Verse 6
And Bethlebaoth, and Sharuhen ,.... Whether the first is the same with Lebaoth, a city of Judah, Joshua 15:32 ; and with the Bethleptepha of Josephus F2 De Jud. Bell. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 1. , and the Betholene of Pliny F3 Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 14. , is not certain: in this place secret to have been an idol temple of the Canaanites, dedicated to lions, as in Egypt there was a city called Leontopolis, from whence was the Leontopolitan nome, the inhabitants of which worshipped lions F4 Strabo. Geograph. l. 17. p. 559. ; and the Egyptians had temples dedicated to them, as Aelianus F5 De Animal. l. 12. c. 7. relates. Both these places are thought to be the same with Bethbirei and Shaaraim in 1 Chronicles 4:31 ; of the latter of which see Joshua 15:36 . Those who take Sheba, Joshua 19:2 , to be the same with Shema, Joshua 15:26 , make but one city here, and take away the last, as the Greek version does, and render the word "and their fields", and so the number still is as follows:
thirteen cities and their villages ; the sum total of those enumerated above.
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