtali,

¥. 31. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Afber, &c.] As before defcribed, a goodly to be but one city, and the latter only an epithet of the former; but the Talmudifts * make them two, as we do, and call the firft Damin, and the latter Ziadetha; but what and where either of them were exactly is not known; for Adami cannot be the fame with dam, ch. iii. 16. as fome think; for that was in Perea, onthe other fide Fordan; fee the note there: and Fabneel, unto Lakum; Fabneel is different from. that which was on the borders of aud to rhe frrong city Tyre; \'fudah, ch, xv. 11. and is called by the Fews ‘ fince Cepher-jamabh; and of Lakumwe no where elfe read; and the outgoings thereof were at Fordan; here the coaft ended this way.

¥. 36. and on the borders of Afber; though Ferom ’ diftinguifhes them, and fpeaks of a Ramah in Afber, andanother in Napbtali, as different cities of the fame name; as there were feveral of this name, fo called from their being built on an eminence. Majfius conjeétures it is the fame with Sarepta, Luke iv. 26. famous for its wine, and Bacchus, as the poet fays, loves the hills:

itis thought this is not to be underftood of the famous city, fo much fpoken of in other parts of {cripture, and in prophane hiftory; fince, as it is obferved, that is not mentioned in fcripture until the times of David, and though Homer makes frequent mention of Sidon, yet never of Tyre. The words fignify the ftrong fortrefs of arock, or a fortrefs onahigh rock; to 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,jon and not be the famous city of that name. ‘Feom * renders it the fortified city of the A//yrians: and the coaft turneth to Hofab, of which we no where elfe read: and the outgoings thereof are at the fea; the Mediterranean fea; where the coaft ended this way: from the coafi to Achzib; this Ferom* {ays is Ecdippa, 9 miles from Péolemais, as you go to Tyre; and this is confirmed by a learned traveller of our own nation®; it is now called Zid; fee the note on Mic. i. 14.

y. 34. ud then the coaft turneth wefward to Aznoth-tabor, &c.] This was the: fouthern border; reaching from eaft to weft; it began at Aznothtabor, which Ferom * fays was a village in his time belonging to the country of Diocefarea, in the plains; there is another place called Chifloth-tabor, the borders of Zebulun, y. 12. and goeth out from thence to Hukkok; there the fouthern border ended, which was in the border of Aber, and is the fame with Helkath, ¥. 25. with which com- \pare 1 Chron. vi. 75. and reacheth to Zebulun on the /outh-fide, and reacheth to Afber on the weftfide, and to Judah upon Fordan towards the fun-rifing; \fo that as it was bounded by Lebanon on the north, near to which fome of the cities were, mentioned in the preceding verfe, it had Zebulun on the fouth,.| Mrer.on the weft, and Fordan to the eaft; for by Fudab is not meant the tribe of Fudab, from which Naphta was at a great diftance, but a city fo called, as Fuller * feems rightly to conjecture.

¥. 30. Ummah alfo, and Aphek, and Rebob, &c,| Ummah is not mentioned any where elfe; of Aphek fee the notes on ch, xii. 18. and xiii. 4. andof Rebob, ¥. 28. twenty and two cities with their villages; there are more fet down in the account, but “fome of them did not belong to the tribe, only — were on the border of it.

¥.35. And the fenced cities are Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Cinneretb;] The later name of Ziddim, according to the Talmud!, was Cephar-chitiya, or the village of wheat, perhaps the metropolis, of Phenicia very wrongly, and in fromthe large quantity or goodnefs of wheat there. Zer is called by erom* Sor, and interpreted Tyre,

