Joshua 18:12

12 And their border on the side of the north was from the Jordan and that border goes up beside Jericho on the north side and up to the mountain westward and comes out at the wilderness of Bethaven;

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.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F9 Geograph. l. 16. p. 525.

Joshua 18:12 In-Context

10 And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD; and there Joshua divided the land unto the sons of Israel according to their portions.

11 And the lot of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin came up according to their families; and the border of their lot came forth between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph.

12 And their border on the side of the north was from the Jordan and that border goes up beside Jericho on the north side and up to the mountain westward and comes out at the wilderness of Bethaven;

13 and from there that border passes through Luz, by the side of Luz (which is Bethel) towards the Negev. And this border descends from Atarothadar to the mountain that is towards the Negev of the lower Bethhoron.

14 And this border turns and compasses the side of the sea towards the Negev unto the mountain that is before Bethhoron towards the Negev, and it comes out at Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, a city of the sons of Judah. This is the west quarter.