Joshua 12:3

Jos 12:3 And from the plain to the sea of Chinneroth on the east, and unto the sea of the plain, [even] the salt sea on the east, the way to Bethjeshimoth; and from the south, under Ashdothpisgah:

Ver. 3. And unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea.] Otherwise called the Dead Sea, or Lake Asphaltites; the water whereof is so thick, saith Josephus, than an ox, having all his legs bound, will not sink into it; and so pestiferous, that fowls flying over it fall down dead.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12:3 Beth-jeshimoth was Israel’s camp in the plains of Moab (Num 33:49). • Moses had viewed the Promised Land from Pisgah (Deut 34:1).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, wilderness.

Or, hillsides.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 3. The sea of Chinneroth] Or Gennesareth, the same as the lake or sea of Tiberias.

The Salt Sea on the east] ים המלח yam hammelach, which is here translated the Salt Sea, is understood by others to mean the sea of the city Melach. Where can we find any thing that can be called a salt sea on the east of the lake of Gennesareth? Some think that the lake Asphaltites, called also the Dead Sea, Sea of the Desert, Sea of Sodom, and Salt Sea, is here intended.

Beth-jeshimoth] A city near the Dead Sea in the plains of Moab.

Ashdoth-pisgah] Supposed to be a city at the foot of Mount Pisgah.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. and from the plain] Rather, and the plain, the Arabah, i. e. the eastern part of the Jordan valley, as far as the Sea of Chinneroth.

the sea of Cinneroth] So called after the city of this name. See above, ch. Jos_11:2. In the New Testament it is called (a) the “Sea of Galilee” (Mat_4:18; Mat_15:29; Mar_1:16); (b) the “lake of Gennesaret” (Luk_5:1); (c) the “sea of Tiberias” (Joh_6:1; Joh_21:1); and sometimes (d) simply “the sea.”

and unto the sea of the plain] i. e. of the Arabah. While the Lake of Gennesareth forms the northern boundary of the eastern part of the Jordan valley, it is in like manner bounded on the south by the Salt Sea, i. e. the Dead Sea. Near which lay

Beth-jeshimoth] = “the House of the Wastes.” It was one of the limits of the encampment of Israel before crossing the Jordan (Num_33:48-49).

under Ashdoth-pisgah] See above, Jos_10:40.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And from the plain,.... Or rather, "and the plain", the plains of Moab, which, before possessed by the Israelites, belonged to the kingdom of Sihon; and the plains of Jordan, which reached

to the sea of Cinneroth on the east; the same with the lake of Gennesaret, and sea of Tiberias, mentioned in the New Testament, Mat 14:34,

and unto the sea of the plain; where stood the cities of the plain, Sodom, Gomorrah, &c.

even the salt sea on the east; the same with the dead sea, into which the plain the above cities stood on was converted:

the way to Bethjeshimoth; which was a place in the plains of Moab, Num 33:49,

and from the south under Ashdothpisgah; or the springs of Pisgah, which flowed from the mount of that name, Deu 3:17.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Bethsimoth is ten miles from Jericho, (Eusebius) near the Dead Sea, in the plains of Moab. (Calmet) --- Phasga. Asedoth lay at the foot of this mountain, being well supplied with water. Subjacet Acedoth usque Phasga, the southern limits of Sehon’s dominions had "abundance of springs, as far as Phasga." (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

To the sea of Chinneroth on the east; which words describe the situation not of the sea of Chinneroth, which was part of the western border of Sihon’s dominion, but of the plain, which is here said to lie eastward from the sea of Chinneroth, and also eastward from the Salt Sea, as it here follows. And this was indeed the situation of the plains of Moab, which are here spoken of, to wit, that they lay between the two seas, that of Chinneroth and the Salt Sea, and eastward to them both.

