Chapter 15
This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; even to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward was the uttermost part of the south coast.
A. M. 2561. B.C. 1443. An. Ex. Is. 48. This then was the lot. The geography of the sacred writings presents many difficulties, occasioned by the changes which Canaan has undergone, especially for the last 2,000 years. Many of the ancient towns and villages have had their names so totally changed that their former appellations are no longer discernible; several lie buried under their own ruins, and others have been so long destroyed that not a vestige of them remains. On these accounts it is very difficult to ascertain the precise situation of many places mentioned in these chapters; but this cannot in any measure affect the truth of the narrative
even to the
Numbers 33:36,37 34:3-5 Ezekiel 47:19
And their south border was from the shore of the salt sea, from the bay that looketh southward:
the salt sea
3:16 Genesis 14:3 Numbers 34:3 Ezekiel 47:8,18
bay
Heb. tongue.
And it went out to the south side to Maalehacrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and ascended up on the south side unto Kadeshbarnea, and passed along to Hezron, and went up to Adar, and fetched a compass to Karkaa:
Maaleh-acrabbim
or, the going up to Acrabbim.
Zin
Genesis 14:7 Numbers 20:1 32:8
Adar
Probably the same as Hazar-addar, Nu 34:4.
Karkaa
Supposed to be the Coracea of Ptolemy, in Arabia PetrÊa Eusebius places a castle called Carcaria at the distance of a day's journey from Petra.
From thence it passed toward Azmon, and went out unto the river of Egypt; and the goings out of that coast were at the sea: this shall be your south coast.
Azmon
The last city they possessed towards Egypt; east of the River of Egypt or Rhinocorura.
river
And the east border was the salt sea, even unto the end of Jordan. And their border in the north quarter was from the bay of the sea at the uttermost part of Jordan:
And the border went up to Bethhogla, and passed along by the north of Betharabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben:
Beth-hogla
Probably the Bethagla mentioned by Jerome is the same as the "threshing-floor of Atad," (Ge 50:10,) situated three miles from Jericho, and two from Jordan; and belonging to the tribe of Benjamin, though serving as a frontier to the tribe of Judah.
the stone
And the border went up toward Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that is before the going up to Adummim, which is on the south side of the river: and the border passed toward the waters of Enshemesh, and the goings out thereof were at Enrogel:
Debir
the valley
Gilgal
Adummim
A town and mountain of Benjamin (Jos 18:17,) near Jericho, towards Jerusalem.
En-shemesh
Situated east of Jerusalem, on the confines of Judah and Benjamin.
En-rogel
Supposed to be the same as the fountain of Siloam, east of Jerusalem, at the foot of mount Zion.
And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward:
valley of the son
A valley near to Jerusalem.
18:16 2 Kings 23:10 2 Chronicles 28:3 Jeremiah 7:31,32 19:2,6,14
the Jebusite
valley of the giants
Situated apparently west of Jerusalem and mount Moriah.
18:16 2 Samuel 5:18,22 Isaiah 17:5
the valley of Rephaim
Verse 9
And the border was drawn from the top of the hill unto the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of mount Ephron; and the border was drawn to Baalah, which is Kirjathjearim:
Nephtoah
Baalah
A city near Bethshemesh, and, according to Eusebius, nine miles from Jerusalem, in going towards Diospolis.
2 Samuel 6:2 1 Chronicles 13:6
Kirjath-jearim
And the border compassed from Baalah westward unto mount Seir, and passed along unto the side of mount Jearim, which is Chesalon, on the north side, and went down to Bethshemesh, and passed on to Timnah:
Beth-shemesh
Placed by Eusebius ten miles east from Eleutheropolis, towards Nicopolis.
Timnah
57 Genesis 38:13 Judges 14:1,5
And the border went out unto the side of Ekron northward: and the border was drawn to Shicron, and passed along to mount Baalah, and went out unto Jabneel; and the goings out of the border were at the sea.
Ekron
45 19:43 1 Samuel 5:10 7:14 2 Kings 1:2,3,6,16
mount Baalah
And the west border was to the great sea, and the coast thereof. This is the coast of the children of Judah round about according to their families.
the great sea
47 Numbers 34:6,7 Deuteronomy 11:24 Ezekiel 47:20
And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron.
Caleb
14:6-15 Numbers 13:30 14:23,24 Deuteronomy 1:34-36
the city of Arba
or, Kirjath-arba.
And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.
10:36,37 11:21 Numbers 13:22,23 Judges 1:10,20
And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher.
And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.
And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.
Othniel
Kenaz
Achsah
And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou?
she lighted
Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.
Give me
a blessing
Genesis 33:11 Deuteronomy 33:7 1 Samuel 25:27 2 Corinthians 9:5 *marg:
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families.
Genesis 49:8-12 Deuteronomy 33:7
And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the coast of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur,
Kabzeel
Eder
And Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan,
Kedesh
12:22 Numbers 33:37 Deuteronomy 1:19
Hazor
The LXX. read [HasoriÛnain] for Hazar-Ithnan, regarding these two as one city.
Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth,
Ziph
Eusebius and Jerome say, that Ziph was a village in their time eight miles east from Hebron.
