Joshua 19:41-43

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 19:40-48

Dan, though commander of one of the four squadrons of the camp of Israel, in the wilderness, that which brought up the rear, yet was last provided for in Canaan, and his lot fell in the southern part of Canaan, between Judah on the east and the land of the Philistines on the west, Ephraim on the north and Simeon on the south. Providence ordered this numerous and powerful tribe into a post of danger, as best able to deal with those vexatious neighbours the Philistines, and so it was found in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 19:41

And the coast of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol ,.... The tribe of Dan is not described by places the boundaries of it, as other tribes, but by its cities, which were chiefly, at least several of them, taken out of the tribe of Judah, as the two first of these most manifestly were; See Gill on Joshua 15:33 , and Irshemesh signifies the city of the sun, as the Targum interprets it, and was so called very probably from a temple in it, dedicated to the idolatrous worship of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 19:42

And Shaalabbin ,.... The first of these is the same with Shaalbim, Judges 1:35 ; and which Jerom F18 De loc. Heb. fol. 94. K. calls Selab, in the tribe of Dan; and which he says was in his day shown a large village on the borders of Sebaste, by the name of Selaba. and Ajalon is famous for the standing still of the moon in its valley while Joshua pursued his enemies; see Gill on Joshua 10:12 , and Jethlah , of which we read nowhere else. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 19:43

And Elon ,.... Of Elon no mention is made elsewhere: and Thimnathah is a different place from Timnah in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:10 . Jerom F19 De loc. Heb. fol. 88. E. speaks of the Thamnitic country, so called from the village Thamna, which seems to be this: and Ekron was one of the five principalities of the Philistines, and never possessed by the Israelites; it first fell by lot to the tribe of Judah, and afterwards given to the tribe of Dan, Joshua 15:45 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 19:41

Zorah , and Eshtaol - See the note on Joshua 15:33 . Ir-shemesh - The city of sun; another proof of the idolatry of the Canaanites. Some think this was the same as Beth-shemesh. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 19:42

Shaalabbin - The foxes. Of this city the Amorites kept constant possession. See Judges 1:35 . Ajalon - There was a place of this name about two miles from Nicopolis or Emmaus, on the road to Jerusalem. - Calmet. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 19:43

Thimnathah - Probably the same as Timnah. See on Joshua 15:57 ; (note). Ekron - A well-known city of the Philistines and the metropolis of one of their five dynasties. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 19:1-51

The completion of the work. The reflections suggested by this chapter are identical with those which have already occurred to us. They are, perhaps, emphasised by Joshua 19:51 , in which the solemn public division of the land is once more, and yet more plainly, declared to have taken place with the assent of the heads of Church and State, and to have been attended with a religious ceremony. Without pretending to say whose fault it is, or how such a desirable state of things may be once... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 19:41

Zorah and Eshtaol. On the border between Judah and Dan, but abandoned by the tribe of Judah to the Danites (see 13:2 , 13:25 ). "The wild and impassable wadies, the steep, hard, rocky hills, their wildernesses of mastic, clear springs, and frequent caves and precipices, are the fastnesses in which Samson was born, and from which he descended into the plain to harry the Philistines. Robinson identifies Zorah with Surat. Ir-shemesh. Another sign of sun-worship. Ir-shemaesh is "the city... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 19:42

Aijalon, or Ajalon (see Joshua 10:12 ). One of the Levitical cities. read more

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