‘heritage; it was according to the prediction of interprets it, and was fo called very probably froma temple in it, dedicated to the idolatrous worfhip of the fun, but a different place from Beth-fbemefh in other tribes; though thofe of that name, as this, - liad it for the like reafon; and fo //elopolis, in Egypt, which fignifies the fame, where was a temple of the fame kind; as there was another city of this name, between the mountains of Libanus and Antilibanus, now called Pa/bec », where the ruins of the temple are yet to be feen: but this was a different place, the Septuagint verfion calls it |Sammaus, and it was according to erom4 the fame, with Emmaus, afterwards called Nicopolis; which if the fame Emmaus with that in Luke xxiv, 13. though fome doubt it, was fixty furlongs from Ferufalem, or {even miles and a half. - ¥. 42. And Shaalabbin, and Aijalon, and Fetblab;] The firft of thefe is the fame with Shaalbim, Fudg. i. 35. and which Ferom * calls Sead, in the tribe of Lan; and which he ays was in his day fhewn a large village on the borders of Sebaffe, by the name of Selabe. Aijalon is famous for the ftanding ftill of the moon jn its valley whilft Jofbua purfued his enemies, ch. x. 12. fee the note there; of Yetblab, we read no where elfé. * ¥. 43. And Elon, and Thimnathah, and Ekron 5} Of Elon no mention is made elfewhere; Lhimnathab is a different place from Timnab in the tribe of Fudab, ch. xv. 10, 57. Fercm* {peaks of the Thamuitic country, fo called from the village Thamna, which feems to be this. ron was one of the five principalities of the Phrlifines, and never potfefled by the [raclites; it firft fell by lot to the tribe of Yudab, and afterwards given to the tribe of Dan, ch. xv. 45. a oi ¥. 44. dnd Eltereh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath;} Eltekeb was a city given to the Levites, ch. xxi. 23. and fuppofed by fome to be the fame with 2/- tekon in the tribe of Judah given to thé Danites, ch. xv. 59. Gibbethon was in the hands of the Philiftines in the reign of A/a, 1 Kidgs xv. 21. and xvi. 15. and in the fame place Yerom * calls'Gebatha a city of the ftrangers, or Philifines; and which he places near Bethlebem in the tribe of Fudab. Baalath is not, the fame with Baalab, ch. xv. ‘9. but the Baalath rebuilt by Solomon, Kings “whildren of Napbtali, 8&c.] Which Fofephus o thus deferibes; “* thecountry:to the eaft, as far as Daemafeus thecity, and’ upper Galilee, the took, unto méunt Lebanon, and the fountains of}di ordan, which flow out of the mount, reaching the northern border of the city Arce:” according to rheiv families, which-was divided among them, according to the number of their families: and their villages; beforeenumerated.

¥. 40. And the feventh lot came out for the (of the children of Dan, &c.| Which was’ the laft Jot drawn, and which appointed an inheritance -thisttribe: according to their families’; thé number ix. 18. called by Fc/epbus * Baleth, and {poken of by him as near to Gazara in the land Lf tle Phi- Naphtalites) liftines; of thefe. two laft cities,. the’ Tahnuts~ fay that their houfes belonged to Fudab, and their fields to Dam. eS ee ¥: 45. And Febud,’and Bene-berak, and Gatb- 7immon 3] Of Febud\ no mention » is ma e etbe cities where’; Bene-berak fignifies fons of lightning; fee — * Mark iti. 17. Ferom™ fpeaks of this “as “the name tribejot two places, Bane in the tribe of J ah, “anc Bo. rach in the fame tribe, ‘and which ‘was in his day tojnear #zofas. This place was famous ih Jater times among the Fews for being a place Where one of arte: “Soe their’ noted Rabbins, R. Akiba, abode”and taught ohn. And the toaft of their inberifance°was Zocvab, and Ejb-tacl,and Ir-foemefh;}° The tribe of ‘Danis not defcribed by places the bowndaries’of it, cas‘other tribes, but by its ‘cities, which were for fome time”:. and > Gath-rimmon was in Ferom’s = time a very lar é village, 12 miles from D /polis, or Lydda, a8 FOR aS from Eleutherog olis chiefly, fit; it was a city given to the Levites, ch. 3

