Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 11:3
[And to] the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and [to] the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and [to] the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.
3. and to the Canaanite ] Not satisfied with summoning to his banner the tribes of the north, Jabin extended his “war-token” to the remnants of the defeated tribes of the south too; ( a) the Canaanites, or “lowlanders” of the east and west; ( b) the Amorites, or “highlanders” of the south; ( c) the Hittites; ( d) the Perizzites; ( e) the Jebusites, from the still unconquered Jebus; ( f) the Hivites under the snowy heights of Hermon, the most beautiful and conspicuous mountain in Palestine or Syria. For the distribution of these various nations see note above, ch. Jos 3:10.
in the land of Mizpeh ] Mizpeh means “prospect” or “watch-tower.” It has the article here = “ the Land of the Watch-Tower.” There were several places in Palestine bearing this name. This Mizpeh was probably in a plain stretching south-west at the foot of Hermon, where now is situated the village of Metullah, which also means “the look-out,” or “look-down,” perched on a hill 200 feet high, south of Lake Merom, and commanding a splendid view. This Mizpeh (= “ Belle Vue ” amongst ourselves) must not be confounded with the Mizpeh of Gilead (Jos 13:26); nor with the Mizpeh of Judah (Jos 15:38); nor yet with that of Moab (1Sa 22:3).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Hermon – See Deu 3:9 note.
The land of Mizpeh – or Mizpah, the land of the watch-tower The locality is probably identified as a plain stretching at the foot of Hermon southwestward, from Hasbeya, toward the Bahr el Huleh. In a land abounding in striking points of view like Palestine, the name Mizpah was naturally, like Belle Vue among ourselves, bestowed on many places. The Mizpeh here mentioned must not be confounded with the Mizpeh of Gilead (Jos 13:26, and Jdg 11:29); nor with the Mizpeh of Judah Jos 15:38; nor yet with that of Moab 1Sa 22:3.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 3. The Canaanite on the east, c.] Those who dwelt on the borders of Jordan, south of the sea of Tiberias.
On the west] Those were the Phoenicians who dwelt on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, from Dor northwards, on the way to Mount Libanus.-Calmet.
The Hivite under Hermon] Mount Hermon was to the east of Libanus and the fountains of Jordan it is the same with Syrion and Baal Hermon in Scripture.
The land of Mizpeh.] There were several cities of this name: one in the tribe of Judah, (Jos 15:38); a second in the tribe of Benjamin, (Jos 18:26); a third beyond Jordan, in the tribe of Gad; and a fourth beyond Jordan, in the tribe of Manasseh, which is that mentioned in the text. See Wells’s Geography. Calmet supposes this Mizpeh to be the place where Laban and Jacob made their covenant, and from which circumstance it took its name. See Ge 31:48-49.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The Canaanites properly so called lived part of them on the east near Jordan, and part on the west near the sea, and both are here united.
The Hivite under Hermon; that dwelt under Mount Hermon in the north of Canaan, whereby they are differenced from those Hivites who lived in Gibeon; of which before.
Mizpeh; that Mizpeh which was in the northern part of Gilead; of which Gen 31:49; Jdg 11:29. But there were other cities called by that name, which signifying a watching-place, might be easily applied to several places of good prospect. Besides this, there is one Mizpeh of Judah, Jos 15:38; another of Benjamin, Jos 18:26; a third in Moab, 1Sa 22:3.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. the Canaanites on the east and onthe westa particular branch of the Canaanitish population whooccupied the western bank of the Jordan as far northward as the Seaof Galilee, and also the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea.
under HermonnowJebel-es-sheikh. It was the northern boundary of Canaan on the eastof the Jordan.
land of MizpehnowCoeliglo-Syria.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
[And to] the Canaanites on the east and on the west,…. That is, that particular nation of the seven so called, part of which dwelt in the eastern part of the land, by the dead sea, and by the coast of Jordan, Nu 13:29; and others dwelt on the coast of the Mediterranean sea, which was to the west of the land:
and [to] the Amorite, and [to] the Hittite, and [to] the Perizzite: which were scattered about in several parts of the country:
and the Jebusite in the mountains; in the mountainous part of Judea, in the mountains about Jerusalem, and which they still inhabited, and did to the times of David:
and [to] the Hivite under Hermon, in the land of Mizpeh, so described to distinguish them from the Gibeonites, who were also Hivites. Mizpeh is the place, as Kimchi thinks, where the people of Israel are often said to meet together; which he supposes they did, on account of the great salvation wrought here in Joshua’s time. Hermon was a mountain that adjoined to Lebanon, where it is certain some of the Hivites dwelt, Jud 3:3.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(3) The land of Mizpeh is thought to be the plain El-Bukeia, west of Hermon.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Amorite See the note on Jos 2:10. All the tribes here named were greatly intermingled. They seem to have had no fixed boundaries. The nations of the South, over whom the five kings ruled, are called Amorites. Jos 10:5. The Jebusites long held fast this stronghold in the mountains of Central Palestine, and from it, perhaps, went forth often to trouble Israel.
