Joshua 18:12

12 The northern border started at the Jordan River and went along the northern edge of Jericho, and then it went west into the mountains. That boundary continued until it was just east of Beth Aven.

Joshua 18:12 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 18:12

And their border on the north side was from Jordan
Which was the eastern boundary of the tribe, and hence proceeded from east to west, and formed its northern border, which is described in like manner as the lot of the children of Joseph, ( Joshua 16:1 Joshua 16:2 ) ;

and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side;
from Jordan it went to the north of Jericho, and so took in that place, which was within the tribe of Benjamin, ( Joshua 18:21 ) ;

and went up through the mountains westward;
the mountains that were on the north of Jericho; for, as Strabo says ^F9, Jericho was surrounded with mountains, see ( Joshua 2:16 Joshua 2:22 ) ; through these mountains the coast went on towards the western border of the tribe:

and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Bethaven:
a place near Bethel and Ai, to which there was a wilderness adjoining, see ( Joshua 7:2 ) ( 8:20 ) ; here ended the northern border.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 Geograph. l. 16. p. 525.

Joshua 18:12 In-Context

10 There Joshua threw lots in the presence of the Lord to choose the lands that should be given to each tribe.

11 The first part of the land was given to the tribe of Benjamin. Each family group received some land between the land of Judah and the land of Joseph. This is the land chosen for Benjamin:

12 The northern border started at the Jordan River and went along the northern edge of Jericho, and then it went west into the mountains. That boundary continued until it was just east of Beth Aven.

13 From there it went south to Luz (also called Bethel) and then down to Ataroth Addar, which is on the hill south of Lower Beth Horon.

14 At the hill to the south of Beth Horon, the border turned and went south near the western side of the hill. It went to Kiriath Baal (also called Kiriath Jearim), a town where people of Judah lived. This was the western border.