And [then] the coast turneth westward to Aznoth-tabor, and goeth out from thence to Hukkok, and reacheth to Zebulun on the south side, and reacheth to Asher on the west side, and to Judah upon Jordan toward the sunrising.
34. and then the coast turneth ] From the Jordan on the east, the southern border of Naphtali turned westward to Aznoth-tabor, not identified, but probably a border town on the line which separated this tribe from Issachar, and “struck,” or coincided with, Zebulun on the south and Asher on the west. The site of Hukkok is unknown.
Judah upon Jordan ] So our Version renders it, following the Vulgate, Et in Juda ad Jordanem. Others, following the Masoretic punctuation, would put a colon at Judah, so that it would run, “and Judah; the Jordan was toward the sunrising” i.e. the eastern boundary of the tribe. The word Judah here has been explained by the fact that the sixty cities, Havoth-jair (Num 32:41), which were on the eastern side of Jordan opposite to Naphtali, were reckoned as belonging to Judah, because Jair their founder was descended on the father’s side from Judah through Hezron. Comp. 1Ch 2:21-24. Others would identify it with a village el-Jehidijeh, marked on Dr Smith’s map, north of Tibrin, but this is not satisfactory.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Aznoth-tabor – This place (ears of Tabor) was no doubt in the neighborhood of Mount Tabor – probably on the eastern slope; and Hukkok on the western slope.
To Judah upon Jordan – i. e. to the Havoth-jair Num 32:41, which were on the opposite side of Jordan. Jair, from whom these towns or villages were named, traced his ancestry in the male line through Hezron to Judah Num 27:1; and it is likely that he was assisted by large numbers of his kinsmen of that tribe in his rapid conquest of Bashan. Hence, the Havoth-jair were, in all likelihood, largely colonised by Judahites, especially perhaps that portion of them nearest the Jordan. Thus, that part of the river and its valley adjacent to these settlements was spoken of as Judah upon Jordan, or more literally Judah of the Jordan (compare Num 22:1).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 34. And to Judah upon Jordan] It is certain that the tribe of Naphtali did not border on the east upon Judah, for there were several tribes betwixt them. Some think that as these two tribes were bounded by Jordan on the east, they might be considered as in some sort conjoined, because of the easy passage to each other by means of the river; but this might be said of several other tribes as well as of these. There is considerable difficulty in the text as it now stands; but if, with the Septuagint, we omit Judah, the difficulty vanishes, and the passage is plain: but this omission is supported by no MS. hitherto discovered. It is however very probable that some change has taken place in the words of the text, ubihudah haiyarden, “and by Judah upon Jordan.” Houbigant, who terms them verba sine re ac sententia, “words without sense or meaning,” proposes, instead of them, to read ubigdoth haiyarden, “and by the banks of Jordan;” a word which is used Jos 3:15, and which here makes a very good sense.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Westward: this is unquestionably the southern border described from east to west.
To Judah, upon Jordan.
Quest. How can this be, when there were divers tribes between this and Judah, all which reached to Jordan?
Answ. He doth not say of Judah, as he doth of Zebulun and Asher, that it reacheth to it; but, as it seems, purposely leaves out that word which he had used in both the former branches, lest it should be understood of a local reaching to it, or being contiguous with it, which was not true; and that he might signify that he meant this clause in another sense, to wit, that it did in some sort go or reach to, or converse with Judah by Jordan. And so this may be here added, to show the accomplishment of that famous and obscure prophecy, That Naphtali, though he should be planted in the utmost border of the land, on the north-east, yet he should possess the riches of the west and south, Deu 33:23, i.e. of those tribes which were at a great distance from him westward and southward; and this he should do by way of commerce with them by their famous river Jordan, which he did not only touch in a small part, as some of the other tribes did, but lay all along it for a good space together, even from the very fountain unto the sea of Gennesaret. Some think that this is verified by that royalty of this river, which they suppose God gave to the tribe of Judah, which extended as far as Naphtali.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
34. Aznoth-taboron the eastof Tabor towards the Jordan, for the border ran thence to Hukkok,touching upon that of Zebulun; and as the territory of Zebulun didnot extend as far as the Jordan, Aznoth-tabor and Hukkok must havebeen border towns on the line which separated Naphtali from Issachar.
to Judah upon Jordan towardthe sunrisingThe sixty cities, Havoth-jair, which were on theeastern side of the Jordan, opposite Naphtali, were reckoned asbelonging to Judah, because Jair, their possessor, was a descendantof Judah (1Ch 2:4-22)[KEIL].
