Joshua 11:2

2 forsooth to the kings of the north, that dwelled in the hilly places, and in the plain against the south of Chinneroth, and in the field places, and (in the) countries of Dor, beside the sea, (and to the kings of the north, who lived in the hill country, and those on the plain to the south of the Sea of Galilee, or Lake Galilee, and in the valley, and in the countryside of Dor, on the west,)

Joshua 11:2 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 11:2

And to the kings that [were] on the north of the mountains,
&c.] Of Libanus and Antilibanus, with others near them; so Josephus ^F20 says, the kings about Lebanon being Canaanites, fought against them, i.e. the Israelites; for Lebanon lay to the north of the land:

and of the plains south of Cinneroth;
or Gennesaret, of the land and lake of which we read in the New Testament, ( Matthew 14:34 ) ( Mark 6:53 ) ( Luke 5:1 ) ; and seems to have respect chiefly to the famous plain of Jezreel, or Esdraelon, of which (See Gill on Hosea 1:5);

and in the valley;
which may more especially design the valley of Jezreel, as it is called in the above place, and distinguish it from other plains; it was two miles broad, and ten long:

and in the borders of Dor, on the west;
which fell to the lot of the tribe of Manasseh, ( Joshua 17:11 ) ; which Pliny ^F21 calls Dorum, and mentions it along with the promontory of Carmel; so Josephus says ^F23, in Phoenicia, near Mount Carmel, is a city called Dora, four days' journey distant from Judea; that is, that part of the land of Israel particularly so called; some copies read Idumea. According to Jerom {x}, it was nine miles from Caesarea of Palestine, as you go to Tyre; and in his time a desert. It was a haven in the Mediterranean sea, and lies three leagues from the castle of the "pilgrims" near Mount Carmel; and, as a traveller says, is now so decayed, that there is nothing more extant than a large and high tower, which the inhabitants still call Dorteite ^F25.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 18.
F21 Nat. Hist. l. 5. c 19.
F23 Contr. Apion. l. 2. c. 9.
F24 De loc. Heb. fol. 92. I.
F25 Rauwolff's Travels, par. 3. c. 1. p. 211. Ed. Ray.

Joshua 11:2 In-Context

1 And when Jabin, king of Hazor, had heard these things, he sent to Jobab, king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph;

2 forsooth to the kings of the north, that dwelled in the hilly places, and in the plain against the south of Chinneroth, and in the field places, and (in the) countries of Dor, beside the sea, (and to the kings of the north, who lived in the hill country, and those on the plain to the south of the Sea of Galilee, or Lake Galilee, and in the valley, and in the countryside of Dor, on the west,)

3 and to (the) Canaanite from the east and (the) west, and to (the) Amorite, and Hittite, and Perizzite, and (the) Jebusite in the mountains, and to (the) Hivite, that dwelled at the roots of the hill of Hermon (who lived at the foot of Mount Hermon), in the land of Mizpeh.

4 And (they) all went out with their companies, a full much people, as the gravel which is in the brink of the sea (like the gravel, or the sand, which is at the seashore), and horses, and chariots, of great multitude.

5 And all these kings came together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.