Verse 2:[1] And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the plains south of (Num. 34:11) Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders (Josh. 17:11; Judg. 1:27; 1 Kings 4:11) of Dor on the west…
[Also to the kings of the North, that were dwelling in the mountains, וְֽאֶל־הַמְּלָכִ֞ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר מִצְּפ֗וֹן בָּהָ֧ר] And unto the kings (supply either that were [Munster, Tirinus], or, that were dwelling [Pagnine with the Vulgate], or, neighboring one another [Syriac]) on the North in the mountain (Montanus), or, mountains (Vatablus) [similarly almost all interpreters]. מִצְּפ֗וֹן בָּהָ֧ר, on the North in the mountain, means, on the North of the mountain; as the valley in Gibeon, that is, the Gibeonite valley.[2] חוֹסֵי בוֹ, they that trust in Him, is similar;[3] it is the same as חוֹסָיו, those trusting of Him. For particles do not hinder construction (Drusius). That, in the mountain, has regard to those Kings that were reigning in Libanus, or unto Libanus; which Josephus also appears to think[4] (Masius).
On the north of the mountains; Hebrew, on the north (which may be the general designation of all the particular places following, that they were in the northern parts of Canaan, as those mentioned Joshua 10, were in the southern parts) in the mountain; either in or near the famous mountain of Lebanon, called the mountain by way of eminency; or in the mountainous country.
[And in the plain toward the south of Chinneroth, וּבָעֲרָבָ֛ה נֶ֥גֶב כִּֽנֲר֖וֹת] Verbatim: and in the plain south of Chinneroth (Montanus); in the plain of the south of Ginnesar (Jonathan); in the fields toward the south of Chinneroth (Munster, Tigurinus). Those that were dwelling in that plain that was south of the sea of Gennesaret. And it appears that that pleasant valley was called the valley of Jezreel,[5] situated between the two mountains of Hermon[6] and Gilboa[7] (Bonfrerius). That, in the mountain, appears to have regard to the Kings in Libanus [as already mentioned], but that, in the plain, to the Lords of upper Galilee. Or, if you prefer, this signifies all the flat places: and those are now divided, 1. into those that were looking toward the south, or Gennesaret (for Gennesaret is South of Libanus); 2. those that were pertaining to the illustrious valley, or royal valley; for this was lower, extending along the bank of the Jordan; 3. those that were lying in the region of Dor, at the foot of Carmel and toward Cæsarea of Palestine (Masius). Others translate it: in the South, and in the plain of Chinneroth (Syriac); and in the fields, in the southern parts of Chinneroth (Junius and Tremellius). In the South of Chinneroth’s, that is, regions situated on both banks of Gennesaret, on both sides of Jordan (Junius). Here is כִּנֲרוֹת/ Chinneroth: The plural termination (־וֹת) is not without emphasis (Drusius). He spoke in the plural, either because of bays, or because of the places adjacent to it (Vatablus): inasmuch as he indicates, not only the plains neighboring and adjacent to the lake of Gennesaret, but also the more remote, abundant in like goodness (Malvenda, Masius out of Kimchi). For that is the language of abundance (Masius). This region was very rich. The plural indicates that there were several and various places of this sort. Genesar means Garden of Princes[8] (Drusius). But the Septuagint translates it, ἀπέναντι Κενερὼθ, over against Keneroth, that is, נֶגֶד, opposite to, instead of נֶגֶב/south (Drusius out of Masius). Now, נֶגֶב/south is set down in the place of מִנֶּגֶב, opposite to, as a little afterwards it is written בְנָפוֹת, in the borders/heights (Masius).
South of Chinneroth; Hebrew, in the plain lying southward from Chinneroth,[9] or the lake of Gennesaret. See Deuteronomy 3:17; Luke 5:1.
[In the fields also (thus Vatablus), וּבַשְּׁפֵלָה[10]] And in the plain (Montanus, Junius and Tremellius, Pagnine, Munster); in the depression (Jonathan); in the flat places, or, in the lower-lying region (Vatablus). [But the Syriac refers it to what precedes, in the plain of Chinneroth, and its fields.]
[And in the regions of Dor near the sea[11] (thus Tigurinus)] מִיָּם, by the sea (Masius), or, westward. Now, they translate בְנָפוֹת as in the tracts (Masius, Drusius, Montanus, Arabic, Junius and Tremellius). Thus Psalm 48:2, יְפֵ֥ה נוֹף֮, beautiful for situation, or, positioned in a pleasant tract of land. And tracts of land, which the Greeks call κλίματα/regions/ascents, the commonality of the Jews calls נוֹפוֹת/tracts. Symmachus translates it, ἀκτὴν, etc., the coast of the sea of Dor, and this is not a poor rendering (Masius). In the borders (Munster). To others it is a proper name, Napheth Dor (thus the Septuagint, Pagnine, Syriac, Arabic). Now, Dor lies westward from Gennesaret, toward the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, between the promontory of Carmel and Palestinian Cæsarea (Masius).
Dor; a place upon the coast of the midland sea.
[1] Hebrew: וְֽאֶל־הַמְּלָכִ֞ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר מִצְּפ֗וֹן בָּהָ֧ר וּבָעֲרָבָ֛ה נֶ֥גֶב כִּֽנֲר֖וֹת וּבַשְּׁפֵלָ֑ה וּבְנָפ֥וֹת דּ֖וֹר מִיָּֽם׃
[2] Isaiah 28:21: “For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon (כְּעֵ֖מֶק בְּגִבְע֣וֹן), that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.”
[3] Psalm 2:12b: “…Blessed are all they that put their trust in him (כָּל־ח֥וֹסֵי בֽוֹ׃).”
[4] Antiquities 5:1:18.
[5] Jezreel was in the Tribe of Issachar.
[6] Hermon is the great mountain of the southern portion of the Anti-Libanus. It marks the northern border of Israel.
[7] Gilboa is a mountain-ridge at the south-eastern end of the valley of Jezreel.
[8] גִּינֵיסַר/Ginesar sounds like גני שרים, Garden of Princes.
[9] Hebrew: וּבָעֲרָבָ֛ה נֶ֥גֶב כִּֽנֲר֖וֹת.
[10] שְׁפֵלָה/lowland is related to the verbal root שָׁפֵל, to be low.
[11] Hebrew: וּבְנָפ֥וֹת דּ֖וֹר מִיָּֽם׃.