And the fenced cities [are] Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth,
35. And the fenced cities ] Note the expression and the number of them in this locality. “It was no doubt good policy to protect the northern frontier by a belt of fortresses, as the south was protected by the fenced cities of Judah.” The Speaker’s Commentary in loc. Ziddim and Zer are unknown.
Hammath ] Afterwards a Levitical city, ch. Jos 21:32, called Hammon in 1Ch 6:76. The name comes from a root signifying “to be warm,” and hints at the hot springs which existed here. “At the southern extremity of the strip of level ground, on which the ancient city of Tiberias stood, are some warm fountains, which have a temperature of 144 Fahr. with an extremely salt and bitter taste, and a strong smell of sulphur. These fountains are mentioned by Pliny, ‘Ab Occidente Tiberiade aquis calidis salubri,’ and frequently by Josephus, under the name Ammaus = ‘Warm Baths.’ This is probably a Greek form of the Hebrew Hammath, a town of Naphtali.” Porter’s Handbook, ii. p. 423.
Rakkath ] (= “ bank,” “ shore ”) is by the Rabbins identified with Tiberias. For Chinnereth see above, note on ch. Jos 11:2.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The number of the fortified cities of Naphtali is remarkable, though it does not tally with the catalogue. It was no doubt good policy to protect the northern frontier by a belt of fortresses, as the south was protected by the fenced cities of Judah. Hammath, a Levitical city (compare Jos 21:32; 1Ch 6:76), is not to be confounded with the Hamath on the northeastern frontier of the land Num 13:21. The name (from a root signifying to be warm) probably indicates that hot springs existed here; and is perhaps rightly traced in Ammaus, near Tiberias. Rakkath was, according to the rabbis, rebuilt by Herod and called Tiberias. The name (bank, shore) suits the site of Tiberias very well. Migdal-el, perhaps the Magdala of Mat 15:39, is now the miserable village of El Mejdel.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 35. Chinnereth] See Clarke on Jos 11:2.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Hammath, or, Hamath; of which see Num 34:8; 1Ki 8:65; 2Ki 23:33.
Chinnereth; whence the lake of Chinnereth or Gennesaret received its name.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
32-39. the sixth lot came out to thechildren of NaphtaliAlthough the cities mentioned have notbeen discovered, it is evident, from Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh,that is, on the northwest of Lake Merom (Jud4:11), that the boundary described (Jos19:34) ran from the southwest towards the northeast, up to thesources of the Jordan.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the fenced cities [are] Ziddim,…. The later name of Ziddim, according to the Talmud i, was Cepharchitiya, or the village of wheat, perhaps from the large quantity or goodness of wheat there;
Zer is called by Jerom k Sor, and interpreted Tyre, the metropolis of Phoenicia, very wrongly, and, in the tribe of Naphtali;
and Hammath probably was built by the youngest son of Canaan,
Ge 10:18; or had its name in memory of him; it lay to the north of the land of Israel; see Nu 34:8;
Rakkath, and Chinnereth; Rakkath according to the Jewish writers l is the same with Tiberias, as Chinnereth with Gennesaret, from whence the lake or sea of Tiberias, and the country and lake of Gennesaret, had their names, often mentioned in the New Testament. Gennesaret was a most delicious and fruitful spot, and fulfilled the prophecy of Moses,
De 33:23; concerning Naphtali.
i Ut supra. (T. Hieros. Megillah, fol. 70. 1.) k De loc. Heb. fol. 95. A. l T. Hieros. ut supra. (Megillah, fol. 70. 1.)
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(35) The fenced cities.Observe the protection of the northern border by fortresses. Ziddim (Hattin), Hammath (Hammm Tabarya), Rakkath (Tiberias), and Chinnereth (not identified, but giving a name to the Sea of Galilee, and therefore evidently close by), are all in sheet 6, near the lake.
(36,37) Adamah (Ed-Dmeh,?Daimah, sheet 6), Ramah (Rmeh), Hazor (Hadreh), Kedesh (Kades), Edrei (Yater), En-hazor (Hazireh), and Iron (Yarum), are all in sheet 4, north of the above. The town of Hazor has been variously identified by previous writers, but Conder expresses no doubt as to its being Hadreh, which certainly occupies a commanding position above a stream that flows into Lake Merom.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
35. Hammath Not the Hamath of the north, (Jos 13:5.) but doubtless the modern Hammam, or warm springs, which send up their hot and sulphurous waters on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee just south of the ruins of the ancient Tiberias.]
Chinnereth See Jos 11:2, note.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And the fenced cities were Ziddim, Zer and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth, and Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor, and Kedesh, and Edrei, and En-hazor, and Iron, and Migdal-el, Horem and Ben-anath, and Beth-shemesh. Nineteen cities with their villages.’
