Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 3:3
[Namely], five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
3. This verse should be compared with Jos 13:2-6 D. The nations here are those occupying particular districts in W. Palestine; contrast Jdg 3:5, and the races mentioned in ch. 1.
the five lords of the Philistines ] Probably one for each of the five cities named in 1Sa 6:17, cf. Jos 13:3. The word for ‘lords’ ( seren, sing.) is only found in this connexion, cf. ch. 16; it is evidently a native title.
and all the Canaanites ] Hardly the entire population of W. Palestine, as in J (see Jdg 1:34 n.), but ‘Canaanites’ in the restricted sense found in E and D, viz. the inhabitants of the sea coast and Jordan valley, cf. Num 13:29 E; Deu 1:7; Deu 11:30; Jos 5:1; Jos 13:3 f. D; Zep 2:5. Similarly in the Amarna tablets Kinai (Canaan), and in some Egypt. inscr. Ka-n-’-na as a geographical term, appears to be limited to the northern ‘lowland ‘or sea coast ( Ency. Bibl. art. Canaan).
the Zidonians ] is a general term for the Phoenicians, used in the O.T. (Deu 3:9; Jos 13:4; Jos 13:6; Jdg 10:12; Jdg 18:7 etc.), by the Assyrians, and the Greeks, and the Phoenicians themselves 1 [25]
[25] See NSI., pp. 54, 352.
the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon ] Elsewhere the Hivites inhabit the centre of Canaan, Gen 34:2, Jos 9:7 etc.; the Lebanon district belonged to the kingdom of the Hittites (Jdg 1:26 n.), which extended from the far N.W. till it touched Canaan at this point. Hence for Hivites read Hittites, cf. Jos 11:3 LXX
mount Baal-hermon ] i.e. the mountain to which the town of Baal-hermon (1Ch 5:23) gave its name. But such a designation is contrary to usage; Jos 13:5 D, in a passage closely resembling this, has ‘Baal-gad under Mt Hermon,’ which may be the correct reading here (Budde, Nowack); or we may simply follow LXX. cod. B ‘mount H.’
the entering in of Hamath ] frequently marks the N. boundary of Canaan or of Israel, Num 13:21; Num 34:8; Jos 13:5; 1Ki 8:65; 2Ki 14:25 etc. The ‘Entrance of H.’ is the great valley between Lebanon and Hermon-Antilibanus, called Coele-Syria in classical times, and now ‘The Valley’ (El-Bia‘, cf. Jos 11:17); Moore, however, considers it to have been the plain of m, 30 m. S. of Hamah. The city itself (now am) lay on the Orontes, about 150 m. N. of Dan, but its territory stretched 50 m. to the S., as far as Riblah (2Ki 23:33). Hamath is mentioned in Egyptian monuments and the Amarna letters before the Israelite invasion, and in the inscrr. of the Assyrian kings (Schrader COT. 323).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Lords – Seranim, a title used exclusively of the princes of the five Philistine cities. The title is probably of Phoenician origin.
Joshua appears to have smitten and subdued the Hivites as far north as Baal-Gad, in the valley of Lebanon under Mount Hermon Jos 11:17; Jos 12:7, but no further Jos 13:5. There was an unsubdued Hivite population to the north of Baal-hermon (probably Baal-Gad under Hermon, since it is not synonymous with Hermon; see 1Ch 5:23), to the entering in of Hamath: i. e. in the fertile valley of Coele-Syria. Hamath is always spoken of as the extreme northern boundary of the land of Canaan. It was the gate of approach to Canaan from Babylon, and all the north Zec 9:2; Jer 39:5. It formed part of the dominions of Solomon 2Ch 8:4, and of the future inheritance of Israel, as described in vision by Ezekiel Eze 47:16.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Five lords of the Philistines; whereof three had been in some sort subdued, Jdg 1:18, but afterwards rescued themselves, and recovered their former strength. See Poole on “Jdg 1:18“.
The Canaanites; properly so called, who were very numerous, and dispersed through several parts of the land whence they gave denomination to all the rest of the people.
The Sidonians; the people living near Sidon, and subject to its jurisdiction.
