2 Chronicles 8:5 - Exposition

Beth-heron the upper … Beth-heron the nether . The parallel mentions only the latter ( 1 Kings 9:17 ). They were both in Ephraim ( 1 Chronicles 7:24 ; Joshua 10:10 , Joshua 10:11 ; Joshua 16:1-6 ; Joshua 18:13 , Joshua 18:14 ), but were assigned to the Kohathite Levites ( Joshua 21:22 ; 1 Chronicles 6:68 ). The name means " the hollow place." The upper Beth-heron was about four miles from Gibeon, and the lower about three miles further on. The Roman general Cestius Gallus was defeated here in the last Jewish war; Judas Maccabaeus conquered here (1 Maccabees 3:18-25). Other interesting references may be made to 1 Samuel 13:18 ; 1 Kings 9:7 ; 2 Chronicles 25:18 .