These cities number sixteen, thus we must also probably include Aznoth-tabor, Hukkok and Yehutha-hayarden which would leave Zebulun and Asher as tribal borders. (Alternately they could be cities not counted to Naphtali).
Ziddim is unknown. A Zer in Bashan is mentioned in the Egyptian execration texts which was a town of a similar name. Hammath (‘hot springs’) was just on the lower part of the western shore of the Sea of Galilee (Chinnereth) as it begins to narrow, possibly the Hammoth-dor of Jos 21:32. They were probably the hot springs to the south of the later city of Tiberias.
The western shore of the Sea was pitted with small fertile valleys. Rakkath was nearby to the north leading up to the town of Chinnereth, the latter probably being Khirbet el-Oreimah, which was in the plain on the north west side of the lake.
Adamah has been posited as Qarn Hattin, possibly the smsitm (shemesh-adam) of the Thutmose III list, built on top of the extinct volcano ‘the horns of Hattin’ at the eastern end of the valley of Tur’an, apart from Mount Tabor the most distinct landmark in Lower Galilee. Ramah was in the valley of es-Shaghur, the northernmost of the four major valleys that cross Lower Galilee from east to west.
“Hazor, and Kedesh, and Edrei.” Hazor was one of the most important cities in Canaan. See Jos 11:1-13. Sacked by Joshua it was slowly re-established and was head of a confederacy of cities, later extending its control more heavily over the area (Jdg 5:6-7) until again defeated by Barak and Deborah (Judges 4-5). Kedesh is the modern Tell Kudeish, north west of Lake Huleh, which was occupied during the early and late bronze ages. It was on the route south from Hamath and the north and thus a target for any invaders from the north. Edrei is probably the itr in the list of Thutmose III, near the town of Abel-beth-Maacah (2Ki 15:29; 2Sa 20:14-15 – modern Abil el-Qamh), even further north than Kedesh and almost directly east of Tyre.
“And En-hazor, and Iron, and Migdal-el, Horem and Ben-anath, and Beth-shemesh.” En-hazor, ‘the spring of Hazor’, was not directly connected with Hazor above. The name Hazor was common in Galilee. It was possibly the ‘ny of Thutmose III’s list. Its identification is uncertain. It has been linked with Khirbet Hasireh, ten miles west of Kedesh, or with ‘Ain-itha nine kilometres (five to six miles) west north west of Kedesh. Iron is probably Yarun, eleven kilometres (seven miles) south west of Kedesh, mentioned in the inscriptions of Tiglath Pileser III as Irruna(?). Migdal-el means ‘the tower of El’ and is possibly Mejdel Islim, thirteen kilometres (eight miles) north west of Kedesh. Horem is unknown. Beth-anath means ‘the house of Anath’, possibly a sanctuary for the goddess Anath. It is perhaps Safed el-Battikh and probably the bt‘nt listed by Seti I and Raamses II. Beth-shemesh, another ‘house of the sun’ (compare Jos 19:22 and Jos 15:10 (in Judah) of which there were a number. Its site is unknown.
“Nineteen cities with their villages.” See above.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Ver. 35. And the fenced cities are Ziddim, &c. The two first of these cities are unknown. Respecting Hammath, see on Num 13:21; Num 34:8. It was the most northern of all the cities assigned to the Israelites. Probably, it was built by the youngest son of Canaan, as the eldest had built Sidon; Gen 10:18. It continued famous till the time of David, when its king made peace with that monarch. Rakkath, by some rabbis, is thought to be the same as Tiberias; and they say, that it was at first named Zipporia; afterwards Rakkath, from its situation on the bank of the river; next Moesia, and lastly Tiberias. Cinnereth was on the lake of Tiberias; in which there were fine gardens, and a kind of paradise or park: hence its name Geneser, signifying the gardens of princes. Its name Cinnereth, say the Jews, was taken from its fruits, which are as sweet to the taste, as the sound of the cinnor, or harp, to the ear. See Hottingeri Not. Cip. Judai. p. 36.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Chinnereth. In New Testament called Gennesareth. Compare Num 34:11. Deu 8:17. Deu 11:2; Deu 13:27.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Hammath: Gen 10:18, Num 13:21, Num 34:8, Num 34:8, 1Ki 8:65, Hamath
Chinnereth: Jos 11:2, Chinneroth, Jos 13:27, Mar 6:53, Gennesaret
Reciprocal: Num 34:11 – sea of Chinnereth Jos 21:32 – Hammothdor 1Ch 6:76 – Hammon
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
19:35 And the fenced cities [are] Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and {i} Chinnereth,
(i) Of which the lake of Gennesaret had its name.