_THE LOT OF SIMEON, OF ZEBULUN, OF ISSACHAR, OF ASHER, OF NAPHTALI, OF DAN, WHOSE BOUNDARIES ARE DESCRIBED: THE CHILDREN OF DAN TAKE THE CITY LESHEM: THE ISRAELITES GIVE TO JOSHUA THE CITY OF TIMNATH-SERAH, WHICH HE REBUILDS._ _Before Christ 1444._... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 1. _AND THE SECOND LOT CAME FORTH TO SIMEON_— Simeon was the eldest son of Jacob, who still remained unportioned. The lot, directed by an especial Providence, gave him a portion, which fully verified the divine promises and threatenings. Animated by the spirit of God, Jacob, when dying, had d... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 16. _THIS IS THE INHERITANCE OF THE CHILDREN OF ZEBULUN_— It is easy to conceive, that twelve cities would not have been sufficient to lodge and support the inhabitants of a tribe which exceeded sixty thousand; Numbers 26:27. The historian then has named here only the chief cities, those whic... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 23. _THIS IS THE INHERITANCE,_ &C.— Issachar's lot consisted of sixteen cities with their villages. It was a numerous tribe, bordering on the sea westward, having Jordan on the east, Manasseh on the south, and Zebulun on the north. Jezreel, Ahab's royal city of Shunem, wherein dwelt the kind... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 26. _ALAMMELECH,—AMAD,—MISHEAL,_ &C.— These are cities unknown, but situate near mount Carmel, famous for the miracles of Elijah, and very different from that which went by the same name in the tribe of Judah, 2 Kings 18; Joshua 15:55. The Carmel of Asher was near the sea; and, according to J... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 27. _AND GOETH OUT TO CABUL ON THE LEFT HAND_— That is, to the north of this city, according to the custom of the Hebrews in the designation of the four cardinal points. Some learned men have concluded from this passage, that the Book of Joshua could not have been written before Solomon's tim... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 29. _THEN THE COAST TURNETH TO RAMAH,_ &C.— There were several cities of this name in Palestine. Masius supposes the present to be the same as was afterwards called Zarepta. _Ramah_ signifies _high, elevated;_ and such, it seems, was the situation of Zarepta, celebrated for its vineyards, whi... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 30. _TWENTY AND TWO CITIES, WITH THEIR VILLAGES_— If we take away _Carmel,_ a mountain, and _Jiphthah-el,_ a valley, there still remain more than twenty-two cities mentioned in the foregoing verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 34. _AND—THE COAST—REACHETH TO ZEBULUN ON THE SOUTH SIDE, AND—TO ASHER ON THE WEST SIDE, AND TO JUDAH UPON JORDAN TOWARD THE SUN-RISING_— Here it may be asked, how could the tribe of Naphtali border on that of Judah on the east, when there were several tribes between them? In answer, we may o... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 35. _AND THE FENCED CITIES ARE ZIDDIM,_ &C.— The two first of these cities are unknown. Respecting _Hammath,_ see on Numbers 13:21; Numbers 34:8. It was the most northern of all the cities assigned to the Israelites. Probably, it was built by the youngest son of Canaan, as the eldest had buil... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 43. _ELON,—THIMNATHAH,—EKRON_— _Elon_ is thought to be the same with _Holon,_ mentioned ch. Joshua 15:51. _Thimnathah,_ seems to be a different place from _Timnath,_ spoken of in the same chap. ver. 10 and 57. For, as we read in Joshua 14:5 that Samson _went down_ to this city, which shews it... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 46. _ME-JARKON,—RAKKON,—JAPHO_— _Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, that is Jarkon-Japho._ Hiller. Onomast. 915. The two first are unknown; but were probably situated near _Japho._ This city, known afterwards by the name of _Joppa,_ was the principal sea-port town in all _Judaea,_ and mentioned as such b... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 47. _AND THE COAST OF THE CHILDREN OF DAN WENT OUT TOO LITTLE FOR THEM: THEREFORE,_ &C.— The words _too little,_ are neither in the Hebrew, the LXX, nor the Vulgate. The text literally is, _And the country of the children of Dan went cut from them._ Now the phrase, _went out from them,_ is na... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 48. _THIS IS THE INHERITANCE OF—DAN,_ &C.— The Danites mustered 64,400 men of war in the numbering which was made of the tribes in the plains of Moab; Numbers 26:43. The tribe of Judah only exceeded them. They found themselves, however, placed in a country which seemed very narrow, in compari... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 49. _THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL GAVE AN INHERITANCE TO JOSHUA_— How admirable is Joshua's moderation! every tribe had shared in the division; each had, as it were, its reward; and he alone seemed to be overlooked in the distribution of the conquered country: last of all, he receives a private set... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 50. _ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF THE LORD, THEY GAVE HIM THE CITY WHICH HE ASKED_— The commands of God, upon this occasion, which probably were signified by the mouth of Eleazar, the high-priest, or at the time when provision was made for Caleb, ch. Judges 14:6 had authorised Joshua to choose wh... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 51. _SO THEY MADE AN END OF DIVIDING THE COUNTRY_— Notwithstanding all the particulars of this division recorded in the present and foregoing Chapter s, it is impossible at this time to draw out a _perfectly exact_ map of the land of Canaan, and the limits of each tribe. The country has under... [ Continue Reading ]