[1]Naaran, and westward Gezer, with the towns thereof; Shechem also and the towns thereof, unto [2]Azzah and the towns thereof: 29and by the borders of the children of Manasseh, Beth-shean and her towns, Taanach and her towns, Megiddo and her towns, Dor and her towns. In these dwelt the children of Joseph the son of Israel.
30The sons of Asher; Imnah, and Ishvah, and Ishvi, and Beriah, and Serah their sister. 31And the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith. 32And Heber begat Japhlet, and [3]Shomer, and Hotham, and Shua their sister. 33And the sons of Japhlet; Pasach, and Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the children of Japhlet. 34And the
Naaran] the eastern boundary. In Josh. xvi. 7, Naarath (R.V. Naarah).
Gezer . . . Shechem] On Gezer the western, and Shechem the northern boundary—see the note on vi. 67.
Azzah] or Ayyah, has not yet been identified. Probably, like Shechem, it serves to define the northern border between Ephraim and Manasseh.
29. For Manasseh four important towns are enumerated: Beth-shean on the east in the valley of the Jordan, Taanach and Megiddo in the plain of Esdraelon or Megiddo, and Dor on the Mediterranean coast, south of Mt Carmel.
Beth-shean] In 1 Sam. xxxi. 10, 12 spelt Beth-shan. It is the Greek Scythopolis, the modern Beisan.
Taanach] See vi. 70, note on Aner.
Megiddo] Judg. v. 19; 2 Kin. xxiii. 29; Zech. xii. 11.
Dor] modern Tantura. Cp. Josh. xvii. 11.
30—40. The Genealogy of Asher.
30. The sons of Asher] The names in vv. 30, 31 are derived from Gen. xlvi. 17 (cp. Num. xxvi. 44—46). There is no variation in the Heb. spelling of the names, but Ishvah is missing in Num. Either Ishvah or Ishvi must be regarded as an error of dittography.
Beriah] Beriah is mentioned above, ver. 23, as a clan of Ephraim, and appears also as a family of Benjamin, viii. 13, 16.
31. Heber, and Malchiel] The antiquity of these two names seems to be attested by the mention of "Habiri and Malchiel" in the Amarna tablets (c. 1400 B.C.).
Birzaith] probably the name of a place, "The well of the olive-tree."
