CHAPTER XIX _The lot of_ Simeon, 1-9. _Of_ Zebulun, 10-16. _Of_ Issachar, 17-23. _Of_ Asher, 24-31. _Of_ Naphtali, 32-39. _Of_ Dan, 40-48. Joshua's _portion_, 49, 50. _The conclusion of the division of the land_, 51. NOTES ON CHAP. XIX Verse Joshua 19:1. _THE SECOND LOT CAME FORTH TO SIME... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 19:2. _BEER-SHEBA_] The _well of the oath_. Genesis 21:31.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 19:3. _HAZAR-SHUAL_] For this and several of the following places, Joshua 15:32.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 19:5. _BETH-MARCABOTH_] The _house_ or _city of chariots_. Probably a place where their war-chariots and cavalry were laid up.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 19:6. _BETH-LEBAOTH_] The _house_ or _city of lionesses_. Probably so called from the numbers of those animals which bred there.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 19:8. _BAALATH-BEER_] The _well of the mistresses_. Probably so called from some superstitious or impure worship set up there.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 19:13. _GITTAH-HEPHER_] The same as Gath-hepher, the birth-place of the prophet Jonah.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 19:15. _SHIMRON_] Joshua 12:20. _BETH-LEHEM_] The house of bread; a different place from that in which our Lord was born.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 19:17. _THE FOURTH LOT CAME OUT TO ISSACHAR_] It is remarkable, that though Issachar was the eldest brother, yet the lot of Zebulun was drawn before his lot; and this is the order in which Jacob himself mentions them, Genesis 49:13-1, though no reason appears, either here or in the pla... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 19:18. _JEZREEL_] This city, according to Calmet, was situated in an open country, having the town of _Legion_ on the west, _Bethshan_ on the east, on the south the mountains of _Gilboa_, and on the north those of _Hermon_. _SHUNEM_] This city was rendered famous by being the occasion... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 19:22. _BETH-SHEMESH_] The house or temple of the sun; there were several cities or towns of this name in Palestine; an ample proof that the worship of this celestial luminary had generally prevailed in that idolatrous country.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 26. _CARMEL_] The vineyard of God; a place greatly celebrated in Scripture, and especially for the miracles of Elijah; see 1 Kings 18:19-11. The mountain of Carmel was so very fruitful as to pass into a proverb. There was another Carmel in the tribe of _Judah_, (see Joshua 15:55), but this, i... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 27. _CABUL ON THE LEFT HAND_] That is, to the _north_ of Cabul, for so the _left hand_, when referring to _place_, is understood among the Hebrews. We must not confound this _town_ or _Cabul_ with the twenty cities given by Solomon to Hiram, with which he was displeased, and which in contempt... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 28. _UNTO GREAT ZIDON_] The city of _Sidon_ and the _Sidonians_ are celebrated from the remotest antiquity. They are frequently mentioned by Homer. Joshua 11:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 29. _THE STRONG CITY TYRE_] I suspect this to be an improper translation. Perhaps the words of the original should be retained: _And the coast turneth to Ramah and to the city_, מבצר צר mibtsar _tsor_. Our translators have here left the _Hebrew_, and followed the _Septuagint_ and _Vulgate_, a... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 30. _TWENTY AND TWO CITIES_] There are nearly thirty cities in the above enumeration instead of _twenty-two_, but probably several are mentioned that were but _frontier_ towns, and that did not belong to this tribe, their border only passing by such cities; and on this account, though they are... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 34. _AND TO JUDAH UPON JORDAN_] It is certain that the tribe of Naphtali did not border on the east upon Judah, for there were several tribes betwixt them. Some think that as these two tribes were bounded by Jordan on the east, they might be considered as in some sort conjoined, because of th... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 35. _CHINNERETH_] Joshua 11:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 36. _HAZOR_] Joshua 11:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 38. _NINETEEN CITIES_] But if these cities be separately enumerated they amount to twenty-three; this is probably occasioned by reckoning _frontier_ cities belonging to other tribes, which are only mentioned here as the _boundaries_ of the tribe. Joshua 19:30.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 41. _ZORAH, AND ESHTAOL_] Joshua 15:33. _IR-SHEMESH_] _The city of sun_; another proof of the idolatry of the Canaanites. Some think this was the same as _Beth-shemesh_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 42. _SHAALABBIN_] _The foxes_. Of this city the Amorites kept constant possession. See Judges 1:35. _AJALON_] There was a place of this name about two miles from Nicopolis or Emmaus, on the road to Jerusalem.-_Calmet_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 43. _THIMNATHAH_] Probably the same as Timnah. Joshua 15:57. _EKRON_] A well-known city of the Philistines and the metropolis of one of their _five_ dynasties,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 19:45. _JEHUD, AND BENE-BERAK_] Or Jehud of the children of Berak.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 19:46. _JAPHO._] The place since called Joppa, lying on the Mediterranean, and the chief sea-port, in the possession of the twelve tribes.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 19:47. _WENT OUT TOO LITTLE FOR THEM_] This is certainly the meaning of the passage; but our translators have been obliged to add the words _too little_ to make this sense apparent. Houbigant contends that an ancient copyist, meeting frequently with the words ויצאהגבול _vaiyetse haggebu... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 19:50. _TIMNATH-SERAH_] Called _Timnath-heres_ in Judges 2:9, where we find that the mountain on which it was built was called Gaash. It is generally allowed to have been a barren spot in a barren country.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 19:51. _AT THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE_] All the inheritances were determined by lot, and this was cast _before the Lord _- every thing was done in his immediate presence, as under his eye; hence there was no murmuring, each having received his inheritance as from the hand of God himself... [ Continue Reading ]