Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 13:4
From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that [is] beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites:
4. from the south ] The LXX. here gives a proper name, “from Teman.” This was the former southern limit of the Avites’ territory.
all the land of the Canaanites ] Here some would insert a full stop, as though the words summed up what had gone before.
and Mearah ] “Mara of Sydonys,” Wyclif. This place is only mentioned in this passage. The word merh means in Hebrew “ a cave ” (see margin), and it has been commonly supposed that the reference is to a remarkable cavern near Zidon. A village called el-Mughr has been found in the mountains of Naphtali some 10 miles west of the northern extremity of the Sea of Galilee, which it has been thought may possibly represent the ancient Mearab. See Menke’s Bible Atlas, Plate iii.
unto Aphek ] A city in the extreme north of Asher, now Afka, N. E. of Beyrout, and apparently beyond Sidon. It was called by the Greeks Aphaca, and was noted for a temple of Venus destroyed by Constantine.
to the borders of the Amorites ] i.e. on the extreme north border of the Amorites, or the land once inhabited by them, and which afterwards passed to Og, king of Bashan.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Read on the south, and connect the words with the verse preceding. They indicate the southern limit of the still unconquered territory in this neighborhood, as Jos 13:3 gives the northern one.
Mearah – The cave (see the margin) has been referred to Mugar Jczzin (cave of Jezzin), between Tyre and Sidon, or to a district characterized by deep cave-like ravines near Sidon and Dan-Laish.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 4. The land of the Canaanites] This lay on the south of the country of the Philistines, towards the sea-coast.
Mearah] Supposed to be the city Maratha, on the Mediterranean Sea. – Calmet. Or the river Majora, which falls into the Mediterranean Sea, between Sidon and Berytus. See PLINY, Hist. Nat. lib. v., c. 20.
Aphek] See Clarke on Jos 12:18.
To the borders of the Amorites] Though the term Amorite is sometimes used to designate the inhabitants in general of the land of Canaan, yet it must be considered in a much more restricted sense in this place. As no Amorites are known to have dwelt in this quarter, Calmet supposes we should read Aramites or Syrians. Joshua, says he, proceeds from Sidon to Aphek, a city of Syria, between Heliopolis and Babylon where was the temple of the Venus of Aphek, and which is spoken of in 1Kg 20:26; 2Kg 13:17, as the capital of the kings of Syria. From this Joshua passes on to the frontiers of the Syrians, towards Gebal or Gabala, which, according to Ptolemy, was situated in Phoenicia. This conjecture of Calmet is not supported by any authority either from the ancient versions or MSS. Houbigant, however, approves of it: the emendation is simple as it consists in the interchange of only two letters in the same word, haarammi, for haemori.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
i.e. From those southern parts of the sea-coast now possessed by the Philistines, all the more northern parts of the sea-coast being yet inhabited by the Canaanites, almost as far as Sidon, as it here follows; for there is no mention made of any conquests of Joshua upon the sea-coast. The Canaanites, properly so called, are said to
dwell by the sea, Num 13:29, and these are here spoken of, though some of them dwelt in other parts of the land.
Mearah; a strong place; it matters not whether it was a city, or an impregnable cave, which some writers mention to be in those parts.
Aphek; not that of Judah, of which Jos 15:53 but another in the tribe of Asher, of which Jos 12:18; Jdg 1:31.
To the borders of the Amorites: the Amorites were a strong and very numerous people, and we find them dispersed in several parts, some within Jordan, and some without it; some in the south, and others in the north, of whom he speaks there.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. all the land of the Canaanites,and Mearah(“the cave”)
that is beside theSidoniansa mountainous region of Upper Galilee, remarkable forits caves and fastnesses.
unto Apheknow Afka;eastward, in Lebanon.
