SEV Biblia, Chapter 13:3
desde el Nilo, que está delante de Egipto, hasta el término de Ecrón al norte, la cual es contada entre los cananeos; cinco provincias de los filisteos; los gazeos, asdodios, ascalonitas, geteos, y ecronitas; y los aveos;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Joshua 13:3
Verse 3. From Sihor, which is before Egypt] Supposed by some to be the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, near to the Arabian Desert; called also the river of Egypt, Num. xxxiv. 5; Jer. ii. 18. On this subject an intelligent friend favours me with the following opinion: - "The river Sihor is supposed by some to be the Nile, or a branch of it. Others think it the same as what is frequently called the river of Egypt, which lay before or towards the borders of Egypt; which arose out of the mountains of Paran, and ran westward, falling into that bay of the Mediterranean which lies south of the land of the Philistines. This river is often mentioned as the boundary of the Israelites to the southwest, as Euphrates, the great river, was on the northeast. "There was a desert of considerable distance between what is called the river of Egypt and the isthmus of Suez. Solomon reigned to the borders of Egypt, i.e., to this desert; but not in Egypt, nor to the river Nile. "Upon the whole, (though there are difficulties in the matter,) I incline to think that the river in question was not the Nile. Sihor (black) might, from some circumstances, be applied to another river as well as the Nile; though some places in Isaiah and Jeremiah seem to restrict it to the Nile." -J. C.
Ekron northward] Ekron was one of the five lordships of the Philistines, and the most northern of all the districts they possessed. Baal-zebub, its idol, is famous in Scripture; see 2 Kings i. 2, &c. The five lordships of the Philistines were Gaza, Ashdod, Askalon, Gath, and Ekron. There is no proof that ever the Israelites possessed Ekron; though, from chap. xv. 11, some think it was originally given to Judah, but the text does not say so; it only states that the border of the tribe of Judah went out UNTO THE SIDE of Ekron. From chap. xix. 43, we learn that it was a part of the lot of Dan, but it does not appear to have been possessed by any of those tribes.
Counted to the Canaanite] It is generally allowed that the original possessors of this country were the descendants of Canaan, the youngest son of Ham. The Philistines sprang from Mizraim, the second son of Ham, and, having dispossessed the Avim from the places they held in this land, dwelt in their stead. See Genesis x. 13, 14.
Five lords of the Philistines] These dynasties are famous in the Scriptures for their successful wars against the Israelites, of whom they were almost the perpetual scourge.
Also the Avites] These must not be confounded with the Hivites. The Avites seem to have been a very inconsiderable tribe, who dwelt in some of the skirts of Palestine. They had been originally deprived of their country by the Caphtorim; and though they lived as a distinct people, they had never afterwards arrived to any authority.
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
מן 4480 השׁיחור 7883 אשׁר 834 על 5921 פני 6440 מצרים 4714 ועד 5704 גבול 1366 עקרון 6138 צפונה 6828 לכנעני 3669 תחשׁב 2803 חמשׁת 2568 סרני 5633 פלשׁתים 6430 העזתי 5841 והאשׁדודי 796 האשׁקלוני 832 הגתי 1663 והעקרוני 6139 והעוים׃ 5757
