Joshua 19:33

And their coast was from Heleph,.... That is, their northern coast, reaching from west to east, as appears by the ending of it at Jordan; the Alexandrian copy of the Greek version calls it Mlepeh,

And their coast was from Heleph, from Allon to Zaanannim, and Adami, Nekeb, and Jabneel, unto Lakum; and the outgoings thereof were at Jordan: No JFB commentary on this verse.

Their coast; their northern border, drawn from west to east, as appears, because when this coast is described and brought to its end, the coast is said to turn from the east westward, . The outgoings, i.e. the end of that coast.

(33) And their coast was . . .—This verse is thus translated by Conder, “Their coast was from Heleph and the Plain of Bitzanannim and Adami, Nekeb, and Jabneel,unto Lakum,and the outgoings were at Jordan.” The east border of the tribe is Jordan, including the waters of Merom and the Sea of Galilee. The tribe of Issachar on the south, and the tribes of Zebulun and Asher on the west, are conterminous with Naphtali. The places mentioned are identified as follows:— Heleph.—(Beit Lif, sheet 4). The plain of Bitzanannim (Kh.-Bessum, sheet 6). Adami (Kh.-Admah, sheet 9): this is the southernmost of all the towns named. Nekeb (Kh.-Seiyâdeh, sheet 6). Jabneel (Yemma, sheet 5). All the above places, except Heleph, lie near the Sea of Galilee, on the south-west side.

33. And their coast] The territory appropriated to the tribe was bounded (a) on the west by Asher, (b) on the south by Zebulun and Issachar, (c) on the east by the Sea of Gennesaret and the Jordan, while (d) on the north it reached far up into Cœle-Syria, “the splendid valley which separates the two ranges of Lebanon.” from Heleph] Apparently the west border towards Asher is first described, with the north and east boundary. The southern border is defined in Joshua 19:34. Heleph is unknown. Allon to Zaanannim] = the oak, or terebinth, by Zaanannim. It is the same place, on the N. W. of Lake Merom, as that mentioned in Judges 4:11, where Sisera was slain by Jael, “the wife of Heber the Kenite,” and derived its name Zaanannim or Zaanaim, the unloading of Tents, from the strange sight of the encampment of nomads in tents amidst the regular cities and villages of the mountains.” “Even to the present day the Bedouins more or less friendly disposed wander about in the north of Palestine, in the plain of Jezreel, on Gilboa, and on Tabor.” See Lange’s Commentary. “The reconnaissance survey along the watershed from Hûnin led across a succession of mountain peaks, forming the great western vale of the Jordan. The highlands—we are in the tribe of Naphtali—form a series of valleys with which the country is intersected, the ridges between them being described as somewhat of the character of open glades, gently sloping towards the sea. The hills are well wooded, though the oaks are being thinned out to supply the Damascus market with charcoal. At the last peak the hill slopes to the southward, overlooking a little plain, one mile wide and two long, lying sheltered among the surrounding hills. This is the plain of Zaanaim.” Our Work in Palestine, pp. 174, 175. Adami, Nekeb, Jabneel, Lakum, are all unknown. and the outgoings thereof] The boundary is traced from the southwest towards the north-east to the sources of the Jordan, above the Lake of Galilee.

From Allon to Zaanannim - Render “from the oak forest at Zaanannim.” From Judges 4:11 it appears that this oak or oak-forest was near Kedesh.

33. The cities here mentioned are so far unknown that there is great difficulty in attempting an accurate description of the boundaries of this tribe.