Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 19:29
And [then] the coast turneth to Ramah, and to the strong city Tyre; and the coast turneth to Hosah; and the outgoings thereof are at the sea from the coast to Achzib:
29. and then the coast turneth to Ramah ] Having reached Zidon by Kanah, the boundary bent southward by Ramah, and so turned to the “strong,” or “fortified city” of Tyre. Robinson would identify Ramah with Rameh, south-east of Tyre, on a solitary hill in the midst of a basin of green fields, and surrounded by greater heights ( Bib. Res. iii. 63).
the strong city Tyre ] “The most strengthened citie Tyruns” (Wyclif) here alluded to is not the island of Tyre, but the city standing on the mainland, now Sr.
turneth to Hosah ] From Tyre the border turned toward Hosah, the site of which is unknown, and finally ran towards the sea in the region of Achzib, the modern es-Zib, on the sea-shore, little more than two hours from Acre. The Canaanites, we are told (Jdg 1:31), were afterwards not expelled from it by the tribe of Asher, and in classical times it was known as Ecdippa. It is to be noted that both the fortified city Tyre and great Zidon were included in Asher’s inheritance, but no effort was made by the Israelites to obtain possession of these Phnician cities.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 29. The strong city Tyre] I suspect this to be an improper translation. Perhaps the words of the original should be retained: And the coast turneth to Ramah and to the city, mibtsar tsor. Our translators have here left the Hebrew, and followed the Septuagint and Vulgate, a fault of which they are sometimes guilty. The former render the place , unto the fortified city of the Tyrians. The Vulgate is nearly the same: ad civitatem munitissimam Tyrum, to the well-fortified city Tyre; but this must be incorrect for the famous city of Tyre was not known tiil about A.M. 2760, about two hundred years after the days of Joshua. Homer, who frequently mentions Sidon and the Sidonians, never mentions Tyre; a proof that this afterwards very eminent city was not then known. Homer is allowed by some to have flourished in the time of Joshua, though others make him contemporary with the Israelitish judges.
The word Tsor or Tsar, which we translate or change into Tyre, signifies a rock or strong place; and as there were many rocks in the land of Judea, that with a little art were formed into strong places of defense, hence several places might have the name of Tsar or Tyre. The ancient and celebrated Tyre, so much spoken of both in sacred and profane history, was a rock or small island in the sea, about six or seven hundred paces from the main land. In order to reduce this city, Alexander the Great was obliged to fill up the channel between it and the main land, and after all took it with much difficulty. It is generally supposed that a town on the main land, opposite to this fortified rock, went by the same name; one being called old Tyre, the other, new Tyre: it was out of the ruins of the old Tyre, or that which was situated on the main land, that Alexander is said to have filled up the channel between it and the new city. Of this city Isaiah, Isa 23:1-18, and Ezekiel, Eze 27:1-28:26, have given a very grand description, and also predicted its irreparable ruin which prophecies have been most literally fulfilled. See more on the above places.
Achzib] Called afterwards Ecdippe, and now called Zib; it is about nine miles’ distance from Ptolemais, towards Tyre.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The coast turneth from the north southward.
To the strong city Tyre; exclusively, for this city was no part of the land given them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
29. and then the coast turneth toRamahnow El-Hamra, which stood where the Leontes (Litany) endsits southern course and flows westward.
and to the strong cityTyreThe original city appears to have stood on the mainland,and was well-fortified. From Tyre the boundary ran to Hosah, aninland town; and then, passing the unconquered district of Achzib(Jud 1:31), terminated at theseacoast.
Jos19:32-39. OF NAPHTALI.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And [then] the coast turneth to Ramah,…. Which was a city in the tribe of Naphtali, Jos 19:36; and on the borders of Asher; though Jerom y distinguishes them, and speaks of a Ramah in Asher, and another in Naphtali, as different cities of the same name; as there were several of this name, so called from their being built on an eminence. Masius conjectures it is the same with Sarepta, Lu 4:26; famous for its wine; and Bacchus, as the poet says, loves the hills:
and to the strong city Tyre; it is thought this is not to be understood of the famous city, so much spoken of in other parts of Scripture, and in profane history; since, as it is observed, that is not mentioned in Scripture until the times of David; and though Homer makes frequent mention of Sidon, yet never of Tyre. The words signify the strong fortress of a rock, or a fortress on a high rock; so Kimchi and Ben Melech; and it might be a fortified city, which being built on a rock, might have the name of Zor or Tyre, and not be the famous city of that name. Jerom z renders it the fortified city of the Assyrians:
and the coast turneth to Hosah; of which we nowhere else read:
and the outgoings thereof are at the sea; the Mediterranean sea; where the coast ended this way:
from the coast to Achzib; this Jerom a says is Ecdippa, nine miles from Ptolemais, as you go to Tyre; and this is confirmed by a learned traveller of our own nation b; it is now called Zib;
[See comments on Mic 1:14].
y De loc. Heb. fol. 94. B. z De loc. Heb. fol. 94. B. a Ibid. fol. 88. I. b Maundrell’s Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 53.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
29. Ramah Robinson confidently identifies this place with the modern village Rameh, which stands on an isolated hill about ten miles southeast of Tyre. It has no traces of antiquity except some very ancient sarcophagi. Tyre, a rock, is a colony of Zidon, and is a few miles south on the seacoast. The old city stood on the main land and was strongly fortified.
