Joshua 18:12

12 On the north side their border began at the Jordan, went up past the northern slope of Jericho, headed west through the hill country, and came out at the wilderness 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 And Joshua cast lots for them in the presence of the LORD at Shiloh, where he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their divisions.

11 The first lot came up for the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph:

12 On the north side their border began at the Jordan, went up past the northern slope of Jericho, headed west through the hill country, and came out at the wilderness of Beth-aven.

13 From there the border crossed over to the southern slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth-addar on the hill south of Lower Beth-horon.

14 On the west side the border curved southward from the hill facing Beth-horon on the south and came out at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the sons of Judah. This was the western side.