Joshua 19:27
And turneth toward the sunrising to Bethdagon, and reacheth to Zebulun, and to the valley of Jiphthahel toward the north side of Bethemek, and Neiel, and goeth out to Cabul on the left hand,
And turneth towards the sunrising,.... Or eastward,
to Bethdagon; there was a city of this name in the tribe of Judah,
See Gill on "Joshua 15:41". Dagon, being a god of the Phoenicians, had temples built for him in various places in Canaan:
and reacheth to Zebulun; not the tribe of Zebulun, but a city so called, the same Josephus {o} calls a strong city of Galilee, which had the name of Men, perhaps from the populousness of it, and separated Ptolemais from Judea;
and to the valley of Jiphthahel; see Joshua 19:14;
toward the north side of Bethemek; of Bethemek no mention is made elsewhere: perhaps here was an idol temple before dedicated to the god of the valleys; see 1 Kings 20:28;
and Neiel; which the Greek version calls Inael, of which Jerom says {p}, it is a certain village called Betoaenea, fifteen miles from Caesarea, situated on a mountain to the east, on which are said to be wholesome baths:
and goeth out to Cabul on the left hand; not the land of Cabul, 1 Kings 9:13; but a city, which Josephus {q} calls a village on the borders of Ptolemais. The Jews {r} speak of a city of this name, destroyed because of contentions in it.
{o} De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 18. sect. 9.
{p} De loc. Heb. fol. 88. I.
{q} Vita ejus, sect. 43.
{r} Echa Rabbati, fol. 75. 4.