Of Japhleti - Rather "of the Japhletite." All history of the name is lost.

Beth-horon the nether - This city was about twelve miles from Jerusalem, on the side of Nicopolis, formerly Emmaus. - Calmet. See the note on Joshua 10:10.

And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti,.... This place is now unknown, though no doubt well known to the sons of Joseph, when this lot fell to them, and its border was described:

unto the coast of Bethhoron the nether: so called to distinguish it from Bethhoron the upper, Joshua 16:5; this was about twelve miles from Jerusalem; See Gill on Joshua 10:10; and to Gezer: which was about a day's journey from Bethhoron, as appears from the passages in the Apocrypha:"39 So Nicanor went out of Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bethhoron, where an host out of Syria met him. 40 But Judas pitched in Adasa with three thousand men, and there he prayed, saying, ... 45 Then they pursued after them a day's journey, from Adasa unto Gazera, sounding an alarm after them with their trumpets.'' (1 Maccabees 7)Jerom (c) says in his time it was a village called Gazara, four miles from Nicopolis, or Emmaus. It is the same with Gadara, as it is sometimes called by Josephus, who says (d), the tribe of Ephraim took in the land from the river Jordan to Gadara; this was a royal city; see Joshua 10:33,

and the outgoings thereof are at the sea: the Mediterranean sea.

(c) De loc. Heb. fol. 92. A. (d) Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 22.

From this point "it went down westward to the territory of the Japhletites to the territory of lower Beth-horon," or, according to Joshua 18:13, "to the mountain (or range) which is on the south by lower Beth-horon." The Japhletite is altogether unknown as the Asherite of this name cannot possibly be thought of (1 Chronicles 7:32-33). Lower Beth-horon is the present Beit-Ur Tachta, a village upon a low ridge. It is separated from Upper Beth-horon, which lies farther east, by a deep wady (see at Joshua 10:10, and Rob. iii. p. 59). "And to Gezer," which was probably situated near the village of el Kubab (see at Joshua 10:33). "And the goings out thereof are at the sea" (the Mediterranean), probably running towards the north-west, and following the Wady Muzeireh to the north of Japho, which was assigned to the Danites, according to Joshua 19:46.

And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Bethhoron the nether, and to Gezer: and the goings out {b} thereof are at the sea.

(b) Of their inheritance.

16:20-63 Here is a list of the cities of Judah. But we do not here find Bethlehem, afterwards the city of David, and ennobled by the birth of our Lord Jesus in it. That city, which, at the best, was but little among the thousands of Judah, Mic 5:2, except that it was thus honoured, was now so little as not to be accounted one of the cities.