Hittite Jos 1:4, note. For the other tribes see notes and references at Jos 3:10.
Under Hermon This mountain, “almost the only one which deserves the name in Palestine,” is the southern extremity of the eastern range of Lebanon, called Anti-Libanus, and it is the highest point of the whole range. “From the moment that the traveller reaches the plain of Shechem in the interior, nay, even from the depths of the Jordan valley by the Dead Sea, the snowy heights of Hermon are visible. The ancient names of its double range are all significant of this position. It was ‘Sion,’ ‘the upraised;’ or ‘Hermon,’ ‘the lofty peak;’ or ‘Shenir’ and ‘Sirion,’ the glittering ‘breastplate’ of ice; or, above all, ‘Lebanon,’ the ‘Mont Blanc’ of Palestine, the White Mountain of ancient times; the Mountain of the ‘Old White-headed Man,’ or the ‘ Mountain of Ice’ in modern times.” Stanley. Hermon was probably the scene of our Lord’s transfiguration. See notes on Mat 17:1.
Mizpeh This appellative is commonly preceded by the article, the watch-tower. It was a name given to several localities. The land of Mizpeh is probably the same as the valley of Mizpeh, Jos 11:8, and may be understood either of the tract of Coele (Hollow) Syria, over which Hermon rises like a watch-tower, or of the plains that stretch off east of Hermon towards Damascus.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ver. 3. And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west Among the Canaanites, properly so called, those of the east are they who dwelt along-side of the Jordan, south of the lake of Gennesareth; and the Canaanites of the west, those who dwelt on the Mediterranean coast. See Num 13:29. Bishop Clayton, in his Chronology of the Hebrew text, p. 66, &c. shews, that the land of the Canaanites, properly so called, was the country where Canaan had settled, from the territories of Hazor on the north, even unto Sichem on the south; Gen 12:6 and, according to this writer, it was bounded on the east by the Jordan, with the lakes Semechon and Gennesareth; on the west by the Mediterranean from Sidon to Dor; on the north by a line which crossed from Sidon to Jordan, by Hamath; and on the south by the mountains which lay south of Cinneroth, or Gennesareth. Perhaps Jabin was the chief king of the whole country; at least, in Jdg 4:24 he is called king of Canaan.
And to the Hivite under Hermon, &c. The Hivites dwelt at the foot of mount Hermon, which lay to the north-east of the land of Canaan. Hence, as Bochart observes, they are called Kadmonites, Gen 15:19 that is to say, Orientals. See Phaleg. l. iv. c. 36. and Canaan, l. i. c. 19. There were several cities of the name of Mizpeh. We meet with one in the tribe of Judah, ch. Jos 15:38 a second in the tribe of Benjamin, ch. Jos 18:26 a third beyond Jordan, in the tribe of Gad; and a fourth also beyond that river, in the half tribe of Manasseh. The last gave its name to the adjacent territories; and it is that, and the country about it, of which we are now speaking. See Wells’s Geog. vol. 2: p. 215.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jos 11:3 [And to] the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and [to] the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and [to] the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.
Ver. 3. In the land of Mizpeh. ] Not that Mizpeh of Judah, Jos 15:38 nor that of Benjamin, Jos 18:26 nor Mizpeh of Moab; 1Sa 22:3 but that of Gilead, mentioned in Gen 31:49 Jdg 10:3 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mizpeh = Watch-tower.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the Jebusite: Jos 15:63, Num 13:29, 2Sa 24:16
Hivite: Jdg 3:3
Hermon: Jos 13:11, Deu 4:48, Psa 89:12, Psa 133:3, Son 4:8
land: Jos 18:26, Gen 31:49, Jdg 20:1, Jdg 21:5, Jdg 21:8, 1Sa 7:5-7, 1Sa 10:17, 1Ki 15:22, Jer 40:6, Jer 40:10, Jer 41:3, Jer 41:14
Reciprocal: Deu 11:29 – General Jos 11:17 – Seir Jos 12:1 – from the Jos 12:5 – Hermon Jos 13:4 – the land of Neh 9:8 – the Canaanites
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jos 11:3. The Canaanites on the east and on the west The Canaanites, properly so called, lived part of them on the east, near Jordan, and part on the west, near the sea, and both are here united. And to the Amorite, &c. There were other Amorites scattered up and down the country, besides those who were subject to the five kings mentioned in the preceding chapter, Jos 11:5, who were all now assembled by Jabin, together with the rest of the Hittites and Perizzites, who were in several parts of the country, that they might form as powerful an army as could be raised. The Jebusite in the mountains About Jerusalem, where they kept a strong hold, till the time of David. The Hivite under Hermon On the north of Canaan, whereby they were distinguished from those Hivites who lived in Gibeon. In the land of Mizpeh That Mizpeh which was in the northern part of Gilead. But there were other cities called by that name; for as it signifies a watchtower, or watching-place, it is no wonder that several places of good prospect should be so named.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
11:3 [And to] the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and [to] the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and [to] the Hivite under {c} Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.
(c) Which was mount Sion, as in De 4:48.