Joshua 18:27

Judah's land had 11 or 12 districts (see study note on 15:59). The tribe of Benjamin had 2, with a total of 26 towns. However, Benjamin's location between the lands of Judah and Joseph gave it much greater economic and military importance than its size would suggest.

the lot of . . . Benjamin came up--It has been supposed that there were two urns or vessels, from which the lots were drawn: one containing the names of the tribes, the other containing those of the seven portions; and that the two were drawn out simultaneously.

the coast of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph--Thus the prophecy of Moses respecting the inheritance of Benjamin was remarkably accomplished. (See on Deu 33:12).




Next: Joshua Chapter 19

We have here the lot of the tribe of Benjamin, which Providence cast next to Joseph on the one hand, because Benjamin was own and only brother to Joseph, and was little Benjamin (Psa 68:27), that needed the protection of great Joseph, and yet had a better protector, for the Lord shall cover him all the day long, Deu 33:12. And it was next to Judah on the other hand, that this tribe might hereafter unite with Judah in an adherence to the throne of David and the temple at Jerusalem. Here we have, 1. The exact borders and limits of this tribe, which we need not be exact in the explication of. As it had Judah on the south and Joseph on the north, so it had Jordan on the east and Dan on the west. The western border is said to compass the corner of the sea southward (Jos 18:14), whereas no part of the lot of this tribe came near to the great sea. Bishop Patrick thinks the meaning is that it ran along in a parallel line to the great sea, though at a distance. Dr. Fuller suggests that since it is not called the great sea, but only the sea, which often signifies any lake or mere, it may be meant of the pool of Gibeon, which may be called a corner or canton of the sea; it is called the great waters of Gibeon (Jer 41:12), and it is compassed by the western border of this tribe. 2. The particular cities in this tribe, not all, but the most considerable. Twenty-six are here named. Jericho is put first, though dismantled, and forbidden to be rebuilt as a city with gates and walls, because it might be built and inhabited as a country village, and so was not useless to this tribe. Gilgal, where Israel first encamped when Saul was made king (Sa1 11:15), was in this tribe. It was afterwards a very profane place. Hos 9:15, All their wickedness is in Gilgal. Beth-el was in this tribe, a famous place. Though Benjamin adhered to the house of David, yet Beth-el, it seems, was in the possession of the house of Joseph (Jdg 1:23-25), and there Jeroboam set up one of his calves. In this tribe was Gibeon, where the altar was in the beginning of Solomon's time, Ch2 1:3. Gibeah likewise, that infamous place where the Levite's concubine was abused. Mizpeh, and near it Samuel's Ebenezer, and also Anathoth, Jeremiah's city, were in this tribe, as was the northern part of Jerusalem. Paul was the honour of this tribe (Rom 11:1; Phi 3:5); but where his land lay we know not: he sought the better country.

Joshua 18:11-28

11. And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families: and the coast of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.

11. Ascendit autem sors tribus filiorum Benjamin per familias suas, et exivit terminus sortis eorum inter filios Jehuda, et filios Joseph:

12. And their border on the north side was from Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward; and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Bethaven.

12. Fuitque eis terminus ad latus Aquilonis a Jordane: et ascendit terminus ad latus Jericho ab Aquilone, ascenditque in montem ad mare, ac exitus ejus sunt ad desertum Bethaven.

13. And the border went over from thence toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is Bethel, southward; and the border descended to Atarothadar, near the hill that lieth on the south side of the nether Bethhoron.

13. Illinc autem pertransit terminus in Luz ad latus Luz Australe, (ipsa est Beth-el) et descendit terminus in Ateroth-Adar, juxta montem, qui est a meridie ipsi Bethhoron inferiori.

14. And the border was drawn thence, and compassed the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lieth before Bethhoron southward; and the goings out thereof were at Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, a city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter.

14. Et designatur terminus, circuitque ad latus maris ad meridiem, a monte qui est e regione Bethhoron ad meridiem: suntque exitus ejus ad Cirjath-Baal, (ipsa est Cirjath-Jearim,) urbem filiorum Jehuda, hoc est latus maris.

15. And the south quarter was from the end of Kirjathjearim, and the border went out on the west, and went out to the well of waters of Nephtoah:

15. Latus autem ad meridiem, ab extremo Cirjath-Jearim: itaque exit terminus ad mare, exit, inquam, ad fontem aquarum Nephthoah.

16. And the border came down to the end of the mountain that lieth before the valley of the son of Hinnom, and which is in the valley of the giants on the north, and descended to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of Jebusi on the south, and descended to Enrogel,

16. Et descendit terminus ad extremum montis, qui est e regione vallis Benhinnom, quique est in valle Rephaim ad aquilonem, descenditque ad vallem Hinnom ad latus Jebusi, ad meridiem, et illinc descendit ad Enrogel.

17. And was drawn from the north, and went forth to Enshemesh, and went forth toward Geliloth, which is over against the going up of Adummim, and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben,

17. Et circuit ab aquilone, et exit ad En-semes, atque egreditur ad Geliloth, quae est e regione contra ascensum Adummim: et descendit Eben Bohan filii Ruben.

18. And passed along toward the side over against Arabah northward, and went down unto Arabah:

18. Illinc pertransit ad latus quod est e regione planitiei ad aquilonem, et descendit in Arabah.

19. And the border passed along to the side of Bethhoglah northward: and the outgoings of the border were at the north bay of the salt sea at the south end of Jordan: this was the south coast.

19. Inde pertransit terminus ad latus Beth-hogla ad aquilonem: suntque exitus termini ad limitem maris salis ad aquilonem, ad extremum Jordanis ad meridiem: iste est terminus austri.

20. And Jordan was the border of it on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the coasts thereof round about, according to their families.

20. Et Jordanes terminat eum ad latus orientis. Ista est haereditas filiorum Benjamin per terminos suos in circuitu per familias suas.

21. Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, and Bethhoglah, and the valley of Keziz,

21. Fueruntque urbes istae tribus filiorum Benjamin per familias suas Jericho, et Beth-hoglah, et vallis Cesis,

22. And Betharabah, and Zemaraim, and Bethel,

22. Et Beth-araba, et Semaraim, et Beth-el,

23. And Avim, and Parah, and Ophrah,

23. Et Avim, et Parah, et Ophrah,

24. And Chepharhaammonai, and Ophni, and Gaba; twelve cities with their villages:

24. Et villa Haamonai, et Ophni, et Gaba: civitates duodecim, et villae carum.

25. Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth,

25. Gibon, et Ramah, et Beeroth,

26. And Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,

26. Et Mispeh, et Chephirah, et Mosah,

27. And Rekem, and Irpeel, and Taralah,

27. Et Recem, et Irpeel, et Tharalah,

28. And Zelah, Eleph, and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, Gibeath, and Kirjath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

28. Et Sela, Eleph, et Jebusi (ipsa est Jerusalem,) Gibath, Cirjath: civitates quatuordecim, et villae earum. Ista est haereditas filiorum Benjamin per familias suas.

In the lot of Benjamin nothing occurs particularly deserving of notice, unless that a small tribe takes precedence of the others. I admit, indeed, that its limits were narrowed in proportion to the fewness of its numbers, because it obtained only twenty-six cities; but still an honor was bestowed upon it in the mere circumstance of its receiving its inheritance before more distinguished tribes. We may add, that in this way they were conjoined and made neighbors to the other [165] children of Joseph, with whom their relationship was more immediate. For they were placed in the middle between the children of Ephraim and Manasseh on the one side, and those of Judah on the other. They had also the distinguished honor of including Jerusalem in their inheritance, though they afterwards granted it by a kind of precarious tenure to the children of Judah for a royal residence. [166]

It is strange, however, that having obtained such a quiet locality, they did not live on peaceful and friendly terms with their neighbors. But we possess the prophecy of Jacob,

"Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil." (Genesis 49:27)

They must, therefore, have been by nature of a covetous and turbulent disposition, or from some necessity not now known to us, they must have been impelled to live upon plunder. In regard to the city of Luz, the other name is added, ("the same is Bethel,") because then only did the name given by Jacob come into common use. (Genesis 28:19) It was at no great distance from Beth-Aven, whose name, as it was opprobrious and infamous, was transferred to Bethel itself, after it was corrupted and polluted by impious superstitions. [167] It is probable that Ciriath-Baal was called Ciriath-Jeharim, to take away the name of the idol, which would have been a stain on its true piety. For it certainly would have been base and shameful that the lips of the people should have been polluted by the name of a protector who was an enemy to the true God.

Footnotes:

[165] Latin, "Reliquis filiis." French, "Des autres enfans;" "The other children," -- an apparent oversight, as if Benjamin had been a son and not a brother of Joseph. -- Ed.

[166] Latin, "Postea filiis Juda quasi precario sedem regiam concederent." French, "Depuis ils la baillerent aux enfans de Juda comme par emprunt, pour en faire le siege royal;" "Afterwards they let it to the children of Judah as by loan, to make it the royal residence." These words seem to imply that at some time or other a regular agreement to this effect had been made, but we nowhere find any mention of such an agreement. It would rather seem from Joshua 15:63, and Judges 1:8, 21, that the inhabitants of Judah possessed Jerusalem in consequence of their having wrested it from the Jebusites. -- Ed.

