Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 15:37
Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdal-gad,
37. Zenan ] Group II. comprises the cities of the actual plain in its whole extent from north to south, between the hilly region on the west and the Philistine coast on the east. It includes sixteen cities:
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Zenan,…. Here begins another list or catalogue of the cities in the valley or plain. Zenan perhaps is the same with Zaanan, Mic 1:11;
and Hadashah was so small a city in Judea in the times of the Misnic doctors, that they say t it had but fifty dwellings in it; and Jerom speaks u of a place called Adasa, in the tribe of Judah, in his times a village near Guphua; it should be Taphna;
and Migdalgad, of which we nowhere else read; some think it had its name from some famous exploit done here by one of the tribe of Gad, who came over with Joshua to assist in the war, as the stone of Bohan the Reubenite, Jos 15:6.
t Misn. Eruvim, c. 5. sect. 6. u De loc. Heb. fol. 88. F.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
37-41. This second group of the cities in the Shephelah, sixteen in number, are now nearly all unknown. On Lachish and Eglon, see Jos 10:3.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdal-gad, and Dilan, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel. Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon, and Cabbon, and Lahmam, and Chithlish, and Gederoth, Beth-dagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages.’
These were situated in the north western part of the Judaean Shephelah (lowlands). Zenan was possibly the Zaanan of Mic 1:11. Its site and that of Hadashah are unknown. Migdal-gad, ‘the fortress of Gad’, is possibly Khirbet Mejadil (twenty kilometres) thirteen miles south of Beit Jibrin. Gad was a pagan deity worshipped by the Canaanites as the god of fortune (Isa 65:11). Dilan and Jokteel are unknown. Mizpeh means ‘watchtower’ and a number of Mizpehs are known. Possible identifications for this Mizpeh are Khirbet Safiyeh, four kilometres (three miles) north east of Beit Jibrin, or Sufiyeh, ten kilometres (seven miles) north of Beit Jibrin.
Lachish was a major city but was not at this time walled, although its outer houses may have formed a defensive ring. It was surrounded on three sides by the River (Nahal – wadi torrent) Lachish. It was one of the cities earlier taken by Joshua (Jos 10:32) whose king was slain, but there is no suggestion that he burned it. It was mentioned in the Amarna letters earlier, and we know that it was sacked about 1200 BC, after which there were strong Egyptian connections. It was sacked again about 1130 BC. There is no direct evidence of actual occupation by the Israelites, and it is nowhere claimed in Scripture that it was again captured and occupied by them until the time of the Monarchy. However we must beware of drawing too many conclusions from this kind of evidence. Such identifications are always tentative. Its guilt before God was later seen as responsible for His judgments (Mic 1:13).
For Bozkath compare 2Ki 22:1. For Eglon compare Jos 10:34. Cabbon and Chithlish are unknown. Lahmam (or Lahmas) is possibly el-Lahm, four kilometres (three miles) south of Beit Jibrin. For Gederoth compare 2Ch 28:18. Beth-dagon was clearly a shrine to the god Dagon, of which there were a number by this name (e.g. Jos 19:27). Naamah is possibly identical to modern Na‘neh, and means ‘pleasant’, ten kilometres (seven miles) south of Lydda. For Makkedah see Jos 10:28.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
NASB (UPDATED TEXT): Jos 15:37-41
37Zenan and Hadashah and Migdal-gad,
38and Dilean and Mizpeh and Joktheel,
39Lachish and Bozkath and Eglon,
40and Cabbon and Lahmas and Chitlish,
41and Gederoth, Beth-dagon and Naamah and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages.
NASB (UPDATED TEXT): Jos 15:42-44
42Libnah and Ether and Ashan,
43and Iphtah and Ashnah and Nezib,
44and Keilah and Achzib and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages.
NASB (UPDATED TEXT): Jos 15:45-46
45Ekron, with its towns and its villages;
46from Ekron even to the sea, all that were by the side of Ashdod, with their villages.
NASB (UPDATED TEXT): Jos 15:47
47Ashdod, its towns and its villages; Gaza, its towns and its villages; as far as the brook of Egypt and the Great Sea, even its coastline.
NASB (UPDATED TEXT): Jos 15:48-51
48 In the hill country: Shamir and Jattir and Socoh, 50and Anab and Eshtemoh and Anim,
51and Goshen and Holon and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages.
Jos 15:48-60 This names the cities located in the hill country.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Reciprocal: Gen 38:12 – Timnath