Joshua 13:4
in Joshua 13to the south, all the land of the Canaanites, from Mearah of the Sidonians to Aphek, as far as the border of the Amorites;
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
on the south; all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongeth to the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the border of the Amorites;
KJV
From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites:
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This verse in Joshua 13
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThe land of the Canaanites - This lay on the south of the country of the Philistines, towards the sea-coast. Mearah - Supposed to be the city Maratha, on the Mediterranean Sea. - Calmet. Or the river Majora, which falls into the Mediterranean Sea, between Sidon and Berytus. See Pliny, Hist. Nat. lib. v., c. 20. Aphek - See on Jos 12:18 (note).
This site's exposition
very much of the land remains to be possessed
on Joshua 13:1-7
Joshua 21:45 says none of the LORD's good promises failed, verse 1 says "very much of the land remains to be possessed", and both stand. Adam Clarke reads the remainder against the condition of obedience, noting that the Sidonians were never expelled and were only subdued under David and Solomon.
This site's exposition
from Mearah of the Sidonians to Aphek
Albert Barnes reads to the south with the verse before, so that it closes the Philistine district. Mearah means the cave, and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown place it in the cave country of Upper Galilee. They put this Aphek east in Lebanon.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
From the south - That is, from those southern parts of the sea- coast, now possessed by the Philistines, all the more northern parts of the sea-coast being yet inhibited by the Canaanites, almost as far as Sidon.
From the south, all the land of the Canaanites,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Both included that portion of the country "from Sihor, which is before Egypt," a small brook near El-Arish, which on the east was the southern boundary of Canaan, to Ekron, the most northerly of the five chief lordships or principalities of the Philistines. 3, 4. also the Avites: From [on] the south--The two clauses are thus connected in the Septuagint and many other versions.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah--("the cave") that is beside the Sidonians--a mountainous region of Upper Galilee, remarkable for its caves and fastnesses. unto Aphek--now Afka; eastward, in Lebanon. to the borders of the Amorites--a portion of the northeastern territory that had belonged to Og.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Read “on the south,” and connect the words with the verse preceding. They indicate the southern limit of the still unconquered territory in this neighborhood, as Jos 13:3 gives the northern one. Mearah - The “cave” (see the margin) has been referred to “Mugar Jczzin” (“cave of Jezzin”), between Tyre and Sidon, or to a district characterized by deep cave-like ravines near Sidon and Dan-Laish.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מִתֵּימָ֞ן | miteiman | from [the] south | H8486 → | 23 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֶ֣רֶץ | ʾeretz | [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֗י | hakenaani | the Canaanite[s] | H3669 → | 73 times |
| וּמְעָרָ֛ה | umearah | and Mearah | H4632 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לַצִּידֹנִ֖ים | latzidonim | [belongs] to the Sidonians | H6722 → | |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| אֲפֵ֑קָה | ʾafekah | Aphek towards | H663 → | 9 times |
| עַ֖ד | ʾad | to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| גְּב֥וּל | gevul | [the] border of | H1366 → | 240 times |
| הָאֱמֹרִֽי׃ | haemori | the Amorite[s] | H567 → | 87 times |
מִתֵּימָ֞ןfrom [the] south
miteimanH8486 →23 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֶ֣רֶץ[the] land of
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֗יthe Canaanite[s]
hakenaaniH3669 →73 times
וּמְעָרָ֛הand Mearah
umearahH4632 →
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לַצִּידֹנִ֖ים[belongs] to the Sidonians
latzidonimH6722 →
עַד־to
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
אֲפֵ֑קָהAphek towards
ʾafekahH663 →9 times
עַ֖דto
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
גְּב֥וּל[the] border of
gevulH1366 →240 times
הָאֱמֹרִֽי׃the Amorite[s]
haemoriH567 →87 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Amos 2:10And I brought you up from the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness, that you might take possession of the land of the Amorite.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 2:7
Indeed, the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. The LORD your God has been with you these…
- Exodus 12:51
And on that very day the LORD brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt by their divisions.
- Amos 3:1
Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt:
- Acts 7:42
But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and…
- Exodus 3:8
I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and…
- Deuteronomy 2:7
Through
1 Samuel 4:1Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 29:1
Now the Philistines brought all their forces together at Aphek, while Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.
- 1 Kings 20:30
The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 7:12
Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
- 1 Samuel 29:1
Where this verse is studied
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth.