Joshua 18:14

WEB

The border extended, and turned around on the west quarter southward, from the mountain that lies before Beth Horon southward; and ended at Kiriath Baal (the same is Kiriath Jearim), a city of the children of Judah. This was the west quarter.

KJV

And the border was drawn thence, and compassed the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lieth before Bethhoron southward; and the goings out thereof were at Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, a city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter.

Commentary

And the border was drawn thence,.... From Bethhoron: and compassed the corner of the sea southward; it is hard to say what sea is meant, or what by it. Fuller (k) conjectures, that as the Hebrews call any confluence of water a sea, as we call such a "mere", the great waters in Gibeon may be meant, Jer 41:12 ; for it cannot mean the Mediterranean sea, for Dan lay between Benjamin and that; and yet if a sea is meant, no other can be; wherefore it is best to render it the "west quarter", as it is in the latter part of this verse; and so the same word is translated, Jos 18:12 ; the "west", and not the "sea", as it sometimes is; for the border of Benjamin did not reach the sea any where; though Josephus (l) makes it to extend to it, and says, that the length of it was from the river Jordan to the sea: the hill that lieth before Bethhoron southward; the hill that lay to the south of nether Bethhoron, as in Jos 18:13 , and the goings out thereof, the end of the western coast: were at Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, a city of the children of Judah; of which see Jos 15:9 , this was the west quarter; as thus described. (k) Pisgah Sight, B. 2. c. 12. p. 251. (l) Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 22.)