She moved him - Othniel, to ask of her father a field, one on which she had set her heart, as contiguous to the patrimony already granted.
She lighted off her ass - ותצנח vattitsnach, she hastily, suddenly alighted, as if she had forgotten something, or was about to return to her father's house. Which being perceived by her father, he said, What wouldest thou? What is the matter? What dost thou want?
Verse 19
Give me a blessing - Do me an act of kindness. Grant me a particular request.
Thou hast given me a south land - Which was probably dry, or very ill, watered.
Give me also springs of water - Let me have some fields in which there are brooks or wells already digged.
The upper springs, and the nether springs - He gave her even more than she requested; he gave her a district among the mountains and another in the plains well situated and well watered. There are several difficulties in this account, with which I shall not trouble the reader. What is mentioned above appears to be the sense.
Verse 24
Ziph - There were two cities of this name in the tribe of Judah, that mentioned here, and another [Jos 15:55]. One of these two is noted for the refuge of David when persecuted by Saul; and the attempts made by its inhabitants to deliver him into the hands of his persecutor. See [1Sam 23:14-24].
Verse 28
Beer-sheba - A city, famous in the book of Genesis as the residence of the patriarchs Abraham and Jacob, [Gen 22:19]; [Gen 28:10]; [Gen 46:1]. See the note on [Gen 21:31]. It lay on the way between Canaan and Egypt, about forty miles from Jerusalem.
Verse 30
Hormah - A place rendered famous by the defeat of the Hebrews by the Canaanites. See [Num 14:45], [Deu 1:44].
Verse 31
Ziklag - The Philistines seem to have kept possession of this city till the time of David, who received it from Achish, king of Gath, [1Sam 27:6]; after which time it remained in the possession of the kings of Judah.
Verse 32
All the cities are twenty and nine, with their villages - But on a careful examination we shall find thirty-eight; but it is supposed that nine of these are excepted; viz., Beersheba, Moladah, Hazarshual, Baalah, Azem, Hormah, Ziklag, Ain, and Rimmon, which were afterwards given to the tribe of Simeon. This may appear satisfactory, but perhaps the truth will be found to be this: Several cities in the promised land are expressed by compound terms; not knowing the places, different translations combine what should be separated, and in many cases separate what should be combined. Through this we have cities formed out of epithets. On this ground we have thirty-eight cities as the sum here, instead of twenty-nine.
Verse 33
Eshtaol, and Zoreah - Here Samson was buried, it being the burial-place of his fathers; see [Jdg 16:31]. These places though first given to Judah, afterwards fell to the lot of Dan, [Jos 19:41].
Verse 35
Jarmuth - See the note on [Jos 10:3].
Adullam - See the note on [Jos 12:15].
Socoh - It was near this place that David fought with and slew Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, [1Sam 17:1].
Verse 36
Gederah - See the note on [Jos 12:13].
Fourteen cities - Well reckoned, we shall find fifteen cities here; but probably Gederah and Gederothaim ([Jos 15:36]) are the same. See the note on [Jos 15:32].
Verse 39
Lachish - and Eglon - See on [Jos 10:3] (note).
Verse 41
Beth-dagon - The house or temple of Dagon. This is a well known idol of the Philistines, and probably the place mentioned here was in some part of their territories; but the situation at present is unknown.
Verse 42
Libnah - See the note on [Jos 10:29].
Ether - From [Jos 19:7] we learn that this city was afterwards given to the tribe of Simeon.
Verse 44
Keilah - This town was near Hebron, and is said to have been the burying-place of the prophet Habakkuk. David obliged the Philistines to raise the siege of it; (see [1Sam 23:1-13]); but finding that its inhabitants had purposed to deliver him into the hands of Saul, who was coming in pursuit of him, he made his escape. See this remarkable case explained in the note on [Deu 32:15] (note).
Mareshah - Called also Maresheth and Marasthi; it was the birth-place of the prophet Micah. Near this place was the famous battle between Asa, king of Judah, and Zera, king of Cush or Ethiopia, who was at the head of one thousand thousand men, and three hundred chariots. Asa defeated this immense host and took much spoil, [2Chr 14:9-15].
Verse 46
Ekron - One of the five Philistine lordships; see the note on [Jos 13:3].
Verse 47
Ashdod - Called also Azotus, [Act 8:40].
Unto the river of Egypt - The Pelusiac branch of the Nile, or Sihor. But see on [Jos 15:4] (note).
The great sea - The Mediterranean.
Verse 48
Socoh - See a town of this name, [Jos 15:35] (note).