Discovery BoxJoshua 13:3-5 
Context13:3 from the Shihor River 1 east of 2 Egypt northward to the territory of Ekron (it is regarded as Canaanite territory), 3 including the area belonging to the five Philistine lords who ruled in Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as Avvite land 4 13:4 to the south; 5 all the Canaanite territory, 6 from Arah 7 in the region of Sidon 8 to Aphek, as far as Amorite territory; 13:5 the territory of Byblos 9 and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath. 10
1 tn Heb “the Shihor”; the word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied to clarify the meaning.
2 tn Heb “in front of.”
3 tn Heb “it is reckoned to the Canaanites.”
4 tn Heb “the five lords of the Philistines, the Gazaite, the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gathite, and the Ekronite, and the Avvites.”
5 tn Or “from Teman.” The phrase is especially problematic if taken with what follows, as the traditional verse division suggests. For further discussion see T. C. Butler, Joshua (WBC), 146.
6 tn Heb “all the land of the Canaanites.”
7 tc The reading “Arah” assumes a slight emendation of the Hebrew vowel pointing. The MT reads, “and a cave,” or “and Mearah” (if one understands the word as a proper noun).
8 tn Heb “which belongs to the Sidonians.”
map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
9 tn Heb “and the land of the Gebalites.”
10 tn Or “the entrance to Hamath.” Most modern translations take the phrase “Lebo Hamath” to be a proper name, but often provide a note with the alternative, where “Hamath” is the proper name and לְבוֹא (lÿvo’) is taken to mean “entrance to.”
