TERRITORIES OF THE EASTERN TRIBES 1-7. These vv. describe the land which, though still unconquered, is to be assigned to the 9½ tribes. It includes the W. and N. borders of Palestine. Wellhausen ('History of Israel') remarks, 'The conquest was at first but an incomplete one. The plain which fringed... [ Continue Reading ]
GESHURI] Distinct from the Geshurites of Joshua 13:13 and Joshua 12:5. We should perhaps read 'the people of Gezer,' S. of Ephraim.... [ Continue Reading ]
SIHOR] the Wady el Arish, or Brook of Egypt.... [ Continue Reading ]
APHEK] in Asher.... [ Continue Reading ]
GIBLITES] Gebal was at the foot of Lebanon, on the coast. 7, 8. THE LXX has a much more intelligible reading—'And now divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half tribe of Manasseh, from Jordan to the great sea and toward the sunsetting shalt thou give it: the great sea shall... [ Continue Reading ]
HE GAVE NONE INHERITANCE] assigned no district as a tribal territory, gave them only scattered cities within the lots of the other tribes. THE SACRIFICES OF THE LORD] (In Joshua 13:33, simply 'The Lord') Cp. Numbers 18:20. Their professional absorption in spiritual things made it, however, all the m... [ Continue Reading ]
The reference to the slaying of Balaam comes in strangely here: but it occurs also in Numbers 31:8 in a parallel context. Evidently there is here trace of a very ancient document.... [ Continue Reading ]
TERRITORY OF GAD: see on Joshua 13:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
RAMATH-MISPEH] possibly the later Ramoth Gilead (Raimûn), N. of the Jabbok. DEBIR] not the Debir of Joshua 10:38 or Joshua 15:7. The Hebrew is Ledebir, which may be the Lo-debar of 2 Samuel 9:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
SEA OF CHINNERETH] i.e. the Sea of Galilee. 29-31. Territory of the half-tribe of Manasseh.... [ Continue Reading ]
See on Joshua 13:14. THE SETTLEMENT The summaries of Joshua 12 mark the end of one section of the book, and the opening words of Joshua 13 as clearly introduce the beginning of another. This central portion, embracing Joshua 13-21, has been called 'The Domesday Book of the Old Testament,' and is i... [ Continue Reading ]