Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
Moloch (2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chron 28:3; 33:6; Jer 7:31, etc.), is supposed there, but of
whom nothing further is known (see Robinson , Pal. i. pp. 402ff.). The plain of
Rephaim (LXX gee' Rhafaei'n , in 2 Sam 5:18,22; 23:13 koila's too'n Tita'noon ),
probably named after the gigantic race of Rephaim , and mentioned several times in 2
Sam. as a battle-field, is on the west of Jerusalem, and is separated from the edge of
the valley of Ben-hinnom by a small ridge of rock. It runs southwards to Mar Elias ,
is an hour long, half an hour broad, and was very fertile (Isa 17:5); in fact, even to the
present day it is carefully cultivated (see Rob. Pal. i. p. 323; Tobler , Topogr. v. Jerus.
ii. pp. 401ff.). It is bounded on the north by the mountain ridge already mentioned,
which curves westwards on the left side of the road to Jaffa. This mountain ridge, or
one of the peaks, is "the mountain on the west of the valley of Hinnom," at the
northern end of the plain referred to.
Verse 9. From this mountain height the boundary turned to the fountain of the waters
of Nephtoah , i.e., according to Van de Velde's Mem. p. 336, the present village of
Liftah ( nun and lamed being interchanged, according to a well-known law), an hour
to the north-west of Jerusalem, where there is a copious spring, called by the name of
Samuel, which not only supplies large basons, but waters a succession of blooming
gardens ( Tobler , Topogr. v. Jerus. ii. pp. 758ff.; Dieterici , Reisebilder, ii. pp. 221-
2). It then "went out to the towns of Mount Ephraim," which is not mentioned again,
but was probably the steep and lofty mountain ridge on the west side of the Wady
Beit Hanina (Terebinth valley), upon which Kulonia , a place which the road to Joppa
passes, Kastal on a lofty peak of the mountain, the fortress of Milane, Soba , and
other places stand ( Seetzen , R. ii. pp. 64, 65; Rob. Bibl. Res. p. 158). The boundary
then ran to Baala , i.e., Kirjath-jearim , the modern Kureyet el Enab , three hours to
the north-west of Jerusalem (see at Josh 9:17).
Verse 10. From this point "the boundary (which had hitherto gone in a north-westerly
direction) turned westwards to Mount Seir, and went out to the shoulder northwards
(i.e., to the northern side) of Har-jearim, that is Chesalon, and went down to Bethshemesh,
and passed over to Timnah." Mount Seir is the ridge of rock to the southwest
of Kureyet el Enab , a lofty ridge composed or rugged peaks, with a wild and
desolate appearance, upon which Saris and Mishir are situated ( Rob. Bibl. Res. p.
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