John Gill Commentary


John Gill Commentary
"Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, and Beth-hoglah, and Emek-keziz," — Joshua 18:21 (ASV)
Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin ,
according to their families, were Jericho
Which though destroyed, and not to be rebuilt as a city, was yet a place inhabited, and in future times was rebuilt, and in great splendour, and continued to the time of Christ; of which see (Joshua 2:1) ;
and Bethhoglah ,
where or near to which was the threshing floor of Atad, at which lamentation was made for Jacob, (See Gill on Genesis 1:10), and (See Gill on Joshua 15:6);
and the valley of Keziz ;
or Emekkeziz; so the Greek version calls it Amecasis: it is highly probable it was in the valley or plain of Jericho, and perhaps might have its name from the incision of the balsam tree there; which, as Pliny F14 says, was cut with glass or a stone, or with knives made of bone; if cut with iron, it kills it.