Jos19:40-48. OF DAN.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And [then] the coast turneth westward to Aznothtabor,…. This was the southern border, reaching from east to west; it began at Aznothtabor, which Jerom g says was a village in his time belonging to the country of Diocaesarea, in the plains; there is another place called Chislothtabor, on the borders of Zebulun, Jos 19:12;
and goeth out from thence to Hukkok: there the southern border ended, which was in the border of Asher, and is the same with Helkath,
Jos 19:25; with which compare 1Ch 6:75;
and reacheth to Zebulun on the south side, and reacheth to Asher on the west side and to Judah upon Jordan towards the sunrising; so that as it was bounded by Lebanon, on the north, near to which some of the cities were, mentioned in Jos 19:33, it had Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west, and Jordan to the east; for by Judah is not meant the tribe of Judah, from which Naphtali was at a great distance, but a city so called, as Fuller h seems rightly to conjecture.
g De loc. Heb. fol. 88. I. h Pisgah-Sight, B. 2. c. 4. p. 104.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(34) Hukkok (Yakk, sheet 6), in the same region as the above, but a little further north, near the northeast boundary of Zebulun. Of Judah upon Jordan we can say nothing with certainty.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
34. Turneth westward Probably in a southwesterly direction. [ Hukkok is recognised by Robinson and others in the modern Yakuk, a village six or seven miles northwest from the Sea of Galilee.
Zebulun on the south Asher on the west This is merely giving the boundaries in general terms.
And to Judah upon the Jordan This is a faulty translation. And to Judah belongs to the previous sentence, which describes the western border. Literally, It touched Asher on the west and at Judah. Judah was evidently a city on the western border, perhaps at Jehudiyah, marked on Van de Velde’s map east of Tyre and a few miles north of Tibnin. The rest of the verse forms a distinct sentence:
Jordan toward the sunrising That is, the Jordan formed the eastern boundary.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And the border turned westward to Aznoth-tabor, and went out from there to Hukkok, and it reached to Zebulun on the south, and reached to Asher on the west, and to Judah at Jordan towards the sunrising (eastwards).’
Aznoth-tabor is probably Khirbet el-Jabeil at the foot of Mount Tabor. Hukkok is generally identified with Yakuk, eight kilometres (five miles) west of where Capernaum is thought to have been. Another suggestion is Khirbet el-Jemeijmeh. Zebulun may here be a city (compare Jos 19:27) or may refer to the Zebulun border. Similar applies to Asher. Yehutha-hayarden (Judah at Jordan) must refer to some recognised place on the Jordan, site unknown. Thus Asher were to the west, Zebulun (and Issachar) to the south, Jordan to the east and the northern border was indeterminate.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Ver. 34. Andthe coastreacheth to Zebulun on the south side, andto Asher on the west side, and to Judah upon Jordan toward the sun-rising Here it may be asked, how could the tribe of Naphtali border on that of Judah on the east, when there were several tribes between them? In answer, we may observe, that Naphtali adjoined to Judah by the Jordan, which united the two tribes, by supplying each with a free passage to the other. And thus, as some interpreters think, the prophesy of Moses, Deu 33:23 possess thou the west and the south, was fulfilled; not that this tribe had any lands in the south of Canaan; but because, through its situation, it could easily carry on a trade thither by means of the Jordan. This reply, however, may not be thought sufficiently full; and it may possibly be urged, why should the tribe of Naphtali meet the tribe of Judah at the Jordan, any more than the tribes of Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, who could much more easily trade with Judah by means of that river? and besides, it is well known, that the eastern limits of the tribe of Judah began rather at the point of the Dead Sea, than at the Jordan. To this, some return for answer, that the sacred writer thus expresses himself, to signify that the tribe of Naphtali, though the most northerly of all those which lay toward the river, yet communicated itself with the most southern tribes, even that of Judah. Others are of opinion, that at that time there was a city upon the Jordan, to the east of Naphtali, which went by the name of Judah. For another solution see the Miscellan. Duisburg de M. Gerdes, tom. 1: p. 683.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
turneth: Deu 33:23
Aznothtabor: Apparently the same as Azanoth, which Eusebius places in the plain not far from Diocesarea or Sephoris. Jos 19:12, Jos 19:22
Judah: As it is certain that the tribe of Naphtali did not border upon that of Judah, there being several tribes between, we should probably omit Judah, with the Septuagint; though it may have been a town so called.
Reciprocal: Jdg 4:12 – mount Tabor 1Ch 6:75 – Hukok
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jos 19:34-35. And to Judah upon Jordan It was not near Judah, there being several tribes between them. Therefore the meaning is, this tribe had a communication with that of Judah, by means of the river Jordan. So the word upon, in our translation, ought to be interpreted. This river afforded them the convenience of carrying merchandises to Judah, or bringing them from thence. And thus, some think, the prophecy of Moses was accomplished, (Deu 33:23.) Possess thou the west and the south; which doth not signify that they had any land in the south; but that they trafficked with that country by the means of Jordan. Chinnereth Whence the lake of Cinnereth, or Genesareth, received its name. Geneser signifies the gardens of princes; and here were fine gardens, and a kind of paradise. The Jews say the name Cinnereth was taken from its fruits, which were as sweet to the taste as the cinnor, or harp, to the ear.