Joshua 15:23

15:20-63 Here is a list of the cities of Judah. But we do not here find Bethlehem, afterwards the city of David, and ennobled by the birth of our Lord Jesus in it. That city, which, at the best, was but little among the thousands of Judah, Mic 5:2, except that it was thus honoured, was now so little as not to be accounted one of the cities.

And Kedesh,.... The first of these cities seems to be Kadeshbarnea, which was to the south of the land, and on the borders of Edom, from whence the spies were sent, Numbers 32:8 , and Hazor is another city from that which is mentioned, Joshua 11:1; and was in the tribe of Naphtali: and Ithnan, which Jerom (c) calls Jedna, was, according to him, six miles from Eleutheropolis, as you go to Hebron; the Greek version joins this and the former city together, and makes them one. (c) De loc. Heb. fol. 92. H.

Jos 15:21-63. Cities of Judah. 21-63. the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah—There is given a list of cities within the tribal territory of Judah, arranged in four divisions, corresponding to the districts of which it consisted—the cities in the southern part (Jos 15:21-32), those in the lowlands (Jos 15:33-47), those in the highlands (Jos 15:48-60), and those in the desert (Jos 15:61, 62). One gets the best idea of the relative situation of these cities by looking at the map.

List of the towns of the tribe of Judah. These are arranged in four divisions, according to the natural features of the district; namely,, those of the Negeb or south country Joshua 15:21-32 ; of "the valley," or "the plain" ("Shephelah", Joshua 15:33-47 ); of "the mountains" Joshua 15:48-60 ; and of "the wilderness" Joshua 15:61-62 . Many of the identifications are still conjectural only. Joshua 15:21-32. The Negeb was for the most part rocky and arid, and cannot have been at any time very thickly populated. Joshua 15:21 Kabzeel was the native place of Benaiah 2 Samuel 23:20, who was famous as a slayer of lions. The Negeb was a principal haunt of these beasts.

The site of Adoraim is uncertain. For Lachish, see Joshua 10:3 ; Azekah, Joshua 10:10 ; Zorah, Joshua 15:33 ; Aijalon, Joshua 10:12 ; Hebron, Joshua 14:15 . No one of the cities was really within the limits of the tribe of Benjamin. The writer uses the phrase "Judah and Benjamin" merely as the common designation of the southern kingdom (compare 2 Chronicles 11:12 and 2 Chronicles 11:23 ).

The site of Adoraim is uncertain. For Lachish, see Joshua 10:3 ; Azekah, Joshua 10:10 ; Zorah, Joshua 15:33 ; Aijalon, Joshua 10:12 ; Hebron, Joshua 14:15 . No one of the cities was really within the limits of the tribe of Benjamin. The writer uses the phrase "Judah and Benjamin" merely as the common designation of the southern kingdom (compare 2 Chronicles 11:12 and 2 Chronicles 11:23 ).

Verse 10. - Zorah . The people of Zorah, or Zoreah, were the Zareathites of 1 Chronicles 2:53 ; it was the home of Manoah, and the native place of Samson (see Joshua 15:33 ; Joshua 19:41 . Other interesting references are Judges 13:25 ; Judges 16:31 ; Judges 18:2-11 ; Nehemiah 11:29 ). It belonged to the original allotment of Dan, and is constantly named in company with Eshtaol. Aijalon . The modern Jalo ; also originally belonged to allotment of Dan ( Joshua 10:12 ; Joshua 19:42 ; Joshua 21:24 . Other interesting references are Judges 1:35 ; 1 Samuel 14:31 ; 1 Kings 14:30 ; 1 Chronicles 6:66, 69 , 2 Chronicles 28:18 ). Hebron . One of the most ancient of cities still lasting, rivalling in this respect Damascus. It belonged to Judah and to its hill country ( Joshua 15:54 ; Joshua 20:7 ); it was about twenty Roman miles south of Jerusalem. Its original name was Kirjath Arba. In Numbers 13:22 it is said that it was built "seven years before Zoan in Egypt," but it is not said when Zoan was built. It now contains about five thousand population, but scarcely a tithe of them Jews. Its long stretch of history is full of incidents of interest, and is partially illustrated by the references that follow: Genesis 13:18 ; Genesis 23:2-19, 20 ; Genesis 35:27 ; Genesis 37:14 ; Numbers 13:22, 23 ; Joshua 10:36 ; Joshua 14:6-15 ; Joshua 15:13, 14 ; Joshua 21:11-13 ; 2 Samuel 4:12 ; 2 Samuel 5:5 ; Nehemiah 11:25 . 2 Chronicles 11:10

17 . the Arabah also, and Jordan for a border ] The territory included the E. strip of the ‘Arabah—hence eastwards at the end of the verse—with the Jordan as its W. limit, and this between Chinnereth on the N. and the Sea of the ‘Arabah on the S. On the ‘Arabah see Deuteronomy 1:1 . Kinnéreth was a town ( Joshua 11:2 ; Joshua 19:35 ; the plur. Kinneroth a district, 1 Kings 15:20 ) either giving its name to, or taking its name from, the Sea of Kinnéreth ( Numbers 34:11 , P); probably the latter, if K. be from kinnôr, harp , as this suits the shape of the Lake; in later times called the L. of Gennesaret, a name frequently but not plausibly derived from Kinnereth ( HGHL , 443). The Sea of the ‘Arabah (so Deuteronomy 4:49 ; 2 Kings 14:25 ), the Salt Sea (so Genesis 14:3 ; Numbers 34:3 ; Numbers 34:12 ; Joshua 15:2 ; Joshua 15:5 ; Joshua 18:19 ); both names as here in Joshua 3:16 ; Joshua 12:23 ; called also front or E. Sea ( Ezekiel 47:18 ; Joel 2:20 ; Zechariah 14:8 ) in contrast to the Mediterranean the back or W. Sea , Deuteronomy 11:24 . The Greeks gave the name Asphaltitis. ‘The Dead Sea’ first occurs under Augustus. Ar. Baḥr Lût, ‘Lot’s Sea.’ the slopes of Pisgah ] So Deuteronomy 4:49 ; Joshua 12:3 ; Joshua 13:20 .