“at leaft feveral of them, ‘taken out of the tribe of (24. eS a a ee Sudab, as the two fitft of thefe tholt manifettly were; fee ch. xv.°93. ard the’ not€ithere. ~Jr- Sheme/h fignifies the city of the fun, as the Targum y.46. And Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with th Border before Fapbo;} Of the two firlt of thefe’y readnowhere elfe. Fapho is the fame with Joppa, the tribe of Naphtali. Hammath probably was buile by the youngeft fon of Canaan, Gen. vi.18. ‘or had its name in memory of him, it lay to the north of the land of I/rael; fee Numb. xxxiv. 8. -Rakkath, according to the Yewi/h'writers *, is the Yame with Tiberias, as Cinnereth with Genefareth, “from whence the lake or fea of Tiberias, and the coutitry’ and lake of Geaefareth had their names, often mentioned in the new teftament. Gene/areth was a moft delicious and fruitfulfpot, and fulfilled the prophecy of Mofes, Deut. xxxiil. 23. concerning Napbhtali. ¥. 36. And Ademah, and Ramah, and Hazor-;| ‘Adamab is different from Adami, y. 33. and may féem to confirm the notion of fome, that Neked there is an epithet of it, and fo diftinguifhes it from Adamab here; of Ramab, as there were feveral places of this name, fee the note on ¥. 2g. and on ch. xviii, 25. Hazor was a royal city, of which fee ch. xi. 1. ¥. 37. And Kedefh, and Edrei, and En-haxor 3] This is Kedefo in Galilee, in mount Nephtali, to diftineuith it from others of the fame name; it was one of the cities of refuge, ch. xx. 7. erom fays?in his day it was called Cidiffas, and was 20 miles from Tyre by Paneas, fee the note onch. xn, 2°01. Edrei is a different place from’ one of that ‘name in the kingdom of Og, Numb. xxi. 23. and ‘of En-bazor we read no where elfe. 7 2) 9°38. And Iron, and Migdal-el, Horem, and Beth anath, and Beth-/beme/b, &c.\| Of Iron no “mention is made ‘elfewhere; Migdal-el, which « Ferom calls Magdiel, he fays ™ was fhewn a {mall “village, 5 miles from Dara, as you go to Ptolemais and who alfo relates”, that Bathana, in the tribe of Naphtali, was a village that went by the name of Bethanea, 15 miles from Czfarea. Beth-. foentefh was another ¢ity, in which was a temple dedicated tothe fun, when inhabited by the Canaanites; fee. 22. and fo in Beth-anath, there might bela temple dedicated to fome deity, though now uncertain what: #neteen cities with their villages; there are more mentioned, but fome of them might “be only boundaries, and fo belonged to another » tribes ¥. 39. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the now called at this day Jaffe, a port in the Medi-

-. ‘ terraaean fea, famous for being the place where

Fonab took thipping, and where the apoftle Peter refided fome time;-fee the notes on Yonah i. 3! Ags ix. 36, 33. It is mot certain whether Yoppa itfelf was in the tribe of Dax, or only on the borders of it; ‘the coaft of Dam reached over-againft it, as it may be rendered, and included the? villages and little cities that were near it; for fuch there were, as Jofephus » teftifies. xy. 47. And tke cooft of the children of Dan went out too little for them, &c.| Being a very numerous tribe, the cities allottedthem were not fufficient for them; or rather, leaving out the fupplement too dittle, the words will run, it went out from them; they loft part of it, being driven out of the valley into the mountain by the Amorites, Fudg. i. 34, 35. which obliged them to feek out elfewhere for habitations: therefore the children of Dan went out to fight againft Lefoem, called Laifh, Fudg. xviii. where the whole ftory is related of their fighting -againit this place and taking it; which though fome time after the death of Yo/fbuc, is here recorded to give at once an account of the inheritance of Daz; and which is'no argument againft Fo/bua’s being the writer of this book, as is urged; fince it might be inferted by another hand, Ezra, or fome other infpired man, for the reafon before given: and took and {mote it with the edge of the fword, and poffeffed it, and dwelt therein; being a Canaanitifh city, they put al] init to the fword, as the Lord had commanded, and took poffeffion of it for an habi-

