John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 3. From Sihor, which [is] before Egypt , etc.] Which Jarchi and Kimchi interpret of the river Nile, and so that river is called, ( Jeremiah 2:18); it seems to have this name from the waters of it being black and turbid; and hence it was called by the Greeks “Melas”; and by the Latins “Melo”; though it is thought, that not properly the river itself is here meant, which did not reach to the borders of Palestine, but a branch of it, a rivulet from it, for so a traveller writes, “in a journey of about five days from Gaza towards Egypt, the hithermost arm of the Nile is received by the sea, and is commonly called Carabus?” even unto the borders of Ekron northward : that is, from the southwest of Palestine, near to which was the river Nile, to the northern part of it, where stood the principality of Ekron, one of the five which belonged to the Philistines: [which] is counted to the Canaanite ; which was reckoned as belonging to the posterity of Canaan, though the Philistines got possession of it, who descended from Mizraim; and indeed it was only accounted as belonging to Canaan and his sons; of right, and according to the grant of God, it belonged to the seed of Abraham: five lords of the Philistines ; who had not kings, as other countries and cities in the land of Canaan had, and their cities were called lordships, principalities, and not kingdoms, and are as follow: the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites , and the Ekronites : so called from Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, the cities they were in possession of: also the Avites ; it is not certain whether these were a distinct principality from the other five, or a people dispersed among them; which seems most likely, since those were the original inhabitants, but were driven out or destroyed by the Philistines, though it seems some remained and dwelt among them; (see Deuteronomy 2:23).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - At this chapter begins the account of the dividing of the land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel by lot; a narrative showing the performance of the promise made to the fathers, that this land shoul be given to the seed of Jacob. We are not to pass over these chapter of hard names as useless. Where God has a mouth to speak, and a hand to write, we should find an ear to hear, and an eye to read; and may God give us a heart to profit! Joshua is supposed to have been about on hundred years old at this time. It is good for those who are old an stricken in years to be put in remembrance of their being so. God considers the frame of his people, and would not have them burdene with work above their strength. And all people, especially old people should set to do that quickly which must be done before they die, les death prevent them, Ec 9:10. God promise that he would make the Israelites masters of all the countries yet unsubdued, through Joshu was old, and not able to do it; old, and not likely to live to see it done. Whatever becomes of us, and however we may be laid aside a despised, broken vessels, God will do his own work in his own time. We must work out our salvation, then God will work in us, and work with us; we must resist our spiritual enemies, then God will tread the under our feet; we must go forth to our Christian work and warfare then God will go forth before us.
Original Hebrew מן4480 השׁיחור7883 אשׁר834 על5921 פני6440 מצרים4714 ועד5704 גבול1366 עקרון6138 צפונה6828 לכנעני3669 תחשׁב2803 חמשׁת2568 סרני5633 פלשׁתים6430 העזתי5841 והאשׁדודי796 האשׁקלוני832 הגתי1663 והעקרוני6139 והעוים׃5757
