Joshua 15:41

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 Gederoth,.... Gederoth is reckoned among the cities of the low country, and south of Judah, 2 Chronicles 28:18 , and Bethdagon; in it very probably was a temple of Dagon, which was a principal deity of the Philistines, 1 Samuel 5:2; Jerom says (x) in his time was shown a large village called Capherdagon, between Diospolis and Jamnia; of Naamah, the same writer says nothing, only that it was a city of the tribe of Judah: and Makkedah; see Joshua 10:10; it was a royal city, Joshua 12:16; sixteen cities with their villages; and is the exact number of them, as before enumerated. (x) De loc. Heb. fol. 89. F.

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.

Gederoth, Beth-dagon, and Naamah have not yet been traced. The village mentioned in the Onom. (s. v. Beth-dagon) as grandis vicus Capher-dagon, and said to lie between Diospolis and Jamnia, the present Beit-dejan (Rob. iii. p. 30), was far beyond the northern boundary of the tribe of Judah. Makkedah: see at Joshua 10:10 .

These characters are, Job himself, dwelling in the land of Uz; Eliphaz of Teman, a district of as much repute as Uz, and (upon the joint testimony of Jeremiah 49:7, Jeremiah 49:20; Ezekiel 25:13; Amos 1:11, Amos 1:12, and Oba 1:8, Oba 1:9) a part, and a principal part, of Idumea; Bildad of Shuah, always mentioned in conjunction with Sheba and Dedan, all of them being uniformly placed in the vicinity of Idumea; Zophar of Naamah, a city whose name imports pleasantness, which is also stated, in Joshua 15:21, Joshua 15:41, to have been situated in Idumea, and to have lain in a southern direction towards its coast, or the shores of the Red Sea; and Elihu of Buz, which as the name of a place occurs but once in sacred writ, but is there (Jeremiah 25:22, Jeremiah 25:23) mentioned in conjunction with Teman and Dedan; and hence necessarily, like themselves, a border city upon Ausitis, Uz, or Idumea. It had a number of names: it was at first called Horitis, from the Horim or Horites, who appear to have first settled there. Among the descendants of these, the most distinguished was Seir; and from him the land was known by the name of the Land of Seir. This chief had a numerous family, and among the most signalized of his grandsons was Uz, or Uts; and from him, and not from Uz the son of Nahor, it seems to have been called Ausitis, or the Land of Uz.

At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria —"kings," the plural for the singular, which is found in many ancient versions. "At that time," refers to the period of Ahaz' great distress, when, after a succession of defeats, he retreated within the walls of Jerusalem. Either in the same or a subsequent campaign, the Syrian and Israelitish allies marched there to besiege him (see on 2 Kings 16:7). Though delivered from this danger, other enemies infested his dominions both on the south and the west. 17. again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah —This invasion must have been after Rezin (at the beginning of the recent Syro-Israelitish war), had released that people from the yoke of Judah (2 Chronicles 15:11; compare 2 Kings 16:6). 18. Gederoth —on the Philistine frontier (Joshua 15:41). Shocho —or Socoh (Joshua 15:35), now Shuweikeh, a town in the Valley of Judah (see on 1 Samuel 17:1). Gimzo —now Jimza, a little east of Ludd (Lydda) [R OBINSON ]. All these disasters, by which the "Lord brought Judah low," were because of Ahaz, king of Israel (Judah), see 2 Chronicles 21:2; 24:16; 28:27, who made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord. 20.

(18) Invaded —i.e., “fell upon” ( 2Chronicles 25:13 ). The low country.—The sheph̓̓ēlah, or lowland of Judah, between the hill-country and the Mediterranean. The south.—The Negeb, or southland of Judah, nearly co-extensive with the territory assigned to Simeon (2Samuel 24:7). Beth-shemesh.—See 1Chronicles 6:59. Ajalon.—1Chronicles 6:69. Gederoth.—In the lowland (Joshua 15:41). Shocho.—Rather, Socho (2Chronicles 11:7). Timnah.—Now Tibna (Joshua 15:10). Gimzo.—Now Jimsu, between Lydda and Beth-horon (Robinson, iii. 271). And the villages thereof.—And her daughters. (See Note on 1Chronicles 7:28, “and the towns thereof.”) And they dwelt there.—Permanently occupied the country. (Comp. 1Chronicles 5:22. See also Isaiah 14:29-30.)

and the border reached along from the top of the mountain toward the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, and went out toward the cities of mount Ephron; and the border reached along to Baalah, that is, Kirjath-jearim; and the border turned from Baalah westwards toward mount Seir, and passed toward the side of Har-jearim, that is, Chesalon, northwards, and went down to Beth-shemesh, and passed Timnah. And the border went out to the side of Ekron northwards, and the border reached along toward Shicron, and passed mount Baalah, and went toward Jabneel; and the border ended at the sea. -- And the west border is the great sea and [its] coast. This is the border of the children of Judah round about, according to their families. And to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a portion among the children of Judah according to the commandment of Jehovah to Joshua, the city of Arba, the father of Anak, that is, Hebron. And thence Caleb dispossessed the three sons of Anak, Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, who were born of Anak. And from there he went up against the inhabitants of Debir; now the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher. And Caleb said, He that smites Kirjath-sepher and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife. And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. And it came to pass as she came, that she urged him to ask of her father a field; and she sprang down from the ass. And Caleb said to her, What wouldest thou?