Joshua 19:36

The taking of Jericho and Ai, the defeat of the five kings, and the conquest of the southern part of the land of Canaan; he was alarmed by them, and sent to all the northern kings to join with him against Israel; and he the rather took this upon him, because as Adonizedek king of Jerusalem was the principal king in the southern part of the land, so was he in the northern part; see Joshua 11:10; Hazor fell to the tribe of Naphtali, Joshua 19:36. It was situated, as Josephus {n} says, on the lake Samachonitis, the same with the waters of Merom, Joshua 11:5.

Maundrell {x} gives of his travels in those parts: "taking leave of Nazareth, (he says,) and going at first northward, we crossed the hills that encompassed the vale of Nazareth at that side; after which we turned to the westward, and passed in view of Cana of Galilee, the place signalized with the beginning of Christ's miracles, John 2:11; in an hour and a half more we came to Sepharia;'' or Sippori: [even] unto great Zidon; of great Zidon, and why so called, See Gill on "Joshua 11:8". {s} De loc. Heb. fol. 94. A. {u} Ibid. fol. 90. B. {w} Apud Reland. Palestin. Illustrat. tom. 2. p. 680. {x} Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 117. Joshua 19:29 Ver. 29. And [then] the coast turneth to Ramah,.... Which was a city in the tribe of Naphtali, Joshua 19:36; and on the borders of Asher; though Jerom {y} distinguishes them, and speaks of a Ramah in Asher, and another in Naphtali, as different cities of the same name; as there were several of this name, so called from their being built on an eminence. Masius conjectures it is the same with Sarepta, Luke 4:26; famous for its wine; and Bacchus, as the poet says, loves the hills: and to the strong city Tyre; it is thought this is not to be understood of the famous city, so much spoken of in other parts of Scripture, and in profane history; since, as it is observed, that is not mentioned in Scripture until the times of David; and though Homer makes frequent mention of Sidon, yet never of Tyre.

19:17-51 Joshua waited till all the tribes were settled, before he asked any provision for himself. He was content to be unfixed, till he saw them all placed, and herein is an example to all in public places, to prefer the common welfare before private advantage. Those who labour most to do good to others, seek an inheritance in the Canaan above: but it will be soon enough to enter thereon, when they have done all the service to their brethren of which they are capable. Nor can any thing more effectually assure them of their title to it, than endeavouring to bring others to desire, to seek, and to obtain it. Our Lord Jesus came and dwelt on earth, not in pomp but poverty, providing rest for man, yet himself not having where to lay his head; for Christ pleased not himself. Nor would he enter upon his inheritance, till by his obedience to death he secured the eternal inheritance for all his people; nor will he account his own glory completed, till every ransomed sinner is put in possession of his heavenly rest.

And Adamah,.... Adamah is different from Adami, Joshua 19:33 ; and may seem to confirm the notion of some, that Nekeb there is an epithet of it, and so distinguishes it from Adamah here: and Ramah; of Ramah, as there were several places of this name; see Gill on Joshua 19:29, and Hazor was a royal city, of which; see Gill on Joshua 11:1.

36 . Adamah ] is unknown, as also Ramah , which must not be mistaken for the Ramah of Joshua 19:29 . Hazor ] See above, Joshua 11:1 ; Joshua 11:6-10 . Dr Robinson would identify it with Tel Khuraibeh , Captain Wilson and Anderson with Tel Hara . “Here were found the remains of an ancient fortress, a city with its walls and towers still to be traced, and on the eastern slope, the usual concomitants of old ruins, broken glass and pottery.” Here, they both agree, was the long-lost Hazor, which “lay over” the lake Hûleh. “The position,” says Captain Wilson, “is one of great strength and overhangs the lake. Every argument which Robinson adduces in favour of Tel Khuraibeh applies with much greater force to these ruins.” Dr Porter, however, refuses to accept either theory, arguing that as the strength of Jabin lay in chariots , “we must look for Hazor on the lower slopes of the mountains, so as to be easily accessible for chariots.” Our Work in Palestine , p. 177.

34. Aznoth-tabor—on the east of Tabor towards the Jordan, for the border ran thence to Hukkok, touching upon that of Zebulun; and as the territory of Zebulun did not extend as far as the Jordan, Aznoth-tabor and Hukkok must have been border towns on the line which separated Naphtali from Issachar. to Judah upon Jordan toward the sunrising—The sixty cities, Havoth-jair, which were on the eastern side of the Jordan, opposite Naphtali, were reckoned as belonging to Judah, because Jair, their possessor, was a descendant of Judah (1Ch 2:4-22) [Keil].

The number of the fortified cities of Naphtali is remarkable, though it does not tally with the catalogue. It was no doubt good policy to protect the northern frontier by a belt of fortresses, as the south was protected by the fenced cities of Judah. Hammath, a Levitical city (compare Joshua 21:32 ; 1 Chronicles 6:76 ), is not to be confounded with the Hamath on the northeastern frontier of the land Numbers 13:21 . The name (from a root signifying "to be warm") probably indicates that hot springs existed here; and is perhaps rightly traced in Ammaus, near Tiberias. Rakkath was, according to the rabbis, rebuilt by Herod and called Tiberias. The name ("bank, shore") suits the site of Tiberias very well. Migdal-el, perhaps the Magdala of Matthew 15:39 , is now the miserable village of "El Mejdel."

Adamah is unknown. Knobel is of opinion, that as Adamah signifies red, the place referred to may possibly be Ras el Ahmar, i.e., red-head, on the north of Safed (Rob. iii. p. 370; Bibl. Res. p. 69). Ramah is the present Rameh (Ramea), a large well-built village, inhabited by Christians and Druses, surrounded by extensive olive plantations, and provided with an excellent well. It stands upon the slope of a mountain, in a beautiful plain on the south-west of Safed, but without any relics of antiquity (see Seetzen, ii. p. 129; Rob. Bibl. Res. pp. 78-9). Hazor has not yet been traced with certainty (see at Joshua 11:1 ).

[Reformed Biblical] Hammath, or, Hamath ; of which see #Numbers 34:8 1 Kings 8:65 2 Kings 23:33 . ## Chinnereth; whence the lake of Chinnereth or Gennesaret received its name. Ver. 36. No text from Poole on this verse. Ver. 37. No text from Poole on this verse. ## Ver. 38. Nineteen cities: See Poole "Joshua 19:15" , See Poole "Joshua 19:22" , See Poole "Joshua 19:30" . Ver. 39. No text from Poole on this verse. Ver. 40. No text from Poole on this verse. ## Ver. 41. Their inheritance; which is here described only by its cities, not by its borders, which are in part the same with Judah’s; and their inheritance is in good part taken out of Judah’s too large portion, as appears from divers of the cities here mentioned, which are also reckoned as in Judah’s portion. Ver. 42. No text from Poole on this verse. Ver. 43. No text from Poole on this verse. Ver. 44. No text from Poole on this verse. Ver. 45. No text from Poole on this verse. Ver. 46. No text from Poole on this verse. ## Ver. 47. Went out too little for them, Heb. went out from them , to wit, out of their hands or possession; for so this Hebrew word is used concerning those lands, which in the year of the jubilee are said to go out , #Leviticus 25:28,30,31,33 , i.e. out of the hands of the present possessor, to the first and ancient owner. And so peradventure this may signify that many of the Danites were forced by their powerful neighbors the Philistines to relinquish their coast, and their allotted habitations; which put them upon the following course.