Numbers 34:11

_AND THE COAST SHALL GO DOWN FROM SHEPHAM TO RIBLAH, ON THE EAST SIDE OF AIN; AND THE BORDER SHALL DESCEND, AND SHALL REACH UNTO THE SIDE OF THE SEA OF CHINNERETH EASTWARD:_ Shepham ... Riblab - which were in the valley of Lebanon-are mentioned as the boundary line, which commenced a little higher than the sources of the Jordan. AIN - is supposed to be the source of that river; and thence the eastern boundary extended along the Jordan, the sea of Chinnereth (Lake of Tiberias), the Jordan, and again terminated at the Dead Sea. The line being drawn on the east of the river and the seas, included those waters within the territory of the western tribes....

1-15 Canaan was of small extent; as it is here bounded, it is but about 160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth; yet this was the country promised to the father of the faithful, and the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground, in which alone, for many ages, God was known. This was the vineyard of the Lord, the garden enclosed; but as it is with gardens and vineyards, the narrowness of the space was made up by the fruitfulness of the soil. Though the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof, yet few know him, and serve him; but those few are happy, because fruitful to God. Also, see how little a share of the world God gives to his own people. Those who have their portion in heaven, have reason to be content with a small pittance of this earth. Yet a little that a righteous man has, having it from the love of God, and with his blessing, is far better...

Verse Numbers 34:11. _THE SEA OF CHINNERETH_] The same as the _sea of_ _Galilee, sea of Tiberias_, and _sea of Gennesareth_....

Shepham, the first point after Hazar-enan, is unknown. The name Riblah is by some read Har-bel, i. e., “the Mountain of Bel;” the Har-baal-Hermon of Judges 3:3. No more striking landmark could be set forth than the summit of Hermon, the southernmost and by far the loftiest peak of the whole Antilibanus range, rising to a height of 10,000 feet, and overtopping every other mountain in the Holy land. Ain, i. e. the fountain, is understood to be the fountain of the Jordan; and it is in the plain at the southwestern foot of Hermon that the two most celebrated sources of that river, those of Daphne and of Paneas, are situate. The “sea of Chinnereth” is better known by its later name of Gennesaret, which is supposed to be only a corruption of Chinnereth. The border ran parallel to this sea, along the line of hill about 10 miles further east....

AND THE COAST SHALL GO DOWN FROM SHEPHAM TO RIBLAH,.... Said to be in the land of Hemath, Jeremiah 52:9, which, according to Jerom x, was Antioch of Syria; and both the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem understand by it Daphne, which was in the suburbs of Antioch; but this seems to be carrying the limits of the land too far: Jarchi remarks, that when the border goes from the north towards the south, it is said to go down: ON THE EAST SIDE OF AIN; a city in the tribe of Judah; according to Jerom y now a village that goes by the name of Bethennim, two miles from the turpentine tree, that is, from the tent of Abraham or oak of Mamre, and four from Hebron: AND THE BORDER SHALL DESCEND, AND SHALL REACH UNTO THE SIDE OF THE SEA OF CHINNERETH EASTWARD; the same with the sea of Tiberius, and the sea of Gennesaret, frequently made mention of in the New Testame

10. INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING THE CONQUEST AND THE BOUNDARIES OF THE LAND Chapter S 33:50-34 _ 1. Command to drive out the inhabitants of the land (Numbers 33:50)_ 2. The division of the land (Numbers 34:1) 3. The names of the men who shall divide the land (Numbers 34:16) The extermination of the Canaanites is first of all demanded. Everything of idolatry was to be destroyed. The land was to belong to a holy people who belong to Jehovah, therefore the Canaanite with his abominations had to be driven out of the land. “If ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, those that ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides and shal

NUMBERS 34:1 (from P). THE BOUNDARIES OF ISRAEL'S POSSESSIONS IN CANAAN. These, as here set forth, are ideal rather than actual, since the area described never wholly belonged to Israel. The S. border extends from the S. end of the Dead (the Salt) Sea in a SW. direction, having Edom on the SE., and following probably the Wâ dy el Fikreh (in which was the ascent of Akrabbim) to Kadesh (Ain Kâ dis); there it turns NW. and follows partly the brook of Egypt (Wâ dy el Arî sh) to its mouth. The W. border is formed by the Mediterranean (the great) Sea, the shore of which was never possessed by Israel, though Joppa in the second century B.C. was captured by the Maccabees. The N. border extends from the mouth of the Nahr el Kasimî yeh (6 miles N. of Tyre) to Mt. Hor (quite distinct from the Mt. Hor of Numbers 2

BIBLAH.. city in Hamath, where God executed His judgment on two kings of Judah and others (2 Kings 23:33. 2Ki 25:6, 2 Kings 25:20; 2 Kings 25:21.Jeremiah 39:5; Jeremiah 39:6). CHINNERETH. Compare Joshua 12:3; Joshua 13:27. In New Testament "the sea of Galilee" and "sea of Tiberias" (John 6:1); a

_the side of the sea_ lit. -the shoulder of the sea." The word is a descriptive term referring to the mountain slopes on the N.E. of the lake; cf. Joshua 15:10. The sea or lake is that known in N.T. times as the Sea, or Lake, of Galilee....

THE COAST SHALL GO DOWN FROM SHEPHAM TO RIBLAH— The eastern bounds ran from the head of Jordan, along the whole course of that river, taking in the lake Cinnereth, or the sea of Galilee, or Tiberias, and so to the Dead Sea, till it meets with the south bounds, in the borders of Edom. _Shepham_ and _Riblah_ were two places near Jordan, along which river the eastern limits went. By _Shepham,_ some of the Jewish interpreters understand Apamea, a city of Mesopotamia; and by Riblah, Daphne of Syria, in the suburbs of Antioch. But Bochart shews, that the land of Canaan never extended to these places. See his Can. lib. 1: cap. 16. _Ain_ signifies a fountain, i.e. of Jordan, for this river had more sources than one. It seems to have been thus understood by the LXX and the Vulgate. The lake _Cinnereth_ was so called, according to Chitraeus, from the Hebrew _cinnor,_ a _harp,_ or _lute,_ because i...