Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
Josephus (Bell. Jud. iii. 3, 1), which was situated in the "great plain," and the vicus
Chasalus of the Onom. ( juxta montem Thabor in campestribus ), i.e., the present
village of Iksâl or Ksâl , upon a rocky height on the west of Thabor, with many tombs
in the rocks ( Rob. iii. p. 182). Dabrath , a place in the tribe of Issachar that was
given up to the Levites (Josh 21:28; 1 Chron 6:57), called Dabaritta in Josephus
(Bell. Jud. ii. 21, 3) and Dabira in the Onom. ( villula in monte Thabor ), the present
Deburieh , an insignificant village which stands in a very picturesque manner upon a
stratum of rock at the western foot of Tabor ( Rob. iii. p. 210; V. de Velde , R. ii. p.
324). Japhia certainly cannot be the present Hepha or Haifa ( Khaifa ) on the
Mediterranean, and near to Carmel ( Rel. Pal. p. 826, and Ges. Thes. s. v. ); but it is
just as certain that it cannot be the present Jafa , a place half an hour to the southwest
of Nazareth, as Robinson (Pal. iii. p. 200) and Knobel suppose, since the
boundary was running eastwards, and cannot possibly have turned back again
towards the west, and run from Deburieh beyond Sarid. If the positions assigned to
Chisloth-tabor and Dabrath are correct, Japhia must be sought for on the east of
Deburieh.
Verse 13. "From thence it went over towards the east to the sun-rising to Gathhepher,
to Eth-kazin, and went out to Rimmon, which is marked off to Neah."
Gath-hepher , the home of the prophet Jonah (2 Kings 14:25), was "haud grandis
viculus Geth" in the time of Jerome (see prol. ad Jon. ). It was about two miles from
Sephoris on the road to Tiberias, and the tomb of the prophet was shown there. It is
the present village of Meshed , a place about an hour and a quarter to the north of
Nazareth ( Rob. iii. p. 209; V. de Velde , Mem. p.
312). Eth-kazin is unknown. Rimmon , a Levitical town (Josh 21:35; 1 Chron 6:62),
has probably been preserved in the village of Rummaneh , about two hours and a half
to the north of Nazareth ( Rob. iii. p. 195). Ham-methoar is not a proper name, but
the participle of taa'ar (OT:8388), with the article in the place of the relative
pronoun, "bounded off," or pricked off. Neah is unknown; it is possibly the same
place as Neiel in the tribe of Asher (v.
27), as Knobel supposes.
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