#Keil and delitzsch commentary full

But the true land of caves on the east of the Jordan is northern Gilead, viz., Erbed and SuГЄt ( Wetzst. Raumer supposes), though they are only found in eastern and south-eastern Hauran, where most of the volcanic elevations have been perforated by troglodytes (see Wetzstein, pp. The land of the limestone and chalk formation abounds in caves, which are not altogether wanting indeed in Hauran (as v. In these districts the limestone and chalk formations prevail, which present the same contrast to the basaltic formation of the Hauran as white does to black (cf. Through this volcanic character of the soil, Hauran differs essentially from Balka, Jebel Ajlun, and the plain of Jaulan, which is situated between the Sea of Galilee and the upper Jordan on the one side, and the plain of Hauran on the other, and reaches up to the southern slope of the Hermon. At a later period this name was transferred to the whole of the district of Hauran (= Bashan), because not only is the Jebel Hauran entirely of volcanic formation, but the plain consists throughout of a reddish brown soil produced by the action of the weather upon volcanic stones, and evenвЂњthe Leja plain has been poured out from the craters of the Hauran mountainsвЂќ ( Wetzstein, p.

#Keil and delitzsch commentary full

The central point of the whole is Safa, вЂњa mountain nearly seven hours' journey in length and about the same in breadth,вЂќ in which вЂњthe black mass streaming from the craters piled itself up wave upon wave, so that the centre attained to the height of a mountain, without acquiring the smoothness of form observable in mountains generally,вЂќ - вЂњthe black flood of lava being full of innumerable streams of stony waves, often of a bright red colour, bridged over with thin arches, which rolled down the slopes out of the craters and across the high plateauвЂќ ( Wetzstein, pp.

196), or rather in the extensive volcanic region to the east of Hauran, which was first of all brought to distinct notice in Wetzstein's travels, and of which he says that the вЂњsouthern portion, bearing the name Harra, is thickly covered with loose volcanic stones, with a few conical hills among them, that have been evidently caused by eruptionsвЂќ ( Wetzstein, p. The name Argob probably originated in the north-eastern part of the country of Bashan, viz., the modern Leja, with its stony soil covered with heaps of large blocks of stone ( Burckhardt, p. From the name given to it by the Arabic translators, the Greek name О’О±П„О±ОЅО±О№МЃО± Batanaea, and possibly also the modern name of the country on the north-eastern slope of Hauran at the back of Mount Hauran, viz., Bethenije, are derived. This district has also received the name of Bashan, from the character of its soil for п¬±Ч©ЧЃЧџ signifies a soft and level soil.

(Note: The derivation is a much more improbable one, вЂњfrom the town of Argob, ПЂПЃОїМЂП‚ О“ОµМЃПЃО±ПѓО±ОЅ ПЂОїМЃО»О№ОЅ О‘М“ПЃО±ОІО№МЃО±П‚, according to the Onomast., fifteen Roman miles to the west of Gerasa, which is called Г‘by Josephus (Ant. The Targumists have rendered it correctly ЧЧЁЧ›Ч•Ч Чђ ( Trachona), from П„ПЃО±ОёП‰МЃОЅ, a rough, uneven, stony district, so called from the basaltic hills of Hauran just as the plain to the east of Jebel Hauran, which resembles Hauran itself, is sometimes called Tellul, from its tells or hills ( Burckhardt, Syr. The name вЂњ region of Argob,вЂќ which is given to the country of Bashan here, and in Deuteronomy 3:4, Deuteronomy 3:13, Deuteronomy 3:14, and also in 1 Kings 4:13, is probably derived from ЧЁЧ’Ч•Ч‘, stone-heaps, related to ЧЁЧ’Ч‘, a clump or clod of earth ( Job 21:33 Job 38:38). Ч—Ч‘Чњ, the chain for measuring, then the land or country measured with the chain. The whole region of Argob included the sixty towns which formed the kingdom of Og in Bashan, i.e., all the towns of the land of Bashan, viz., (according to Deuteronomy 3:5) all the fortified towns, besides the unfortified and open country towns of Bashan. They smote him at Edrei, the modern DraГ , without leaving him even a remnant and took all his towns, i.e., as is here more fully stated in Deuteronomy 3:4., вЂњsixty towns, the whole region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.вЂќ These three definitions refer to one and the same country. But as the powerful Amoritish king Og still held the northern half of Gilead and all Bashan, they proceeded northwards at once and took the road to Bashan, that they might also defeat this king, whom the Lord had likewise given into their hand, and conquer his country (cf. After the defeat of king Sihon and the conquest of his land, the Israelites were able to advance to the Jordan.

The Help of God in the Conquest of the Kingdom of Og of Bashan.