Joshua 13:27

This was their coast from the south to the north, and so describes their eastern border, which reached from Heshbon, given to the tribe of Reuben, Joshua 13:7; to these places mentioned; Ramathmizpeh, the same with Ramothgilead, which Jerom {o} says was a village in his time, and lay two miles from Philadelphia or Rabbath before mentioned, to the east; it should be to the west; of Betonim we nowhere else read, it seems to have been near to Ramath: and from Mahanaim unto the border of Debir; the former of these was the place where the angels met Jacob, and who gave it the name from thence; and in later times a city of this name was built there, and was near the river Jabbok, Genesis 32:2; Debir is different from that in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:15; in the Septuagint version here it is called Daibon, perhaps the same with Dibon, the tribe of Gad rebuilt, and is called Dibongad, Numbers 32:34; unless Lidbar here should be the same with Lodebar in Gilead, 2 Samuel 17:27. {o} De loc. Heb. fol. 99. A. Joshua 13:27 Ver. 27. And in the valley, Betharam,....

The same with Bethharan, See Gill on "Numbers 32:36": and Bethnimrah; sometimes called Nimrah, Numbers 32:3; near to which were some waters, called the waters of Nimrim, Isaiah 15:6; It was in Jerom's {p} time a large village; it seems to have its name from leopards, which perhaps had their haunts hereabout: and Succoth: the place where Jacob pitched his tent after he had passed over Jabbok; it is called in the Jerusalem Talmud {q} Thaarabah: and Zaphon; which in the same Talmud is Amatho or Amathus, which Jerom says {r} is a village beyond Jordan, twenty one miles from Pella to the south, though he places it in the tribe of Reuben: the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon; which was not given to the tribe of Reuben, Joshua 13:21; Jordan and [his] border; that is, the cities which were near it, as Kimchi; or that were upon the bank of it, as Jarchi; [even] unto the edge of the sea of Chinnereth; the same with the lake of Gennesaret, Luke 5:1; on the other side Jordan eastward; the other from that in which the inheritance of Gad lay, which was beyond Jordan, from the land of Canaan. {p} De loc. Heb. fol. 93. I. {q} T. Hieros. Sheviith, fol. 38. 4. {r} De loc. Heb. fol. 88. E. Joshua 13:28 Ver. 28. This [is] the inheritance of the children of Gad, after their families,.... As described in Joshua 13:27: the cities and their villages; the cities given them, some of which are mentioned by name, and the villages adjacent and belonging to them were included in them.

13:7-33 The land must be divided among the tribes. It is the will of God that every man should know his own, and not take that which is another's. The world must be governed, not by force, but right. Wherever our habitation is placed, and in whatever honest way our portion is assigned, we should consider them as allotted of God; we should be thankful for, and use them as such, while every prudent method should be used to prevent disputes about property, both at present and in future. Joshua must be herein a type of Christ, who has not only conquered the gates of hell for us, but has opened to us the gates of heaven, and having purchased the eternal inheritance for all believers, will put them in possession of it. Here is a general description of the country given to the two tribes and a half, by Moses. Israel must know their own, and keep to it; and may not, under pretence of their being God's peculiar people, encroach on their neighbours. Twice in this chapter it is noticed, that to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance: see Nu 18:20. Their maintenance must be brought out of all the tribes. The ministers of the Lord should show themselves indifferent about worldly interests, and the people should take care they want nothing suitable. And happy are those who have the Lord God of Israel for their inheritance, though little of this world falls to their lot.

And in the valley, Betharam,.... The same with Bethharan; see Gill on Numbers 32:36 , and Bethnimrah; sometimes called Nimrah, Numbers 32:3; near to which were some waters, called the waters of Nimrim, Isaiah 15:6; It was in Jerom's (p) time a large village; it seems to have its name from leopards, which perhaps had their haunts hereabout: and Succoth: the place where Jacob pitched his tent after he had passed over Jabbok; it is called in the Jerusalem Talmud (q) Thaarabah: and Zaphon; which in the same Talmud is Amatho or Amathus, which Jerom says (r) is a village beyond Jordan, twenty one miles from Pella to the south, though he places it in the tribe of Reuben: the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon; which was not given to the tribe of Reuben, Joshua 13:21, Jordan and his border; that is, the cities which were near it, as Kimchi; or that were upon the bank of it, as Jarchi: even unto the edge of the sea of Chinnereth; the same with the lake of Gennesaret, Luke 5:1, on the other side Jordan eastward; the other from that in which the inheritance of Gad lay, which was beyond Jordan, from the land of Canaan. (p) De loc. Heb. fol. 93. I.((q) T. Hieros. Sheviith, fol. 38. 4. (r) De loc. Heb. fol. 88. E.

