John Gill Commentary Genesis 10:19

John Gill Commentary

Genesis 10:19

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
John Gill
John Gill

John Gill Commentary

Genesis 10:19

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
SCRIPTURE

"And the border of the Canaanite was from Sidon, as thou goest toward Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest toward Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboiim, unto Lasha." — Genesis 10:19 (ASV)

And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon
This is to be understood, not of the Canaanites, properly so called, but of them in general; and is a description of the bounds of the land of Canaan, as possessed by the people of Israel: the northern or north west border of it was Sidon, see (Genesis 10:15) and is to be understood of the country which reached from that city towards the east almost as far as Jordan:

as you come from Gerar unto Gaza ;
two cities of the Philistines, well known in Scripture, the former for being the place where Abraham and Isaac sometimes sojourned, and the latter for Samson's exploits in it; these were the southern or south west border of the land of Canaan:

as you go unto Sodom and Gomorrah, and Admah and Zeboim ;
four cities destroyed by fire from heaven, as is after related in this book; these lay to the south or south east part of the land:

even unto Lashah ;
which, according to the Targum of Jonathan, is Callirrhoe, a place famous for hot waters, which run into the Dead sea, and who in this is followed by Jerom; but since it was not in the southern part of Judea, as Lashah was, Bochart proposes F1 Lusa, as being more likely to be the place, a city of the Arabs, which Ptolemy


has this, ``and the border of the Canaanites was from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates, and unto the hinder sea:'' i.e. the western or Mediterranean.

F2 puts in the midway between the Mediterranean and the Red sea; but this is objected to by Reland F3 , since the southern borders of the land of Canaan were from the extremity of the Dead sea unto the Mediterranean sea, from which Lusa was at a great distance:

the Samaritan version of this verse is very different from the Hebrew, and is this, ``and the border of the Canaanites was from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates, and unto the hinder sea:'' i.e. the western or Mediterranean.

FOOTNOTES:

  • F1: Phaleg. l. 4. c. 37. col. 309.
  • F2: puts in the midway between the Mediterranean and the Red sea; but this is objected to by Reland
  • F3: Palestina Illustrata, tom. 2. p. 871.