Joshua 18:13

Which was in the tribe of Ephraim: another Bethel was in the tribe of Benjamin.

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

13. toward Luz] See above, ch. Jos_16:2. The border next went to the south of the ridge of Bethel, and thence descended, in a northwesterly direction, toward Ataroth-adar.

descended] We understand the appropriateness of this word when we remember that Bethel lay 3000 feet above the level of the Mediterranean Sea.

Ataroth-adar] See above, ch. Jos_16:5.

near the hill] Or, over the mountain that lieth on the south side of the nether Beth-horon. Thus the north border of Benjamin, as far as lower Beth-horon, coincides with the southern border of Ephraim.

Beth-horon] See above (a) Jos_10:11; (b) Jos_16:3-5. An upper and a lower Beth-horon are still recognised. The upper is now called Beit-’ûr El-Fôka, the lower Beit-’ûr El-Tahta. The pass between the two places was called the ascent and the descent of Beth-horon. Comp. 1Ma_3:15-24. “The ascent,” remarks Robinson, “is very rocky and rough; but the rock has been cut away in many places and the path formed into steps, shewing that this is an ancient road.” Bibl. Res. iii:58.

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 the border went over from thence towards Luz,.... From Bethaven, where the northern border ended, the western began, and went on to Luz:

to the side of Luz, which is Bethel, southward; that is, passed along, leaving that city to the south, which formerly was called Luz, but now Bethel, which though distinct places formerly, yet being very near, might in process of time be joined; See Gill on Jos 16:2,

and the border descended to Atarothadar, the same with Archiataroth; see Gill on Jos 16:2, and See Gill on Jos 16:5,

near the hill that lieth on the south side of the nether Bethhoron; so called to distinguish it from Bethhoron the upper, situated on an hill or mountain, Jos 16:5; this was rebuilt by Solomon, Kg1 9:17.

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

13. [Went over from thence — According to our note on Jos_16:1, this border turned off north of Jericho, and ran up so as to take in Zemaraim, (Jos_18:22;) thence it passed westward to Ophni, (Jos_18:24,) where it curved to the south so as to run down near Beth-el.

To the side of Luz… southward — Literally, to the shoulder of Luz, that is, some eminence in the vicinity. Southward here does not mean that the border ran on the south side of Beth-el, but it designates the general course of the border as it passed near Beth-el.

Descended to Ataroth-addar — That is, the border ran southward by the side of Luz as far as Ataroth.] See notes on Jos_16:5-6. The nether Beth-horon still exists in the modern Beit-Ur-el-Tahta, situated on the top of a low ridge, which is separated by a narrow valley from the mountain on which the Upper Beth-horon stands.

See note on Jos_10:10. South of this rises an eminence which is doubtless the hill here referred to.

[14. Compassed the corner of the sea southward — Rather, turned toward the side of the sea southward. The meaning is simply that from the Lower Beth-horon Benjamin’s western border turned southward towards the sea. It did not run unto the sea, as some have thought, nor is the reference here to Ephraim’s border, which ran off from this point unto the Mediterranean. Dr. Thomson needlessly supposes that the pool of Gibeon is the sea here intended. But in giving these boundaries the word sea is so constantly used of the Mediterranean that it is very arbitrary to take it in this single instance in so limited a sense. The goings out of Benjamin’s western border were not at the sea, but at Kirjath-baal which is Kirjath-jearim. On this city see note at Jos_9:17. It lay almost directly south of Beth-horon, so that we must understand Benjamin’s western border to have formed a curve turning from Beth-horon first seaward and then winding gradually round to Kirjath-jearim on the southern border.

This was the west quarter — Literally, the side of the sea; that is, towards the sea.

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

the border ... The boundary

These refer to the same thing.

Luz ... Ataroth Addar ... Beth Horon ... Kiriath Baal ... Kiriath Jearim

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

translationWords

Bethel

Baal

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

From there the boundary passed—westward.

To Luz, the southside of Luz which is Beis El. [This is the city] that Yaakov called [Beis-el.] It is not the Beis-el which is near Ai, for it is said about the boundary of Yoseif: ‘And it extended from Beis-el to Luz.’ Thus we learn that there were two [Beis-els]. Luz was not in the portion of Binyomin; for the boundary line was from Luz and within; as it is said: ‘To the southside of Luz.’ the boundary line goes south of Luz, thus Luz is outside the boundary line, and is within the inheritance of the Bnei Yoseif. Beis-el is in the portion of Binyomin; as it said later in this section.

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.