1 Samuel 23:14,19,24 Psalms 54:1 *title
Telem
And Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth, and Hezron, which is Hazor,
Hazor
Or, rather, Hazar-hadattah, or, as the LXX., Alexandrian, and Vulgate render [HasÛr LÈ kainÈ] Asor nova, "New Hazor," to distinguish it from the preceding (ver. 28,) and following Hazor. Eusebius and Jerome say it was a village in their time, on the eastern confines of Askelon.
Kerioth
Or, rather, Kerioth-Hezron: LXX. [hai poleis] (Alex. [polis]) [HaserÛn] "the cities (city) of Hezron."
Amam, and Shema, and Moladah,
Moladah
Probably the same as Malatha, a city frequently mentioned by Eusebius; from whom it appears to have been situated in the southern border of Judah, about twenty miles from Hebron.
And Hazargaddah, and Heshmon, and Bethpalet,
Hazar-gaddah
This is apparently the city which Eusebius calls [Aser;] which he says, was, in his time, a town situated between Askalon and Ashdod.
Beth-palet
And Hazarshual, and Beersheba, and Bizjothjah,
Hazar-shual
Beer-sheba
19:2 Genesis 21:14,31-33 26:33
Bizjoth-jah
Instead of Bizjothjah, the LXX. read, "and their towns and villages."
Baalah, and Iim, and Azem,
Baalah
Azem
And Eltolad, and Chesil, and Hormah,
Hormah
19:4 Numbers 14:45 Deuteronomy 1:44 Judges 1:17
And Ziklag, and Madmannah, and Sansannah,
Ziklag
19:5 1 Samuel 27:6 30:1 1 Chronicles 12:1
And Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twenty and nine, with their villages:
Ain
Probably the [bethanin] of Eusebius, four miles from Hebron.
Rimmon
And in the valley, Eshtaol, and Zoreah, and Ashnah,
Eshtaol
This town is placed by Eusebius ten mile from Eleutheropolis, towards Nicopolis: and it is supposed to be a wretched village, called Esdad, about 15 miles south of Yebna.
19:41 Numbers 13:23 Judges 13:25 16:31
Zoreah
A town near to Eshtaol, placed at ten miles' distance N. of Eleutheropolis by Eusebius.
And Zanoah, and Engannim, Tappuah, and Enam,
Tappuah
Jarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah,
Jarmuth
Adullam
12:15 1 Samuel 22:1 Micah 1:15
Socoh
Eusebius says, there were two cities of Socoh, an upper and lower, nine miles from Eleutheropolis, towards Jerusalem.
48 1 Samuel 17:1 1 Chronicles 4:18
Azekah
Eusebius and Jerome say there was a town of this name in their time, between Jerusalem and Eleutheropolis.
And Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages:
Sharaim
Adithaim
Eusebius mentions two cities, called Adatha, one towards Gaza, and the other east of Lydda.
and Gede-rothaim
or, or. fourteen cities. There are fifteen in all; but the two last seem to be only two names of the same city.
And Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel,
Mizpeh
Genesis 31:48,49 Judges 20:1 21:5 1 Samuel 7:5,6,16 10:17
Joktheel
Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,
Lachish
10:3,31,32 12:11 2 Kings 18:14,17 19:8
Bozkath
Eglon
And Gederoth, Bethdagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages:
Makkedah
Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan,
Libnah
Ether
And Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages:
Keilah
Achzib
Mareshah
Ekron, with her towns and her villages:
Ekron
13:3 1 Samuel 5:10 6:17 Amos 1:8 Zephaniah 2:4 Zechariah 9:5-7
From Ekron even unto the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages:
near
Heb. by the place of.
1 Samuel 5:1,6 2 Chronicles 26:6 Nehemiah 13:23,24 Isaiah 20:1 Amos 1:8
Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border thereof:
Gaza
Judges 16:1-21 Jeremiah 47:1,5 Amos 1:6,7 Zephaniah 2:4 Acts 8:26
the river
4 13:3 Exodus 23:31 Numbers 34:5,6
And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh,
Jattir
And Dannah, and Kirjathsannah, which is Debir,
Kirjath-sannah
And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages:
Goshen
Giloh
Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean,
Dumah
And Janum, and Bethtappuah, and Aphekah,
Janum
or, Janus.
And Humtah, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, and Zior; nine cities with their villages:
Kirjath-arba
Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,
Maon
1 Samuel 23:25 25:2,7 2 Chronicles 26:10 Isaiah 35:2
Carmel
Ziph
Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages:
Timnah
10 Genesis 38:12 Jeremiah 14:1
Halhul, Bethzur, and Gedor,
Gedor
Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, and Rabbah; two cities with their villages:
Kirjath-baal
In the wilderness, Betharabah, Middin, and Secacah,
Beth-arabah
And Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and Engedi; six cities with their villages.
the city of
This city was situated somewhere in the vicinity, west of the lake Asphaltites; and supposed by some to be the same as Zoar.
En-gedi
En-gedi, or Hazazon-Tamar, was situated, according to Eusebius, in the desert west of the Dead Sea. Josephus says it was 300 stadia from Jerusalem, and not far from the lake Asphaltites; and consequently it could not have been far from Jericho and the mouth of the Jordan. It was celebrated for the abundance of its palm-trees.
1 Samuel 23:29 2 Chronicles 20:2
As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.
Judges 1:8,21 2 Samuel 5:6-9 1 Chronicles 11:4-8 Romans 7:14-21