Joshua 15:53

53 and Janum and Beth-tappuah and Aphekah,

Joshua 15:53 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 15:53

And Janum
Under the word "Janum", Jerom writes F12, there is a village called Janua, three miles from Legion to the south, but seems not to be what is written;

and Bethtappuah
is by Jerom called Bethaphu F13, and said to be a village in the tribe of Judah, fourteen miles beyond Raphia, as you go to Egypt, which is the border of Palestine;

and Aphekah;
Jerom speaks F14 of a large castle in his time called Apheca, near the town of Palestine; there were several places of the name of Aphek; (See Gill on Joshua 12:18). As for Bethtappuah, it seems to be a place which was dedicated to a deity to which apples were sacred, in memory of the apple by which mankind was seduced; there was in later times a goddess called Pomona from hence.


FOOTNOTES:

F12 De loc. Heb. fol. 92. I.
F13 Ibid. fol. 89. F.
F14 Ibid. fol. 88. D.

Joshua 15:53 In-Context

51 and Goshen and Holon and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages.
52 Arab and Dumah and Eshan,
53 and Janum and Beth-tappuah and Aphekah,
54 and Humtah and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron ), and Zior; nine cities with their villages.
55 Maon, Carmel and Ziph and Juttah,
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.