Cabul on the left hand - That is, to the north of Cabul, for so the left hand, when referring to place, is understood among the Hebrews. We must not confound this town or Cabul with the twenty cities given by Solomon to Hiram, with which he was displeased, and which in contempt he called the land of Cabul, the dirty or paltry land, 1 Kings 9:11-13 : there was evidently a town of this name, widely different from the land so called, long before the time of Solomon, and therefore this cannot be adduced as an argument that the book of Joshua was written after the days of David. The town in question is supposed to be the same which Josephus in his Life calls Χωβουλω Choboulo, and which he says was situated by the sea-side, and nigh to Ptolemais. De Bell. Jud., lib. iii., c. 4.

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.

From this point the boundary "turned towards the east," probably following the river Libnath for a short distance upwards, "to Beth-dagon," which has not yet been discovered, and must not be identified with Beit Dejan between Yafa and Ludd (Diospolis), "and touched Zebulun and the valley of Jiphtah-el on the north of Beth-emek, and Nehil, and went out on the left of Cabul," i.e., on the northern side of it. The north-west boundary went from Zebulun into the valley of Jiphtah-el, i.e., the upper part of the Wady Abiln (Joshua 19:14). Here therefore the eastern boundary of Asher, which ran northwards from Wady Zerka past the western side of Issachar and Zebulun, touched the north-west corner of Zebulun. The two places, Beth-emek and Nehil (the latter possibly the same as Neah in Joshua 19:13), which were situated at the south of the valley of Jiphtah-el, have not been discovered; they may, however, have been upon the border of Zebulun and yet have belonged to Ashwer. Cabul, the κώμη Χαβωλώ of Josephus (Vit. 43), in the district of Ptolemais, has been preserved in the village of Kabul, four hours to the south-east of Acre (Rob. Bibl. Res. p. 88, and Van de Velde, R. i. p. 218).

And turneth toward the sunrising to Bethdagon, and reacheth to {f} Zebulun, and to the valley of Jiphthahel toward the north side of Bethemek, and Neiel, and goeth out to Cabul on the left hand,

(f) Joins to the tribe of Zebulun, which lay more to the east.

19:27 Cubal - A city so called. Left hand - That is, on the north, which, when men look towards the east, as is usual, is on their left hand.

19:17-51 Joshua waited till all the tribes were settled, before he asked any provision for himself. He was content to be unfixed, till he saw them all placed, and herein is an example to all in public places, to prefer the common welfare before private advantage. Those who labour most to do good to others, seek an inheritance in the Canaan above: but it will be soon enough to enter thereon, when they have done all the service to their brethren of which they are capable. Nor can any thing more effectually assure them of their title to it, than endeavouring to bring others to desire, to seek, and to obtain it. Our Lord Jesus came and dwelt on earth, not in pomp but poverty, providing rest for man, yet himself not having where to lay his head; for Christ pleased not himself. Nor would he enter upon his inheritance, till by his obedience to death he secured the eternal inheritance for all his people; nor will he account his own glory completed, till every ransomed sinner is put in possession of his heavenly rest.