Mount Baal-hermon was the eastern part of Mount Lebanon: see Deu 3:8,9.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
[Namely], five lords of the Philistines,…. The places they were lords of were Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron; see
Jos 13:3; three of these, Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, had been taken from them by Judah, since the death of Joshua, Jud 1:18; but they soon recovered them again, perhaps by the help of the other two. The Philistines were a people originally of Egypt, but came from thence and settled in these parts, and were here as early as in the times of Abraham, and were very troublesome neighbours to the Israelites in later times; see Ge 10:14;
and all the Canaanites; these were a particular tribe or nation in the land so called, which inhabited by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan,
Nu 13:29; otherwise this is the general name for the seven nations:
and the Sidonians; the inhabitants of the famous city of Sidon, which had its name from the firstborn of Canaan, Ge 10:15;
and the Hivites that dwelt in Mount Lebanon; on the north of the land of Canaan:
from Mount Baalhermon; the eastern part of Lebanon, the same with Baalgad, where Baal was worshipped:
unto the entering in of Hamath; the boundary of the northern part of the land, which entrance led into the valley between Libanus and Antilibanus; see Nu 34:8.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(3) Five lords of the Philistines.The princes of the Pentapolis, Gaza, Ashdod, Askelon, Gath, Ekron. The word rendered lords is evidently a technical or local titleSeranim. It is rendered by the LXX. satrapies, and by the Vulgate, satraps. It is variously derived from seren, a hinge (comp. cardinal from cardo); from sar, a prince, being interchanged with sarim, in 1 Sam. 13:30; 1Sa. 29:6 (Ewald, i. 332); and from some Phnician root. For the Philistines, see Jdg. 13:1.
All the Canaanites.Of the shephlah or maritime plain.
The Sidonians.In Gen. 10:15 Sidon is the eldest son of Canaan. They maintained their complete independence to the last.
The Hivites that dwelt in Mount Lebanon.In Jos. 11:3 they are described as living under Hermon, in the land at Mizpeh, whence Mizpeh has been identified with el-Mutalleh, which also means the look-out or watch-tower. The name has been derived from Havvah, a circular encampment or village, because they lived (as they do to this day in northern Syria) in circular villages, with enclosures for cattle in the centre. Ewald ( i. 318) supposes that the word means midlanders, and Gesenius villagers. The Hivite is the sixth son of Canaan, in Gen. 10:17.
Mount Baal-hermon unto the entering in of Hamath.In Jos. 13:5 we have from Baal-gad under mount Hermon unto, &c. Baal-gad is also mentioned in Jos. 12:7; Jos. 11:17, and is usually supposed to be Paneas or Cesarea Philippi. It was probably a temple of Baal, but must be farther south than Baalbek. The hill of Paneas is therefore, in all probability, Mount Baal-hermon, and Baal-hermon may be only another name for Baal-gad. Frst supposes that both Gad and Gedi (in Engedi) are names of Astarte.
The entering in of Hamath.This is the usual phrase to describe the northern boundary of Canaan. The LXX. take it as a proper name, Labo emath.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Five lords of the Philistines Namely, the kings or chiefs of the five great cities, Gaza, Ashdod, Eshkalon, Gath, and Ekron. See notes on Jos 13:2-6, with which passage this is substantially identical. The Canaanites, as distinguished here from the Sidonians, are probably to be understood of the tribes or natives south of Phenicia, and near the plain of Esdraelon. Hazor was probably the seat of their principal kingdom. Chap.
Jdg 4:2.
The Hivites that dwelt in Mount Lebanon The range of Lebanon in the north seems to have been the chief seat of the Hivites after the time of Joshua, and they had many cities there in the time of David. 2Sa 24:7. Baal-hermon is supposed by some to be another name for Baal-gad, mentioned Jos 11:17; Jos 13:5; but it seems most natural to understand Mount Baal-hermon to be the well known Mount Hermon, the modern Jebelesh-Sheikh. Here, probably, was a notable sanctuary of Baal, which gave its name to the whole mountain.
Hamath See note on Jos 13:5.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jdg 3:3 [Namely], five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
Ver. 3. Five lords of the Philistines. ] Three of them had been subdued; Jdg 1:18 but were now lost again.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
five lords. See note on Jos 13:2-6.
entering in = pass.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
five lords: Jdg 10:7, Jdg 14:4, Jos 13:3, 1Sa 4:1, 1Sa 4:2, 1Sa 6:18, 1Sa 13:5, 1Sa 13:19-23, 1Sa 29:2
Canaanites: Jdg 4:2, Jdg 4:23, Jdg 4:24, Gen 10:15-19, Num 13:29
Sidonians: Jdg 10:12, Jdg 18:7, Gen 49:13, Jos 11:8-13, Jos 19:28
in mount: Num 34:8, Deu 1:7, Deu 3:9, Jos 11:3, Jos 13:5
Reciprocal: Jos 5:1 – which were by Jos 11:22 – only in Gaza Jdg 1:18 – Also Judah Jdg 2:21 – General Jdg 16:5 – the lords 1Sa 6:4 – Five golden 1Sa 6:16 – the five 1Sa 17:1 – gathered 1Ki 8:65 – from the entering 2Ki 8:2 – land Jer 39:5 – Hamath Zep 2:5 – O Canaan
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jdg 3:3. Five lords of the Philistines See Jos 13:2-3, and Jdg 1:18, where it appears that three of them had been, in some measure, subdued, but had now recovered their country again, in consequence of the slothful conduct of the Israelites. All the Canaanites Properly so called, who were very numerous, and dispersed through several parts of the land, whence they gave denomination to all the rest of the people. Sidonians The people living near Zidon, and subject to its jurisdiction. Baal-hermon Which was the eastern part about Lebanon.