Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 15:5
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:
5. And the east border ] “Till to the laste partis of Jordan,” Wyclif. This was the Salt Sea in all its extent from south to north, even “unto the end of Jordan,” i. e. to the point where it enters the Dead Sea.
their border in the north quarter was from the bay of the sea ] i. e. from the embouchure of the Jordan. “The tonge of the see vnto the same flood of Jordan,” Wyclif.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 5. The east border was the Salt Sea] The Salt Sea is the same as the Dead Sea, lake Asphaltites, &c. And here it is intimated that the eastern border of the tribe of Judah extended along the Dead Sea, from its lowest extremity to the end of Jordan, i.e., to the place where Jordan falls into this sea.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The end of Jordan, i.e. the place where Jordan runs into the Salt Sea.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. the endthat is, the mouthof the Jordan.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the east border [was] the salt sea, [even] unto the end of Jordan,…. To the place where Jordan fell into it; so that this border was the whole length of the salt sea, which Josephus says y was five hundred eighty furlongs; and, according to Pliny z, an hundred miles:
and [their] border in the north quarter [was] from the bay of the sea,
at the uttermost part of Jordan; this northern border began where the eastern ended, at the bay or creek of the sea, where Jordan fell into it.
y De Bello Jud. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 4. z Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 16.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(5) Their border in the north quarter.This can be followed with the Ordnance Survey of Palestine, and is described by Conder in the following way:It started from the Jordan mouth, but did not apparently follow the river, as Beth Arabah (unknown) and Beth Hogla (Ain Hajlah, about two miles west of Jordansheet 18) belonged to Benjamin. Passing along the valley of Achor (Wdy Kelt), it left Gilgal on the north, and ascended the pass to the going up of Adummim (Talat-ed-Dumm), the ancient and modern name bloody being apparently derived from the brick-red marls here found amid a district of white chalk. (It is easy to conjecture other reasons.) A line of Roman road on the map is a very fair guide to the boundary here described, and thus far it lies on sheet 18 En Rogel, the next known point (on sheet 17), close to Zoheleth (Zahweileh, 1Ki. 1:9), was evidently the present spring Ain Umm-ed-Deraj, in the Kedron Valley (this may be sought in the separate survey of Jerusalem, which is upon a larger scale). Thence the border ran across the slope (Cataph, Jos. 15:8, side), beside the valley of Ben Hinnom (Wdy Rabby), south of Jebus, and thus reached the watershed. (Here the boundary-line takes a turn to the northward.) It then apparently passed along the broad vale (Emek, Jos. 15:8) of Rephaim (valley of the giants), which Josephus makes to extend towards Bethlehem. This valley is identified with El-Bukeia (sheet 17). The waters of Nephtoah are apparently identical with Ain Atn, south-west of Bethlehem.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. East border was the salt sea Which formed a boundary line for nearly fifty miles.
End of Jordan That is, the month of the Jordan; called also in this same verse the uttermost part of Jordan.
Bay of the sea The northern tongue or extremity of the Dead Sea, at the point where it receives the waters of the Jordan.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jos 15:5 a
‘And the east border was the Salt Sea, even to the end of Jordan.’
The east border of Judah was simple. It went from below the Dead Sea and along its western side up to where the Jordan entered it. At the time that this was written the Sea probably extended a few miles further north. It is slowly getting smaller due to rapid evaporation.
Jos 15:5-6 (5b-6)
‘And the border of the north quarter was from the bay of the sea at the end of Jordan. And the border went up to Beth-hoglah, and passed along by the north of Beth-arabah, and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.’
We now trace the northern border westward. It begins at the northern tongue of the Dead Sea. Beth-hoglah was near Jericho (Jos 18:21) and was a Benjamite city. It has been identified with the ruins of Kasr Hajleh, and is four kilometres (three miles) north of the present Dead Sea. Beth-arabah (‘house of the Arabah’) was in the barren, rocky country between the Central Range and the Dead Sea, sometimes called Jeshimon (waste, desert) mentioned in 1Sa 23:19; 1Sa 23:24. In verse 61 it belongs to Judah. In Jos 18:21 it is a Benjamite border town. As a border town it was probably shared between them, the boundary going through it. It would have lands at both sides, some allocated to one and some to the other.
“And the border went up to the stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben.” Compare Jos 18:17. This was clearly an important recognised landmark. Bohen means ‘a thumb’. This may refer to a large stone shaped like a thumb, near to an eminence or larger rock called Reuben (not necessarily connected with the patriarch). It is alternatively possible that a famous man Bohan was buried there who was son to an unknown Reuben, or even that it commemorated some famous exploit by a Reubenite who had crossed the river with Joshua. But the impression is of an ancient landmark. The portion of the Biblical Reuben was across the river.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jos 15:5 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:
Ver. 5. The salt sea. ] The lake of Sodom, into which the river Jordan runneth, and there endeth.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
bay = tongue.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Num 34:12
Reciprocal: Deu 3:17 – the sea Jos 12:3 – the sea
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jos 15:5-6. The end of Jordan The place where Jordan runs into the salt sea. The stone of Bohan A place so called, not from Bohans dwelling there, (for the Reubenites had no portion on this side Jordan,) but from some notable exploit which he did there, though it is not recorded in Scripture.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
15:5 And the east border [was] the salt sea, [even] unto the {b} end of Jordan. And [their] border in the north quarter [was] from the bay of the sea at the uttermost part of Jordan:
(b) Meaning the mouth of the river where it runs into the Salt sea.