to the borders of theAmoritesa portion of the northeastern territory that hadbelonged to Og. The third district that remained unsubdued:
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
From the south, all the land of the Canaanites,…. That is, of those Canaanites who were particularly so called, in distinction from those of the other nations or tribes, and who dwelt in several parts of the land, some in the east and others in the west, see
Jos 11:3; and, as it seems here, some in the south: now on the side of the south, as Kimchi interprets it, all the land of the Canaanites was left, that is, remained unconquered and not possessed:
and Mearah that [is] beside the Sidonians; the inhabitants of Sidon, and parts adjacent: what this place was, which belonged to the Sidonians, for so it may better be rendered, is not certain; some take it to be a cave belonging to them: Sandys b speaks of a number of caves cut out of the rock in those parts, called the caves of the Sidonians, and afterwards the caves of Tyre; so it is interpreted by the Targum, and in the Syriac and Arabic versions others take it to be the river Magoras, Pliny c makes mention of as on the borders of Lebanon near Zidon and Berytus: mention is made of the waters of Mearah along with the waters of Tiberias in Jewish writings d; but rather something of more importance than a cave or a river is meant; most likely a tract of land near Sidon, and which belonged to it, and reached
unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites; of this place,
[See comments on Jos 12:18].
b Travels, l. 3. p. 169. Ed. 5. c Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 20. d Misn. Sabbat. c. 22. sect. 5. T. Hieros. Sabbat, fol. 6. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
4. [ From the south This is to be connected with the Avites in the preceding verse, and stands in contrast with northward in the same verse. The Masoretic pointing is here noticeably wrong. Jos 13:2-3 describe the unconquered territory in the south, from its northern limit, Ekron, to its southern, the land occupied by the Avites; Jos 13:4-6 describe the northern lands.] Mearah belonged to the Sidonians. The word beside is a mis-translation. Mearah signifies a cavern. Its location is a matter of conjecture. Aphek is identified by Gesenius with Aphaca of classical times, famous for its temple of Venus. Its modern name is Afka, situated some eighteen miles northeast of Beyroot. It was assigned to the tribe of Asher. Jos 19:30.
To the borders of the Amorites This is taken by most interpreters to refer to the land of Bashan, which formerly belonged to the Amorites and was ruled by Og.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ver. 4. From the south, all the land of the Canaanites To the south of the country of the Philistines, on the sea-coast, lay the Canaanites, properly so called, who remained still unconquered. Mearah, a city unknown, towards the north, but in the territory of Sidon, was in the same class. See Calmet. Aphek was probably the city which we find in the tribe of Asher, not very distant from Sidon, but farther eastward.
To the borders of the Amorites There were Amorites in all the land of Canaan, to the north as well as to the south and east. Joshua proceeds from Sidon to Aphek, a city in Syria, betwixt Heliopolis and Byblos, where stood the temple of Venus of Aphek, and which is spoken of 1Ki 20:26. 2Ki 13:17 as the capital of Syria. From this place, in the verse following, he passes on to the borders of the Syrians, towards Gabal, or Gebala, which, according to Ptolemy, lay in Phoenicia.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jos 13:4 From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that [is] beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites:
Ver. 4. All the land of the Canaanites. ] Who yet held out against the Israelites, but hindered them not from dividing the land. No more shall those remnants of corruption hinder the saints from possession of their mansions prepared for them by Christ. Joh 14:2
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
From = on. The Syriac punctuates Jos 13:3 and Jos 13:4, thus: “also the Avites on the south”,
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the land of: Jos 10:40, Jos 11:3, Jos 12:7, Jos 12:8
Mearah: or, the cave
Aphek: This is probably the Aphek spoken of in 1Ki 20:26. 2Ki 13:18, as the capital of the kings of Syria; and the same as is mentioned by Sozomen, Eusebius, and Theophanes, as situated near the river Adonis – now Nahr Ibrahim between Heliopolis and Byblos, and celebrated for the infamous temple of Venus the Aphacite. The village Afka, situated in the bottom of a valley, and hour and three quarters from Akoura, and three hours’ distance from Lake Liemoun, is supposed to occupy its site. Burckhardt, however, could not hear of any remains of antiquity in it neighbourhood. Jos 19:30, 1Sa 4:1
the Amorites: Jdg 1:34-36
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jos 13:4. From the south That is, from those southern parts of the sea- coast now possessed by the Philistines, all the more northern parts of the sea-coast being yet inhabited by the Canaanites, almost as far as Sidon. The Amorites The Amorites were a very strong and numerous people, and we find them dispersed in several parts, some within Jordan, and some without it, some in the south, and others in the north, of whom he speaks here.