Joshua 13:9

Jos 13:9 From Aroer, that [is] upon the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that [is] in the midst of the river, and all the plain of Medeba unto Dibon;

Ver. 9. From Aroer, that is upon the bank.] Besides which, it may seem there was another Aroer, in the midst of the river, {Isa 17:2} as Venice in the midst of the sea, and taking for her motto,

“ Media insuperabilis unda. ”

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.

Jos 13:9-11. The city that is in the midst of the river — Some interpreters render this clause, The city in the midst of the valley; judging that, as Arnon was but a small brook, it could hardly have a city, or an island large enough for a city to be built on, in the midst of it. But certainly a city might be built on ground lying between two streams of the same river: see on Jos 12:2. Medeba unto Dibon — Two cities anciently belonging to the Moabites, and taken from them by the Amorites, (Num 21:30,) and from them by the Israelites; and, after the Israelites were gone into captivity, recovered by the first possessors, the Moabites. And Maachathites — Whose land God had given to the Israelites without Jordan, though they had not yet used the gift of God, nor taken possession of it, as is noted, Jos 13:13.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Aroer. Three, or even four, cities of this name were known, and have been identified by modern travellers under names somewhat similar.

1. Aroer upon Aruon, on the north bank of that river, at the extreme south of the territory of Reuben. (see Deu_2:36 Deu_3:12 Deu_4:48 Jos_12:2 Jos_13:9, Jos_13:16; and probably Jer_48:19)

2. Aroer in Gad, (Jos_13:25) described there as "before," i.e., on the way to "Rabbah." It was no doubt some short distance to the westward of this chief city of the Ammonites (see also Num_32:34, where the Gadites are said to have built it). These two are probably the "cities of Aroer" referred to in Isa_17:2 (but see next note but one, where also 2Sa_24:5 will be discussed).

3. A city in Judah. (1Sa_30:28) To one of these cities probably belonged Shammah or Shammoth, the Hararite or Harorite. (2Sa_23:11; he is called Harodite in ver. 25, and 1Ch_11:27) The river Arnon. (see note on Jos_12:2) The city that is in the midst of the river. This city (or perhaps cities) has received but little attention from commentators, probably by reason of its bearing no name. Those who have tried to identify it have failed In Deu_2:36, in this passage, and in 2Sa_24:5, it is mentioned in connection with Aroer. In Jos_7:2, instead of "the city that is in the midst of the river," we find simply "the middle ( of the river." But as 2Sa_24:5 stands in our version, the city referred to stood in the middle of the river of Gad. This would suggest the idea that the old derivation of Aroer by Wells and others from the word ryi (city) doubled, with the signification of the double city, is nearer the mark than that of wasteness, or desolateness, or nakedness, as of a region bare of trees, which has found favour of late, and it is not without support in Hebrew forms. A city, moreover, in the midst of or "on the brink of" a winter torrent would be less likely to be waste or desolate than in other situations. But we are not yet at the end of our difficulties. The word Nahal, which comes before Gad in the passage of which we are now speaking, has the article. Thus the translation, "river of Gad" cannot be maintained. And besides, the enumeration of the people must have begun at the Arnon, or southern border of Israel beyond Jordan. It is possible that the text may be corrupt here, as it is in other parts of 2 Samuel, and possibly the meaning may be that the officers pitched in Aroer, passed through Reuben, and having come within the confines of Gad arrived at Jazer. This again is rendered doubtful by the close connection of Aroer and Jazer in Jos_13:25. It is of course, therefore, possible that the reference in 2Sa 24 is to the Jabbok, not the Arnon ravine. A question, of such intricacy can only be Settled, if settled at all, by an investigation on. the spot. The plain. The word here is rwOvymi. This derived from the root rvy signifies level ground, and is applied to the region north of Moab, especially that part of it which belonged to Reuben. Flat, and almost unbroken, even by trees, it was particularly adapted for grazing land (see also note above, and on ver. 4). Medeba. This is mentioned in Scripture, together with Dibon, as here in Num_21:30 Isa_15:2. It was on the level ground before mentioned (see Gesenius, s.v. rwOvymi). Dibon. (see Jer_48:18, Jer_48:22, called Dimon in Isa_15:9; but Dibon in Isa_15:2; see also Num_33:45, Num_33:46) It was one of the cities built by the children of Num_32:34. It is now called Dhiban, and is a short distance north of the Arnon. The Moabite stone, found at Dibon in 1868, mentions the occupation of Medeba by Omri, and implies that Dibon, the principal city in those parts, was also subject to him, but recovered finally by Mesha.

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

Or, valley.

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

Verse 9. From Aroer] See Clarke on Jos 12:2.

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

9. and all the plain of Medeba] Instead of “half Gilead,” as in ch. Jos_12:2, we have here “all the plain (= Mishor = “table-land” or “downs”) of Medeba unto Dibon,” “the wijld feeldis of Medeba,” Wyclif. Medeba is first mentioned in the fragment of a populare song of the time of the conquest, Num_21:30, “Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.” It is in the pastoral district of the Belka, four miles S. E. of Heshbon, and like it lying on a rounded but rocky hill. In Christian times it was a noted bishopric of the patriarchate of Becerra. Dibon, or Dibon-Gad, from its being taken possession of and rebuilt by the children of Gad (Num_32:3; Num_32:34), or Dimon (in Isa_15:9), has been discovered with the name Dhiban on the Roman road three miles north of the Arnon (Wady el-Mojeb). Here the inscribed block of basalt, known as “the Moabite stone,” was discovered in 1868.

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.

From Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon,.... A city belonging to Moab, from whence the description begins, the river Arnon, on which it was situated, being the border between Moab and the Amorites, Num 21:13,

and the city that is in the midst of the river; or "even the city"; meaning the same city of Aroer, it lying both on the bank of it, and in the middle of it, or it was a double city, as may seem from Isa 17:2; and so differently situated at that river:

and all the plains of Medeba unto Dibon; of these two places, see Num 21:30; between them lay a plain, which some take to be the plain of Moab; but it rather seems to be a plain that was between these two places, and, according to Jos 13:17, Dibon itself was in a plain.

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

Aroer, and part of the town of Dibon, belonged to Gad, Numbers xxxii. 34.

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).

The city that is in the midst of the river; of which see Poole "Deu 3:16", and see Poole "Jos 12:2". Either this is the same city now mentioned, even Aroer, which is said to have been a double city, as the very name seems to import, whereof one part was on the bank of the river, and the other in the middle of it, whence we read of the cities of Aroer, Isa 17:2; or it is another city, possibly Ar, as it is elsewhere named.

Medeba and

Dibon; two cities anciently belonging to the Moabites, and taken from them by the Amorites, Num 21:30, and from them by the Israelites; and after the Israelites were gone into captivity, recovered by the first possessors the Moabites, as may seem from Isa 15:2.

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

9-12. On the places named in these verses see the notes on Jos_13:16-31, where the tribal territories are fully described.

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

Medeba unto Dibon - Two cities anciently belonging to the Moabites, and taken from them by the Amorites, Num. xxi, 30, and from them by the Israelites; and after the Israelites were gone into captivity, recovered by the first possessors, the Moabites.

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

From Aroreir, which is on the bank etc. He procedes to describe the entire land on the other side of the Jordan. Then he explains the boundry of each tribe; [as stated], “And Moshe gave” —i.e., he gave to each tribe [their territory].

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.