18:12a
On the north side their border began at the Jordan: The description of Benjamin’s boundary began at the Jordan River in the east and continued to the west.
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
Their northern border began at the Jordan River
-or-
Benjamin’s boundary on the north began at the Jordan River
18:12b
went up past the northern slope of Jericho: The phrase went up indicates that the boundary ascends in elevation.
the northern slope of Jericho: The northern slope of Jericho refers to a mountain ridge that is north of Jericho.
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
Then it ascended the mountain ridge north of Jericho
-or-
It went up from there to the mountain slope to the north of Jericho
18:12c
headed west through the hill country: Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
and continued west up through the mountain country
-or-
and westward into the mountains
18:12d
and came out at the wilderness of Beth-aven: Beth-aven was a town in the mountains. It was mentioned in Joshua 7:2.
wilderness: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wilderness indicates an uninhabited place. The area around “Beth-aven” was a wilderness, but it was not a desert with large areas of sand.
Beth-aven: Here are some ways that the English versions spell the name of Beth-aven town.
Beth-aven (Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004), New American Bible, Revised Edition, New American Standard Bible, King James Version)
-or-
Beth Aven (NET Bible, New International Version, God’s Word)
-or-
Beth-Aven (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Bethaven (Good News Translation)
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
until it reached the wilderness near Beth-aven
-or-
as far as the wasteland near Beth-aven town
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