New Tyre, which was taken by Alexander the Great, was built on a rock in the sea. It is probably Old Tyre that is named in the text, but Keil endeavours to prove that New Tyre was in existence in the days of Joshua, discrediting Josephus, who says that it was built two hundred and forty years before the Temple of Solomon. It was a great commercial emporium, and became the burden of prophecies (see Isaiah 23; Ezekiel 26) which have been remarkably fulfilled. Achzib, now called Zib, is on the coast nine miles north of Acre.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And the border turned to Ramah, and to the city of Mibzar Zor (or ‘the fortress of Tyre’), and the border turned to Hosah, and its goings out were at the sea by the region of Achzib.’
Ramah is unidentified, although Ramiyeh, twenty one kilometres (thirteen miles) south east of Tyre, has been suggested. (But the name is too common for certainty). For Mibzar Zor see 2Sa 24:7. This may be Tyre itself (Zor) or a strong fortress connected with Tyre, possibly the island city. Tyre consisted of an island and a mainland port, the latter probably called Ussu in Assyrian inscriptions and Usu in Egyptian. Hosah may be a reflex of this. Tyre would later supersede Zidon. The site is Tell Rashidiyeh. These cities were boundary indicators only and would include their surrounding territory. The description could be seen as excluding them from the territory of Asher for the boundary reached the sea at Achzib.
“Its goings out were at the sea by the region of Achzib.” Achzib was a Canaanite harbour town, probably to be identified with modern ez-Zib fourteen kilometres north of Acco (Acre) The Canaanites were never driven out from it (Jdg 1:31). An alternative translation is ‘from Hebel to Achzib’.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Ver. 29. Then the coast turneth to Ramah, &c. There were several cities of this name in Palestine. Masius supposes the present to be the same as was afterwards called Zarepta. Ramah signifies high, elevated; and such, it seems, was the situation of Zarepta, celebrated for its vineyards, which evidently suppose an elevated situation.
And to the strong city Tyre So the LXX and Vulgate, followed by a variety of interpreters, translate the clause. Sidon is much spoken of in the Books of Moses, and even in Jacob’s prophesies: the famous city of Tyre was not in being till the time of David. Homer, who makes frequent mention of Sidon, and the Sidonians, nowhere takes notice of the Tyrians. The sacred writer in this place, therefore, must have intended to point out some other city of the same name; there were four different places in Phoenicia called Tyre. Perhaps the historian here had in view Palaetyrus or Ancient Tyre, which was built on the main land, whereas the other Tyre was erected over against it, in an island. This is the opinion of Perizonius, Grotius, Calmet, Le Clerc, &c. For an ingenious account of the origin of Tyre, &c. we refer the reader to the learned chronology of M. Vignoles, lib. 4: cap. 1, &c.
And the coast turneth to Hosahandto Achzib From the neighbourhood of Tyre, the western border of Asher came round towards Hosah, (a place now unknown,) and abutted on the territory or neighbouring quarter of the sea, in the next adjacent district of Achzib, which, according to St. Jerome, is the same city as Pliny calls Ecdippa. Maundrell, in his voyage to Aleppo, p. 53 gives the following account of it; “Having travelled about an hour in the plain of Acra, we passed by an old town called Zib, situate on an ascent, close by the sea side. This may probably be the old Achzib, mentioned, Jos 19:29 and Jdg 1:31 called afterwards Ecdippa; for St. Jerome places Achzib nine miles distant from Ptolemais, towards Tyre, to which account we found the situation of Zib exactly agreeing.”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jos 19:29 And [then] the coast turneth to Ramah, and to the strong city Tyre; and the coast turneth to Hosah; and the outgoings thereof are at the sea from the coast to Achzib:
Ver. 29. To the strong city Tyre. ] Founded upon a rock, environed with rocks, and encircled by the sea; whence she held herself invincible, but was sacked by great Alexander, and two thousand of her inhabitants were crucified. Let not the strong man glory in his strength.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Ramah: Probably the Rama mentioned by Theodoret as a city of Syria; and placed in some maps between Sarepta and Sidon, eastward, near Lebanon.
Tyre: Heb. Tzor, 2Sa 5:11, Isa 23:1-18, Eze 26:1 – Eze 28:26
Achzib: Gen 38:5, Jdg 1:31, Mic 1:14
Reciprocal: Jos 11:1 – Achshaph Jos 17:9 – the outgoings 2Sa 24:7 – Tyre Isa 23:7 – whose Eze 26:2 – Tyrus Eze 26:17 – strong Zec 9:3 – build Mat 15:21 – Tyre Mar 3:8 – Tyre Mar 7:24 – Tyre Act 12:20 – Tyre
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jos 19:29-30. To Ramah From the north southward. To the strong city of Tyre This translation is questionable; for we never read one word of the city of Tyre (unless it be here) until the days of David; though we often read of Sidon in the books of Moses; even in the prophecy of Jacob. It is highly probable some other place is meant by Tzor, as the word is in the Hebrew. And the out-goings thereof, &c. That is, it ended at the country which belonged to Achzib; for so hebel, which we here translate coast, signifies. Twenty-two cities Here are more named, but some of them were not within this tribe, but only bordering places.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
19:29 And [then] the coast turneth to Ramah, and to the strong city {g} Tyre; and the coast turneth to Hosah; and the outgoings thereof are at the sea from the coast to Achzib:
(g) Which was Zoar, a strong city at the sea.