[167] This refers to the setting up of the golden calves by Jeroboam, and the idolatrous worship which thus impiously originated by him was long practiced by his successors. See 1 Kings 12:28-33; 1 Kings 13; 2 Kings 10:29-31; 2 Kings 23:15; Amos 4:4; Amos 5:4-6; Hosea 4:15; Hosea 10:5,8. Bethel or "the house of God," so called by Jacob the morning after he had risen from his wonderful vision, having forfeited its name in consequence of the abominations practiced at it, became afterwards known by that of Bethaven, "the house of idols," or of vanity and iniquity. -- Ed.

And Mizpeh - This place is celebrated in the sacred writings. Here the people were accustomed to assemble often in the presence of the Lord, as in the deliberation concerning the punishment to be inflicted on the men of Gibeah, for the abuse of the Levite's wife. Jdg 20:1-3. Samuel assembled the people here to exhort them to renounce their idolatry, Sa1 7:5, Sa1 7:6. In this same place Saul was chosen to be king, Sa1 10:17. It was deemed a sacred place among the Israelites; for we find, from 1 Maccabees 3:46, that the Jews assembled here to seek God, when their enemies were in possession of the temple.

And Rekem, and Irpeel, and Taralah. Of these cities there is no mention made elsewhere.

Mizpeh, near Ramah, in the same mountain where Silo was. There were divers other cities of that name.