27 . and in the valley ] i. e. the valley of the Jordan. The possessions of the Gadites are now described in this valley as far north as the Sea of Galilee. Beth-aram ] or Beth-haran, the modern Beit-haran ( Numbers 32:36 ). In later times it was known as Bethramphtha, and was called Julias or Livias by Herod Antipas in honour of the Emperor Augustus. Beth-nimrah ] or Nimrah ( Numbers 32:3 ), which name still survives in the Nahr Nimrîn , close to one of the fords of Jordan just above Jericho. and Succoth ] (“ Booths ”), in the Jordan valley, between Peniel, near the ford of the torrent Jabbok, and Shechem ( Genesis 32:30 ; Genesis 33:18 ). It is famous ( a ) in the history of Jacob’s return from Padan-aram; of ( b ) Gideon’s pursuit of Zebah and Zalmunna ( Jdg 8:5-17 ); ( c ) as the spot at which the brass foundries were placed for casting the metal-work of the Temple ( 1 Kings 7:46 ; 2 Chronicles 4:17 ). Its position has not been exactly ascertained, and no place resembling Zaphon also has yet been discovered. Jordan and his border ] See above, Joshua 13:23 . For the Sea of Chinnereth = the “ sea of Galilee ,” see above, Joshua 12:3 .

8. With whom—Hebrew, "him." The antecedent is evidently to Manasseh, not, however, the half-tribe just mentioned, but the other half; for the historian, led, as it were, by the sound of the word, breaks off to describe the possessions beyond Jordan already assigned to Reuben, Gad, and the half of Manasseh (see on [190]Nu 32:1; [191]Nu 32:33; also see De 3:8-17). It may be proper to remark that it was wise to put these boundaries on record. In case of any misunderstanding or dispute arising about the exact limits of each district or property, an appeal could always be made to this authoritative document, and a full knowledge as well as grateful sense obtained of what they had received from God (Ps 16:5, 6).

Verse 27. - The valley. The Emek (see Joshua 8:13 ). Beth-Nimrah (see Numbers 32:36 ). Afterwards Nimrim ( Isaiah 15:6 ; Jeremiah 48:34 ). Now Nimrin. Succoth . i.e. , booths. Here Jacob rested after his meeting with Esau ( Genesis 33:17 ). Here Gideon "taught the men of Succoth," who had declined to provide food for his army ( Judges 8:5, 7, 16 ). It is mentioned in connection with Zarthan, or Zaretan (cf. Joshua 3:16 ) as being in the tract or כִכַּר of the Jordan, where the metal work of the temple was cast ( 1 Kings 7:46 ; 2 Chronicles 4:17 ). Zaphon . Perhaps, and the North ; what remained of the kingdom of Sihon, i.e. , as is implied above, the part which was not assigned to Reuben. Jordan and his border. Literally, Jordan and a border (see note on ver. 23). The edge. Rather, the end (see note on ver. 24). Joshua 13:27

On the north, the territory of Gad seems to have extended to the Jabbok, and only to have stretched beyond the Jabbok at Mahanaim, which formed the boundary of half-Manasseh, according to Joshua 13:30 . In the valley of the Jordan, on the other hand, the boundary reached to the Sea of Galilee. "The valley" is the valley of the Jordan, or the Arabah from Wady Hesbn above the Dead Sea up to the Sea of Galilee, along the east side of the Jordan, which belonged to the kingdom of Sihon ( Joshua 12:3 ; Deuteronomy 3:17 ). The northern boundary of the tribe of Reuben must have touched the Jordan in the neighbourhood of the Wady Hesbn. In the Jordan valley were Beth-haram, the future Libias, and present er Rameh (see at Numbers 32:36 ); Beth-nimra, according to the Onom. five Roman miles to the north, the present ruin of Nimrein (see at Numbers 32:36 ); Succoth, according to the Onom. trans Jordanem in parte Scythopoleos (see at Genesis 33:17 ); Zaphon (i.e., north), probably not far from the southern extremity of the Sea of Galilee. "The rest of the kingdom of Sihon," the other part having been given to the Reubenites ( Joshua 13:21 ).