Joshua 15:3

and it went out to the south From this point the border ran in a tolerably direct course towards the south side of Maaleh-acrabbim, "the ascent of scorpions," "the stiyinge vp of Scorpion," Wyclif; "the going up to Akrabbim," as it is given in Numbers 34:4; Judges 1:36, a pass in "the bald mountain" (Joshua 11:17; Joshua 12:7), which "goeth up to Seir." De Saulcy suggests it was the Wâdy Zouara, and testifies to "the scorpions" there found under every pebble. S. and P. 113, n.

and passed along to Zin Thence it passed along to Zin, i.e. a certain spot in the desert of Zin not far from Kadesh-barnea, and passed over to Hezron, and went up to Adar, and fetched a compass or turned to Karkaa, and thence towards Azmon, and went out at the water-course of Egypt, i.e. the "torrent of Egypt, the Wady-el-Arish, already spoken of in ch. Joshua 13:3. The border went directly southwards to Kadesh-barnea; south of Kadesh it turned westward, and came out finally at the "torrent of Egypt" and at the Mediterranean Sea. Hezron, Adar, Karkaa, Azmon, are unknown sites.

fetched a compass Compare Fr. compas, It. compasso, a compass, circle; compasser, to compass, encircle; from Latin cum, passus. The word is used both as (1) a nounand (2) a verb. (a) In the sense of "circumference" it occurs in Exodus 27:5; Exodus 38:4, of "circuit" in 2 Samuel 5:23; 2 Kings 3:9; Acts 28:13. Here, to fetch a compass = simply to "turn," to "go round." Thus Fuller (Pisgah View, IV.II. 2:43) says: "Wicked men may for a time retard, not finally obstruct our access to happiness. It is but fetching a compass, making two steps for one; a little more pains and patience will do the deed;" and he says of the Jordan, "he fetchethmany turnings and windings, but all will not excuse him from falling into the Dead Sea" (Holy War, 1. 18).