Inheritance of the Tribe of Benjamin. - Jos 18:11-20. Boundaries of the inheritance. - Jos 18:11. The territory of their lot (i.e., the territory assigned to the Benjaminites by lot) came out (through the falling out of the lot) between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph.
Jos 18:12-14
The northern boundary ("the boundary towards the north side") therefore coincided with the southern boundary of Ephraim as far as Lower Beth-horon, and has already been commented upon in the exposition of Jos 16:1-3. The western boundary follows in Jos 18:14. At Beth-horon the boundary curved round and turned southwards on the western side, namely from the mountain before (in front of) Beth-horon southwards; and "the going out thereof were at Kirjath-baal, which is Kirjath-jearim," the town of the Judaeans mentioned in Jos 15:60, the present Kureyet el Enab (see at Jos 9:17).
Jos 18:15-19
"As for the southern boundary from the end of Kirjath-jearim onwards, the (southern) boundary went out on the west (i.e., it started from the west), and went out (terminated) at the fountain of the water of Nephtoah." Consequently it coincided with the northern boundary of Judah, as described in Jos 15:5-9, except that it is given there from east to west, and here from west to east (see at Jos 15:5-9). In the construction haגּבוּל תּוצאותיו, the noun הגּבוּל is in apposition to the suffix: the outgoings of it, namely of the border (see Ewald, 291, b.).
Jos 18:20
The eastern boundary was the Jordan.
Jos 18:21-28
The towns of Benjamin are divided into two groups. The first group (Jos 18:21-24) contains twelve towns in the eastern portion of the territory. Jericho: the present Riha (see at Jos 2:1). Beth-hoglah, now Ain Hajla (see Jos 15:6). Emek-keziz: the name has been preserved in the Wady el Kaziz, on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, on the south-east of the Apostle's Well (see Van de Velde, Mem. p. 328).
Jos 18:22
Beth-arabah: see at Jos 15:6. Zemaraim, probably the ruins of es Sumrah, on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, to the east of Khan Hadhur, on Van de Velde's map. Bethel: now Beitin (see Jos 7:2).
Jos 18:23
Avvim (i.e., ruins) is unknown. Phara has been preserved in the ruins of Fara, on Wady Fara, three hours to the north-east of Jerusalem, and the same distance to the west of Jericho. Ophrah is mentioned again in Sa1 13:17, but it is a different place from the Ophrah of Gideon in Manasseh (Jdg 6:11, Jdg 6:24; Jdg 8:27). According to the Onom. (s. v. Aphra), it was a κώμη Ἀφρήλ in the time of Eusebius (Jer. vicus Effrem), five Roman miles to the east of Bethel; and according to Van de Velde, v. Raumer, and others, it is probably the same place as Ephron or Ephrain, which Abijah took from Jeroboam along with Jeshanah and Bethel (Ch2 13:19), also the same as Ephraim, the city to which Christ went when He withdrew into the desert (Joh 11:54), as the Onom. (s. v. Ephron) speaks of a villa praegrandis Ephraea nomine (Ἐφρα̈́́ι in Euseb.), although the distance given there, viz., twenty Roman miles to the north of Jerusalem, reaches far beyond the limits of Benjamin.
Jos 18:24
Chephar-haammonai and Ophni are only mentioned here, and are still unknown. Gaba, or Geba of Benjamin (Sa1 13:16; Kg1 15:22) which was given up to the Levites (Jos 21:17; Ch1 6:45), was in the neighbourhood of Ramah (Kg1 15:22; Ch2 16:6). It is mentioned in Kg2 23:8; Zac 14:10, as the northern boundary of the kingdom of Judah, and was still inhabited after the captivity (Neh 7:30). It is a different place from Gibea, and is not to be found, as I formerly supposed, in the Moslem village of Jibia, by the Wady el Jib, between Beitin and Sinjil (Rob. iii. p. 80), but in the small village of Jeba, which is lying half in ruins, and where there are relics of antiquity, three-quarters of an hour to the north-east of er-Rm (Ramah), and about three hours to the north of Jerusalem, upon a height from which there is an extensive prospect (vid., Rob. ii. pp. 113ff.). This eastern group also included the two other towns Anathoth and Almon (Jos 21:18), which were given up by Benjamin to the Levites. Anathoth, the home of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 1:1; Jer 11:21.), which was still inhabited by Benjaminites after the captivity (Neh 11:32), is the present village of Anta, where there are ruins of great antiquity, an hour and a quarter to the north of Jerusalem (Rob. ii. pp. 109ff.). Almon, called Allemeth in Ch1 6:45, has been preserved in the ruins of Almt (Rob. Bibl. Res. pp. 287ff.), or el-Mid (Tobler, Denkbl. p. 631), on the south-east of Anta.
Jos 18:25-28
The second group of fourteen towns in the western portion of Benjamin. - Jos 18:25. Gibeon, the present Jib: see at Jos 9:3. Ramah, in the neighbourhood of Gibeah and Geba (Jdg 19:13; Isa 10:29; Kg1 15:17; Ezr 2:26), most probably the Ramah of Samuel (Sa1 1:19; Sa1 2:11; Sa1 25:1; Sa1 28:3), is the present village of er-Rm, upon a mountain with ruins between Gibeon and Geba, half an hour to the west of the latter, two hours to the north of Jerusalem (see Rob. ii. p. 315). Beeroth, the present Bireh: see at Jos 9:17.
Jos 18:26-27
Mizpeh, commonly called Mizpah, where the war with Benjamin was decided upon (Judg 20-21), and where Samuel judged the people, and chose Saul as king (Sa1 7:5., Jos 10:17), was afterwards the seat of the Babylonian governor Gedaliah (Kg2 25:23; Jer 40:6.). According to the Onom. (s. v. Massepha), it was near Kirjath-jearim, and Robinson (ii. p. 139) is no doubt correct in supposing it to be the present Neby Samvil (i.e., prophet Samuel), an hour and a quarter to the east of Kureyet Enab (Kirjath-jearim), two hours to the north-west of Jerusalem, half an hour to the south of Gibeon, a place which stands like a watch-tower upon the highest point in the whole region, and with a mosque, once a Latin church, which is believed alike by Jews, Christians, and Mahometans to cover the tomb of the prophet Samuel (see Rob. ii. pp. 135ff.). Chephirah, i.e., Kefir: see at Jos 9:17. Mozah is only mentioned here, and is still unknown. Jos 18:27. This also applies to Rekem, Irpeel, and Taralah.
Jos 18:28
Zelah, the burial-place of Saul and his family (Sa2 21:14), is otherwise unknown. Gibeath or Gibeah, i.e., Gibeah of Benjamin, which was destroyed by the other tribes of Israel in the time of the judges, on account of the flagrant crime which had been committed there (Judg 19-20), is also called Gibeah of Saul, as being the home and capital of Saul (Sa1 10:26; Sa1 11:4, etc.), and was situated, according to Jdg 19:13 and Isa 10:29, between Jerusalem and Ramah, according to Josephus (Bell. Jud. v. 2, 1, 8) about twenty or thirty stadia from Jerusalem. These statements point to the Tell or Tuleil el Phul, i.e., bean-mountain, a conical peak about an hour from Jerusalem, on the road to er-Rm, with a large heap of stones upon the top, probably the ruins of a town that was built of unhewn stones, from which there is a very extensive prospect in all directions (Rob. ii. p. 317). Consequently modern writers have very naturally agreed in the conclusion, that the ancient Gibeah of Benjamin or Saul was situated either by the side of or upon this Tell (see Rob. Bibl. Res. p. 286; Strauss, Sinai, etc., p. 331, ed. 6; v. Raumer, Pal. p. 196). Kirjath has not yet been discovered, and must not be confounded with Kirjath-jearim, which belonged to the tribe of Judah (Jos 18:14; cf. Jos 15:60).