Joshua 15:53

Or, Beersheba, that is, Sheba; for so the particle "vau" is sometimes used {z}, and must be so used here; or otherwise, instead of thirteen, it will appear that there are fourteen cities, contrary to the account of them, Joshua 19:6; so Kimchi and Ben Melech make them one city. And it may be observed, that in the enumeration of the cities of Simeon, 1 Chronicles 4:28; Sheba is left out, and only Beersheba is mentioned; which, was a well known place in, the farthest border of the land of Israel southward, and the reason of its name is manifest, Genesis 21:31; See Gill on "Joshua 15:28"; and Moladah; another of the cities of Judah, Joshua 15:26. {z} Vid. Noldium, p. 280. No. 1200. Joshua 19:3 Ver. 3. And Hazarshual,.... See Gill on "Joshua 15:28"; and Balah, and Azem; of these places see Gill "Joshua 15:29"; for Balah is the same with Baalah there, and with Bilhah 1 Chronicles 4:29; and Azem with Ezem there. Joshua 19:4 Ver. 4. And Eltolad, and Bethul, and Hormah. These were all cities of Judah, Joshua 15:30; Eltolad is the same with Tolad, and Bethul with Bethuel, 1 Chronicles 4:29, and with Chesil, Joshua 15:30, mentioned there along with Hormah; See Gill on "Joshua 15:30". Joshua 19:5 Ver. 5. And Ziklag,....

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 Janum,.... Under the word "Janum", Jerom writes (l), there is a village called Janua, three miles from Legion to the south, but seems not to be what is written: and Bethtappuah is by Jerom called Bethaphu (m), and said to be a village in the tribe of Judah, fourteen miles beyond Raphia, as you go to Egypt, which is the border of Palestine: and Aphekah; Jerom speaks (n) of a large castle in his time called Apheca, near the town of Palestine; there were several places of the name of Aphek; See Gill on Joshua 12:18. As for Bethtappuah, it seems to be a place which was dedicated to a deity to which apples were sacred, in memory of the apple by which mankind was seduced; there was in later times a goddess called Pomona from hence. (l) De loc. Heb. fol. 92. I.((m) Ibid. fol. 89. F. (n) Ibid. fol. 88. D.

And it came to pass at the return of the year,.... In the spring, or autumn, as some think; see Gill on 2 Samuel 11:1 . that Benhadad numbered the Syrians; took a muster of his army, to see if he had got the number he had before: and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel; not that in Judah, Joshua 15:53, rather that in Asher, Joshua 19:30, but it seems to be that which Adrichomius (l) places in Issachar, near to the famous camp of Esdraelon, or valley of Jezreel, where it is probable the king of Syria intended to have fought; the battle; and some travellers, as he observes, say (m), the ruins of that city are still shown in that great camp or plain, not far from Gilboa, to the east of Mount Carmel, and five miles from Tabor; according to Bunting (n), it was fourteen miles from Samaria; but it may be Aphaca near Mount Lebanon, and the river Adonis (o), is meant. (l) Theatrum Terrae Sanct. p. 35. (m) Brocard. & Breidenbach. in ib. (n) Travels, &c. p. 164. (o) Vid. Sozomen. Hist. l. 2. c. 5.

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.

Second group of nine towns, situated somewhat to the north of the last mentioned. Of these Dumah is perhaps the ruined village "Ed Daumeh," in the neighborhood of Hebron; and Beth-tappuah, i. e. "house of apples," "Teffuh," a place which has still a good number of inhabitants, is conspicuous for its olive groves and vineyards, and bears on every side the traces of industry and thrift.

It cannot have been far from Mizpeh and Ebenezer, however, and was probably the same place as the Canaanitish capital mentioned in Joshua 12:18 , and is certainly different from the Aphekah upon the mountains of Judah ( Joshua 15:53 ); for this was on the south or south-west of Jerusalem, since, according to the book of Joshua, it belonged to the towns that were situated in the district of Gibeon.

With the new year (see 1 Kings 20:22 ) Benhadad advanced to Aphek again to fight against Israel. Aphek is neither the city of that name in the tribe of Asher ( Joshua 19:30 and Joshua 13:4 ), nor that on the mountains of Judah ( Joshua 15:53 ), but the city in the plain of Jezreel not far from Endor ( 1 Samuel 29:1 compared with 1 Samuel 28:4 ); since Benhadad had resolved that this time he would fight against Israel in the plain.

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