Verses 4-6 describe territory in the north. Mearah is located north of Sidon, the important Phoenician city on the Mediterranean coast, north of Palestine. Aphek here is not the same as in 12.18; perhaps it lay east of Gebal. (the land of the Gebalites, verse 5), which is known also as Byblos, north of Beirut (in Lebanon). Baalgad: see 11.17. Hamath Pass was regarded as the northern limit of Israel, in the valley between the two ranges of the Lebanon Mountains. Misrephoth Maim (see 11.8) was the southern boundary of the Sidonians, as the Lebanon Mountains were the northern boundary.It should be noticed that the Hebrew text in such places as 13.2-6 can be understood in different ways, so translations do not always agree.

A proposed restructuring for verse 4 is given in conjunction with the comments at 13.2-3.

In order to aid the reader’s comprehension, one may want to begin a new sentence at verse 5, or even divide it into two complete sentences: “You still have not conquered the land of the Gebalites. You have not taken the territory of Lebanon to the east, from the city of Baalgad, which is south of Mount Hermon, to Hamath Pass.” Or, “You have still not taken the territory that belongs to the city of Gebal. And you have not conquered all the territory of Lebanon from the city of Baalgad at the foot of Mount Hermon to Hamath Pass.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .