Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
their allies dwelt among them (see v. 7). They set out therefore to deal with the
deceivers, and reached their towns Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim on
the third day. "Chephirah , which was afterwards allotted to the tribe of Benjamin
along with Gibeon and Beeroth, and was still inhabited after the captivity (Josh 18:25-
26; Ezra 2:25; Neh 7:29), is to be seen in the ruins of Kefir , an hour's journey to the
east of Yalo, in the mountains, and three hours to the west of Gibeon (see Rob. Bibl.
Res. p. 146, and Van de Velde , Memoir, pp. 303-4). Beeroth , Beeroo'th , according
to Eusebius ( Onom. s. v. ) a hamlet near Jerusalem, and seven miles on the road to
Nicopolis (it should read Neapolis ), was in the tribe of Benjamin (2 Sam 4:2), and
still exists in the large village of Bireh , which is situated upon a mountain nine
Roman miles to the north of Jerusalem in a stony and barren district, and has still
several springs and a good well, besides the remains of a fine old church of the time
of the Crusades (see Rob. Pal. ii. pp. 130ff.; Seetzen , R. ii. pp. 195-6).
Kirjath-jearim , also called Kirjath-baal (Josh 15:60), Baalah (Josh 15:9), and Baal-
Jehuda (2 Sam 6:2), was allotted to the tribe of Judah. It stood upon the boundary
between Judah and Benjamin (Josh 15:60; 18:15); and the ark remained there, after it
had been sent back by the Philistines, until the time of David (1 Sam 7:2; 2 Sam 6:2;
1 Chron 13:5-6). According to the Onom., s. v. Cariathiarei'm and Baa'l (NT:896), it
was nine or ten Roman miles from Jerusalem, on the road to Diospolis (Lydda), and is
probably to be seen in the present Kuryet el Enab , a considerable village with a large
number of olive trees, figs, pomegranates, and vineyards, from the last of which the
old "town of the forests" has received the more modern name of "town of the vine"
(see Rob. Pal. ii. p. 335, and Bibl. Res. pp. 156-7; and Seetzen , ii. p. 65). These
towns, which formed one republic with Gibeon, and were governed by elders, were at
so short a distance from Gilgal (Jiljilia), that the Israelites could reach it in one or two
days. The expression "on the third day" is not at variance with this; for it is not stated
that Israel took three days to march there, but simply that they arrived there on the
third day after receiving the intelligence of the arrival of the ambassadors.
Joshua 9:18-20
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