Joshua 19:14

And the border compasseth it on the north side to Hannathon: and the outgoings thereof are in the valley of Jiphthahel:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(14) Hannathon (Kefr-’Andn, sheet 9) is the northeast corner of the boundary. The valley (ravine) of Jiphthah-el (God’s opening) seems to be the gorge running south-west from the north of Hannathon towards the plain.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

19:10-16 In the division to each tribe of Israel, the prophetic blessings of Jacob were fulfilled. They chose for themselves, or it was divided to them by lot, in the manner and places that he foresaw. So sure a rule to go by is the word of prophecy: we see by it what to believe, and it proves beyond all dispute the things that are of God.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Hannathon, more properly Channathon, has been supposed by some to be the Cana of Galilee of the New Testament, and Jiphthah-el is probably the present "Jefat"; the "Jotapata" of Roman times, which was so long and valiantly defended by Josephus against the legions of Vespasian. The "Valley" is the "Wady Abilin"; and Bethlehem Joshua 19:15 is the present miserable village of "Beit-Lahin."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Jos 19:10-16. Of Zebulun.

10-14. the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun—The boundaries of the possession assigned to them extended from the Lake of Chinnereth (Sea of Galilee) on the east, to the Mediterranean on the west. Although they do not seem at first to have touched on the western shore—a part of Manasseh running north into Asher (Jos 17:10)—they afterwards did, according to the prediction of Moses (De 33:19). The extent from north to south cannot be very exactly traced; the sites of many of the places through which the boundary line is drawn being unknown. Some of the cities were of note.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the border compasseth it from the north side to Hannathon,.... This is the northern border of the tribe, which took a circuit from the last place to this; of which and the following place we have no account; Jerom only makes mention of them as in the tribe of Zebulun:

and the outgoings thereof are in the valley of Jiphthahel; here the northern border ended, which, Masius conjectures, was part of the valley of Carmel.

Geneva Study Bible

And the border compasseth it on the north side to Hannathon: and the outgoings thereof are in the valley of Jiphthahel:

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

14. and the border compasseth it] The meaning seems to be “and the border went round it (Neah) northward to Hannathon; and the outgoings thereof were in the valley of Jiphthah-el.”

compasseth it] For “compass” see above, note on ch. Joshua 15:3.

Hannathon] (= “pleasant”), which some have identified with the Cana of the New Testament (John 2:1), the present Kana-el-Jelil.

the valley of Jiphthah-el] Dr Robinson suggests that it was identical with Istapata, and that both names survive in the modern Jefât, a village in the mountains of Galilee half way between the bay of Acre and the lake of Gennesareth. But the northern boundary of Zebulun is not easy to trace.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 14. - Compasseth it. The verb נסב is here used transitively. The meaning is that the border makes a curve round the city of Neah. Neah seems to have been the extreme eastern border. Methoar is supposed to be the Pual participle, and has been freely translated, "which is marked out," or, "which belongs to," Neah. But the passage is obscure. Knobel could alter the reading, in view of the grammatical difficulty. Yet this, perhaps, is not insuperable in view of Joshua 3:14 (see Gesen, 'Grammar,' sec. 108, 2. c.). Valley. גֵי. (see note on Joshua 8:13; 15:8). So in ver. 27. Joshua 19:14

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

"And the boundary turned round it (round Rimmon), on the north to Channathon, and the outgoings thereof were the valley of Jiphtah-el." Judging from the words נסב and מצּפון, this verse apparently gives the north-west boundary, since the last definition in Joshua 19:13, "to Gath-hepher," etc., points to the eastern boundary. Jiphtah-el answers no doubt to the present Jeft, two hours and a half to the north of Sefurieh, and is the Jotapata which was obstinately defended by Josephus (Bell. Jude 3.7, Jude 9:see Rob. Bibl. Res. pp. 104ff.). Consequently the valley of Jiphtah-el, at which Zebulun touched Asher (Joshua 19:27), is probably "no other than the large Wady Abiln, which takes its rise in the hills in the neighbourhood of Jeft" (Rob. Bibl. Res. p. 107). And if this be correct, Channathon (lxx Ἐνναθώθ) is probably Cana of Galilee, the home of Nathanael (John 2:1, John 2:11; John 4:46; John 21:2), the present Kana el Jelil, between Rummaneh and Yeft, on the northern edge of the plain of Buttauf, upon a Tell, from which you overlook the plain, fully two hours and a half in a straight line from Nazareth, and directly north of that place, where there are many ruins found (see Rob. iii. p. 204; Bibl. Res. p. 108).