The sea of the plain; the Salt Sea is so called because it was a famous plain, pleasant and fruitful, before it was turned into a salt sea. From the south, or, on or towards the south.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. [From the plain — The from here as in the previous verse, is confusing. The sense and connexion will be better seen in the following literal rendering of the Hebrew: And (Sihon ruled) the plain, as far as the sea of Chinneroth, eastward, and as far as the sea of the plain, the Salt Sea, eastward, on the way toward Beth-jeshimoth, and from the south under the ravines of Pisgah. The plain is the Jordan valley on the east side from the Dead Sea to the Sea of Galilee.] The Salt Sea is so called because of the exceeding saltness of its waters — twenty-six pounds of salt to one hundred of water; and a whole mountain ridge on its southwest shore is composed of rock salt. It is commonly called the Dead Sea because no living thing abides in its waters. It is thirteen hundred feet below the Mediterranean, and has no outlet. The Sea of Chinneroth was afterwards called the Sea of Galilee, Sea of Tiberias, and Lake of Gennesaret. See notes and cut at Mat_4:13. Beth-jeshimoth means house of desolations. It was a Moabite city in the desert at the northeastern extremity of the Dead Sea. Schwarz mentions a Beth-jisimuth as still existing in that locality, but the spot needs further examination.

Ashdoth-pisgah — The ravines of Pisgah; the gorges at the foot or on the sides of the mountain through which the torrents flow. Comp. chap. Jos_10:40, note, and Deu_3:17. The hill Pisgah was opposite Jericho, on the mountains of Abarim, but no traces of the name have been met with in modern times in that locality. See on Deu_34:1.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And from the plain. There is no "from" in the original, which here ceases to describe the territories of Sihon, but continues the account of the Israelite dominions, which included the Arabah (not the plain as in our version) up to the sea of Chinneroth. On the east; i.e. , the east of Jordan. So also below. The way to Beth-jeshimoth. (see Num_33:48, Num_33:49) There was a desert tract near the Dead Sea called Jeshimon, or the waste district. It is described by travellers as the most arid portion of the whole land. In this, Beth-jeshimoth (the house of desolations) was situated. It was south of the acacia meadows, (see note on Jos_2:1) and it formed part of the territory of Reuben. (Jos_13:20) As it lay upon Jordan, it must have been near the extreme northernmost point of the Dead Sea. We are to understand, not that Sihon"s territory extended to Beth-jeshimoth, but in that direction. Possibly some of the western Cauaanitish tribes here extended their territories across the Jordan. And from the south. The word here is not Negeb, but Teman, i.e. , the literal south, which lay on the right (ymiy) to one looking eastward. Ashdoth pisgah. For Ashdoth see Jos_10:40. Pisgah was the northernmost point of the Abarim range, of which the well-known Nebo was the chief peak. Thither Moses went up to view the land which he was not permitted to enter. There Balaam built his seven altars and essayed in vain to curse the children of Israel. There were the watchmen (Zophim) stationed to protect the land, in the days before the Israelitish invasion, from the incursions of the tribes on the other side of Jordan. (Num_23:14) The position of Pisgah has not been precisely identified, but the range extended on the eastern side of Jordan to a point nearly opposite Jericho. See Deu_34:1.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

On the east - Which words describe the situation not of the sea of Cinneroth, which was part of the western border of Sihon's dominion, but of the plain, which is here said to lie eastward from the sea of Cinneroth, and also eastward from the salt sea. And this was indeed the situation of the plains of Moab, which are here spoken of; they lay between the two seas, that of Cinneroth and the salt sea, and eastward to them both. Sea of the plain - The salt sea was a famous plain, pleasant and fruitful, before it was turned into a sea.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Sea of Kinnereth

This is a place. See how you translated this in Joshua 11:2.

Beth Jeshimoth ... Mount Pisgah ... Ashtaroth ... Edrei ... Salekah

These are the names of places. (See: How to Translate Names)

Og, king of Bashan

See how you translated this man's name in Joshua 9:10.

the Rephaim ... Maacathites

These are the names of people groups. (See: How to Translate Names)

translationWords

Salt Sea

Bashan

remnant

Geshur

Gilead

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.