AND THEIR SOUTH BORDER WAS… Scripture now begins to describe
1 the belt of Judah, that surrounded Judah on its four corners.
2 It first lists the cities that stood on its south side and separated between the border of Judah and the border of Edom.
3 It then goes on to list the cities that stood on the border
of the uttermost part of the Salt Sea,4 from the bay5 that looked southward for also the Salt Sea has four corners.
6 The Jordan which falls into the Salt Sea is located to its north for Scripture reads
that the waters which came down from above stood, [and rose up in one heap, a great way off from Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan;] and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off.
(Joshua 3:16).
7 Its south
8 is the land of the nations, and its east
9 is in Transjordan facing the side of the children of Reuben
10 and the children of Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. Its western side is formed by the inheritance of Judah.
11
A line begins to extend from the southern border of the salt sea, from the bay
12 of the sea that faces south, from the place where the Salt Sea ends.
13 The line goes west. This is the meaning of
And their south border was from the uttermost part of the Salt Sea, from the bay that looked southward. It continues and travels the entire south of Judah until it ends at the Great Sea, which is the Sea of the philistines, for Scripture states,
And the border went out westward (Joshua 16:5).
NOW, THESE ARE THE CITIES THAT STOOD ON ITS BORDER IN THE SOUTH. From the corner of the salt sea, from the bay that faces south, its border went out south of the ascent of Akrabbim. Thus when the measuring cord went south of the ascent of Akrabbim we find that the measuring cord took in all of the ascent of Akrabbim in the area of the tribe of Judah.14
AND PASSED ALONG TO ZIN. The cord passed through the inside of Zin. Inside of the cord and North of the cord was within the boundary of Judah. The Outside of the cord toward the south formed the southern boundary [of Judah]. Similarly, in all cases where you find [Scripture saying] that the cord passed a certain place, the area facing the inside of the cord is within the tribe and the area facing the outside of the cord is outside of that tribe.
AND WENT UP BY THE SOUTH OF KADESH-BARNEA. From Scripture's statement that the cord went up by the south of Kadesh-barnea we learn that the cord took in it all the area of Kadesh-Barnea into Judah's portion.15
Regarding Hezron Scripture reads: ve-avar chetzron (and passed along by Hezron).
Regarding Addar Scripture says: ve-alah addarah (and went up to Addar).
This indicates that alah (went up) and avrah (passed along) do not have the same meaning.16
It appears that ve-avar (and passed along) which precedes Hezron indicates that the cord passed through the center of Hezron. The inside of the cord faced north of the border. The outside of the cord faced south, outside of the border of Judah.
Addarah in the phrase Ve-alah Addarah (and went up to Addar) is to be rendered as follows: The border went and ascended. It did not descend to Addarah, for the entire portion of Judah went and ascended. It17 did not descend until it came close to the Great Sea18 which is west of the land of Israel Also Addarah was in Judah's portion.
AND TURNED ABOUT TO KARKA. Scripture did not explain itself here. It does not tell us in what direction the cord turned. If the cord turned towards the south then the cord included Karka in the portion of Judah.19 If it turned north then the cord excluded Karka from the portion of Judah.20
1. Literally, to count.
2. The cities that surround Judah like a belt.
3. These cities are listed in verses 2-4.
4. Hebrew yam ha-melakh.
5. Hebrew, lashon) tongue). A branch of the Salt Sea which is tongue shaped. The Targum renders, it as "the rock," i.e. the rock that sticks into the water like a tongue. Others render, sea shore, the place where the water licks the shore.
6. Thus its western border can be described as running north to south.
7. The waters coming from the north were cut off.
8. South of the Salt Sea.
9. The eastern side of the Salt Sea.
10. Literally, facing the tribe the side of the children of Reuben.
11. The tribe of Judah forms its western side.
12. See note 8.
13. That is, a line is drawn from where the Salt Sea ends. This line extends from the east to the west. It ends at the Mediterranean sea at the west.
14. For everything north of the southern measuring line was Judean territory.
15. For Kadesh-barnea was north of the cord.
16. For if they did Scripture would employ the same word is describing their passing through a given place.
17. The boundary.
18. The Mediterranean.
19. For in this case Karka was north of the cord.
20. For in this case Karka was south of the cord.