‘on the weft. ‘Fo/epbus * fay8, the Danites enjoyed the vale which lies to the fetting fun, bounded by Azotus and Doris; and ail Femnia and Getta, from Accaron (or Ekron) to the mountain from whence the tribe of Fudab begins: according to their families 3 Which inheritance was diftributed, according to the number of their families: ¢heir cities with their villages; before named’

¥. 49. And when they made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coafts, &c.]. That is; Eleazar, ‘Fofbua, and the ten men appointed for this purpofe; when all the lots were’drawn, and the (everal inheritances which came up to them, were divided among the families of the refpeétive tribes, this work being finifhed: the children of Ifrael gave an inheritance to Fofoua the fon of Nun among them; moft interpreters obferve the modefty of Fo/bua, that though the oldeft and the greateft man in the nation, the chief governor, yet had his inheritance laft of all; nordid he take any part to himéelf, it was given to him by the people, who had the whole land divided among them; in which he was a type of Chriff; fee 2 Cor. viii. 9. Phil. ii. 6, 7.

¥. 50. According to the word of the Lord, &c.] Or mouth of the Lord; either according to the oracle of Urim and Thummim, which Eleazar confulted on this occafion; or according to what the Lord had faid to Mo/fes, at the fame time that Hebron was ordered to Caleb, ch. xiv. 6. and they gave him the city which he afked, even Timnath-ferah in mount Ephraim; he chole a place in his own tribe, for he was of the tribe of Ephraim; and it feems tation: and called Lefoem Dan, after the name of that what he chofe was none of the beft of places;

Dan their father this is the place which is always meant, where the phrafe is ufed from Dan to Beerfoeba, this being at the utmoft northern border of the land of Canaan, as Beerfbeba was at the farther “part of the fouthern coaft of it. It was, according to Ferom ©, fituated near Paneas, out of which the river Jordan flowed; and Kimchi on the text obferves, their Rabdins * fay, that Lefbem is Pamias (i. e. Paneas) and that Yordan flows from the cave of Pamias, and had its name }7 tu becaufe it defeended from Daa; and fo Fofephus * fays, that Panium is a cave under a mountain, from whence rife the fprings of Yordan,-and is the fountain of it; and Pliny alfo fays\', the river Yordan rifes Sout of the fountain Paneas. This city was enlarged and beautified by Philip Herod, and he’ called it - by the name of Ce/area Philippi, both in honour of Tiberius Cafar *, and after hisown name, by which “name it goes'in Mart. xvi. 13. Mark viii. 27. and 3s called ine the Feru/alem Targum on Gen. xiv. 14, Dan of Cafarea.. y. 48. This is the inberitance of the tribe of the children of Dan, &c.| Before defcribed by its cities, which were in ‘it. This tribe was bounded: by Ephraim on the north, by * Fudab on theealt, by ~ Simeon on the fouth, and by the Mediterranean fea for Paula, as Ferom i relates, when fhe travelled into thofe parts, wondered that the diftributor of the poffeffions of the children of J/rael fhould chufe fuch a rough and mountainous place for himéelf; of its fituation, fee ch. xxiv. 30. and he built the city, and dwelt therein; he rebuilt it, and fitted it for his own habitation, and for thofe that belonged to him.

y. 51. Thefe are the inheritances which Eleazar the prieft, and Fofbua the fon of Nun, &c.] The one the high prieft, and the other the chief governor of the nation: and the beads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Ifrael; the princes appointed for this fervice, whofe names are given Numb. xxxiv. 18—28. the inheritances before defcribed in the preceding chapters by their boundaries and cities, thefe the faid perfons divided for an inberitance by lot in Shilob; and fo has particular reference to the 7 lots drawn there for 7 of the tribes, by which their inheritances were affigned to them: and this was done defore the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; fee ch. xviii. 1,10. fo they made an end of dividing the country; though it was not as yet wholly fubdued.,