Juda. Thus was verified the prediction of Jacob, that Simeon and Levi, who had been too much united for the destruction of Sichem, should be scattered among their brethren, Genesis xxxiv., and xlix. 6. The tribe of Simeon was not very numerous, Numbers xxvi. 14. Yet all his cities are not here enume... [ Continue Reading ]
_Bethul. We shall see elsewhere whether this be the Bethulia of Judith. Some place a town of this name in Galilee, near Tiberias, (Brocard) of which, however, there is no proof. (Cellar. iii. 31.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Great. The land measurers, it seems, had been under a mistake, (Menochius) which was corrected by the ancients. Distributive justice was to be observed._... [ Continue Reading ]
_From the sea. Hebrew, "towards the sea." Bonfrere asserts that Zabulon did not extend quite to the shore of the Mediterranean, chap. xvii. 10. (Calmet) --- Torrent, near Sidon, which some call the river Belus or Papis. (Pliny, [Natural History?] v. 19._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Geth-hepher, the birth-place of Jonas, 4 Kings xiv. 25. See chap. xii. 17._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Bethlehem, very different from that of Juda. --- Twelve. Nineteen are mentioned, but some of them belong to other tribes, (Calmet) or were not properly cities. (Menochius) --- All the towns of Zabulon are not specified. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Issachar. The reason why he has been placed after his younger brother, Zabulon, both here and in the blessing of Jacob, is not known._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jezrael. This was a city of the first note, (Menochius) situated in the vale between Mount Hermon and Gelboe, having Bethsan on the east. --- Sunem, where Eliseus raised the child to life, five miles south of Thabor. (St. Jerome) --- Here the Philistines were encamped the day before the battle, in... [ Continue Reading ]
_Rabbath. These four cities formed the western boundary, though Serarius observes, this tribe extended as far as the Mediterranean, being in possession of Carmel, which lay close to the shore. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Engannim, called Enam, 1 Paralipomenon vi. 73. --- Enhadda. There was another town of this name, 10 miles from Eleutheropolis. (Calmet) --- This and the four following towns lay on the north of Issachar. (Menochius) --- Bethsames, "the house of the sun." Juda and Nephthali had also a Bethsames._... [ Continue Reading ]
Carmel, so famous for the miracles of Elias, 3 Kings xviii. 20. Josephus (Jewish Wars ii. 17,) places it 120 stadia south of Ptolemais. This range of mountains extended northward through the tribes of Issachar and of Zabulon. Pliny ([Natural History?] v. 17,) speaks of a promontory and of a town of... [ Continue Reading ]
_Bethdagon. "The temple of Dagon, or of the fish," different from the town of Juda, chap. xv. 41. --- Zabulon, a city which took its name from the tribe, and separated Ptolemais from Judea. (Josephus, Jewish Wars ii. 37.) --- Left; that is, the north side of Cabul, which means either the canton wher... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER XIX. _ Rohob, on the northern extremity of the land, Numbers xiii. 22. It was assigned to the Levites. But the tribe of Aser never drove out the Chanaanites, Judges i. 31. --- Cana, where Christ wrought his first miracle, about 23 miles west of Tiberias, as we may gather from Josephus. (Vit... [ Continue Reading ]
Horma. Hebrew, Septuagint, &c., Rama, "a height." --- Of Tyre. When this city was founded, is wrapped up in obscurity. The Tyrian priests claim a very high antiquity; whereas Josephus (Antiquities viii. 2,) allows that the city was founded only 200 years after Josue, on which supposition this name m... [ Continue Reading ]
Amma; perhaps on mount Amana, a part of Libanus, Canticle of Canticles iv. 8. For though the Israelites had possession of these parts only a short time, they had a right to them, and to the countries as far as the Euphrates and Pelusium. Septuagint read, "Akom or Archob," (Calmet) in some copies, th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Heleph seems to have been on the north-eastern limits of Nephthali. The cities on the Jordan southwards, as far as Genesareth, are specified. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Juda was in possession of the southern parts of the Jordan, as Nephthali had the northern, so that by means of navigation they might enjoy the riches (Calmet) of each other, and of the other tribes. (Haydock) (Deuteronomy xxxiii. 23.) --- Septuagint do not read Juda, which forms all the difficulty,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ser. The Septuagint seem to have read rather differently. "And the fortified, or walled cities of the Tyrians, Tyre and Emath, (and) Bekkath," &c. (Haydock) --- Assedim may be the name of a people. The situation of Ser is also unknown. --- Emath is the famous Emesa, Numbers xiii. 22. (Calmet) --- T... [ Continue Reading ]
_Arama. Hebrew, "Rama." --- Asor, the capital of Jabin, chap. xi. 1._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Enhasor, "the fountain of Asor," or Daphne, a delightful spot resembling the famous suburbs of Antioch. (Josephus, Jewish Wars iv. init.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Bethanath, "the house of poverty," is Betanea, 15 miles from Cæsarea. (Eusebius) --- Nineteen. Twenty-three places are mentioned. But some might only be villages, &c., chap. xv. 62._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sun. Some suppose that it is the same with Bethsames of Juda, which was ceded to the Levites. (Calmet) --- Dan lay on the west of Juda. (Haydock) --- Selebin, where the Amorrhites maintained themselves, Judges i. 35._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Themna; the Thamna of the tribe of Juda, chap. xv. 10. --- Acron, or Accaron._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Elthece, or Elthecon of Juda, given to the Levites. All the three tribes might dwell in it._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Barach. Hebrew, "Bene-barac," or "Jud, of the sons of Barac."_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Mejarcon, "the waters of Jarcon" and Arecon, were near Joppe. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_There. Hebrew, "and the limits of Dan went out from them. They were not able to keep the cities in subjection; so that, finding themselves too much confined, they sought for fresh settlements at Lessem; or, their borders were known by these cities, through which they passed, (Calmet) though most of... [ Continue Reading ]
_Lord, by the mouth of Eleazar. Josue was content with one of the most barren parts of the country. He waits till all are provided for, shewing throughout his life a pattern of moderation and disinterestedness, which render him worthy to be considered as a figure of Jesus Christ, who reduced himself... [ Continue Reading ]