Joshua 19:29

29 Then the boundary turns to Ramah, reaching to the fortified city of Tyre. Then the boundary turns to Hosah, and it ends at the sea; Mahalab,[a] Achzib,

Joshua 19:29 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 19:29

And [then] the coast turneth to Ramah
Which was a city in the tribe of Naphtali, ( Joshua 19:36 ) ; and on the borders of Asher; though Jerom F25 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, ( Luke 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 F26 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 F1 says is Ecdippa, nine miles from Ptolemais, as you go to Tyre; and this is confirmed by a learned traveller of our own nation F2; it is now called Zib; (See Gill on Micah 1:14).


FOOTNOTES:

F25 De loc. Heb. fol. 94. B.
F26 De loc. Heb. fol. 94. B.
F1 Ibid. fol. 88. I.
F2 Maundrell's Journey from Aleppo p. 53.

Joshua 19:29 In-Context

27 then it turns eastward, it goes to Beth-dagon, and touches Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtahel northward to Beth-emek and Neiel. Then it continues in the north to Cabul,
28 Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, as far as Sidon the Great.
29 Then the boundary turns to Ramah, reaching to the fortified city of Tyre. Then the boundary turns to Hosah, and it ends at the sea; Mahalab, Achzib,
30 Ummah, Aphek and Rehob--twenty-two cities with their villages.
31 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Asher according to their clans--these cities with their villages.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Compare Septuagint; Hebrew Mehebel
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