Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 13:16
And their coast was from Aroer, that [is] on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that [is] in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba;
16. their coast ] Observe the use of the word “coast” here, without any allusion to the seaboard. The word comes from the Latin costa = “a rib,” “side,” through the Fr. “coste.” Hence it = “a border” generally, though now applied to the sea-coast only. Comp. “Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof” (Mat 2:16); “the coasts of Juda” (Mat 19:1); the coasts of Gadara (Mar 5:17); “the coasts ” of Antioch in Pisidia (Act 13:50). The portion of country this tribe selected, under its modern name of the Belka, is still esteemed beyond all others by the Arab sheepmasters. It was the southernmost and smallest portion of the district east of the Jordan.
from Aroer ] See above, ch. Jos 12:2; all the plain by Medeba = the plateau east of Abarim or mount Pisgah. See above, Jos 12:3.
the city that is in the midst ] = Ar of Moab, as above, Jos 13:9.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The city that is in the midst of the river; of which see Deu 3:16; Jos 12:2.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And their coast was from Aroer that [is] on the bank of the river Arnon,…. As the country of Sihon is described, Jos 13:9; from whence it appears that it was his country which was given to Reuben, though not all of it:
and the city that [is] in the midst of the river;
[See comments on Jos 13:9];
and all the plain by Medeba; which reached unto Dibon, Jos 13:9.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
16. Aroer A city on the northern bank of the river Arnon, and on the southern border of the territory conquered from Sihon, king of the Amorites. Compare Num 21:26. Its ruins, called Araayr, were discovered by Burckhardt on the summit of a lofty wall of rock overlooking the ancient Arnon. It is to be distinguished from the Aroer before Rabbah (Jos 13:25) and the Aroer in the south of Judah. 1Sa 30:28. The city that is in the midst of the river is a subject of dispute. Some think it is the city Aroer itself. Others conjecture that Aroer consisted of two parts, or an upper and lower city, one on the high bank of the river, and the other in the valley below, where it may have been surrounded by the waters of the stream. Others think it was a city at the junction of the Arnon and one of its tributaries, where Burckhardt saw a hill with ruins on it. Keil thinks that it was Ar of Moab, and at that junction Ar Moab is located on Menke’s map.
Plain by Medeba “The whole plain of Medeba was occupied by the Reubenites; but the city itself was, perhaps, strongly fortified, and suffered to remain, like many in western Palestine, in the hands of its old inhabitants. Its ruins still exist, and bear their old name under the Arabic form Madeba. They lie about four miles southeast of Heshbon, with which they are connected by an ancient paved road. The city occupied a low hill, a mile and a half in circumference. The whole site is covered with ruins; not a solitary building remains standing. The plain around it, though now desolate, is fertile, and thickly dotted with ancient cities.” J.L. Porter.
‘ And their border was from Aroer which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon, and the city which is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland by Medeba; Heshbon and all her cities which are in the tableland; Dibon and Bamoth-baal and Beth-baal-meon, and Jahaz and Kedemoth and Mephaath, and Kiriathaim and Sibmah, and Zereth-shahar in the mount of the valley, and Beth-peor, and the slopes of Pisgah and Beth-jeshimoth.’
The inheritance was deliberately listed in terms of cities and villages rather than borders (see verse 23), although borders were briefly mentioned. This was to bring out the splendour of what they had received. As they had already been settled the identification of borders was not so important (they were already practically determined). For the first mentioned cities see on Jos 12:2; Jos 13:9.
Bamoth-baal means ‘high places of Baal’ (Num 22:41). Thus it had almost certainly been a centre of Baal worship. It is also mentioned in Num 21:19-20. Balak took Balaam to it when he wanted to look down over the full extent of the forces of Israel so it must have been in a commanding position. For Beth-baal-meon, modern Ma‘in, compare ‘Beth-meon’ (Jer 48:23) and Beon (Num 32:3). Built by the Reubenites it was later captured by the Moabites and along with Kiriathaim and Jahaz was mentioned in the Moabite Stone.
For Jahaz see Jos 21:36; Num 21:23; Deu 2:32; Jdg 11:20. It was the place where Sihon fought Israel and was vanquished. Residence in it was soon to be assigned to the Merarite Levites (Jos 21:24; Jos 21:36). It was later lost to Israel. Its site is in doubt. Kedemoth is probably modern ez-Za‘feran about sixteen kilometres north of the Arnon just inside Sihon’s territory on the eastern border. It became a levitical city (Jos 21:37; 1Ch 6:29) giving its name to a nearby desert area (Deu 2:26). The site of Mephaath is unknown (but see Jos 21:37; Jer 48:21) although Tel el-Yawah has been suggested. Kiriathaim is the dual form of qirya (city, town) and therefore means double city. See Num 32:37; Gen 14:5). Its site has not yet been located.
“Sibmah, and Zereth-shahar in the mount of the valley, and Beth-peor, and the slopes of Pisgah and Beth-jeshimoth.” Sibmah is identical with Sebam (Num 32:3; Num 32:38). Originally a land for cattle (Num 32:4) it became famous for its vines and summer fruit. It later reverted to Moab. Isa 16:8-9 and Jer 48:32 bewailed its desolation. It is possibly to be identified with Khirbet Qurn el-Qibsh near Heshbon. Zereth-shahar was probably situated on a height overlooking the Jordan Rift valley (compare verse 27). It has been connected with es-Sara, the hot springs on the north west slope of Mount ‘Attarus.
Beth-peor (House or Temple of Peor) was probably related to the worship of Baal-peor (Num 25:3-5). It was near here that Israel gathered to hear Moses’ final exhortation (Deu 3:29; Deu 4:44-46) and that Moses was buried (Deu 34:6). It was thus near Mount Nebo. It is remarkable that the site of Moses’ sepulchre was so quickly forgotten (Deu 34:6), a sign of how involved the people were with the conflicts in Canaan. Possibly he was buried secretly by Joshua at his own request to prevent an obsession with his tomb, because he did not want men’s eyes fixed outside the land of God’s promises and covenant. Or it simply be that his body was never found. (We do not know what, ‘He (YHWH) buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor’ actually indicates, and whether He was to be seen as using a human instrument).
Beth-jeshimoth (house of the deserts) was near the north east shore of the Dead Sea (Num 33:49) in the Jordan Rift valley. The ‘slopes of Pisgah’ (Ashdoth-pisgah’) may refer to the entire edge of the Moabite plateau east and north east of the Dead Sea (compare Jos 13:20; Deu 3:17; Deu 4:49). Pisgah also refers to a specific peak or ridge associated with Mount Nebo (Num 21:20; Deu 3:27; Deu 34:1).
So all these towns and cities had been redeemed for YHWH. But because of Israel’s later disobedience they were lost and seized by Moab. It is a warning of what happens if we start well but fail to go on in the same way.
Jos 13:16 And their coast was from Aroer, that [is] on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that [is] in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba;
Ver. 16. And the city that is in the midst. ] See Jos 13:9 .
Jos 13:9, Jos 12:2, Num 21:28-30, Num 32:33-38, Deu 3:12, Isa 15:1, Isa 15:2, Isa 15:4, Isa 16:7-9, Jer 48:21-24
Reciprocal: 1Sa 30:28 – Aroer 2Sa 24:5 – Aroer Isa 16:2 – the fords Isa 17:2 – Aroer
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge