Their possessions and settlements were Bethel and its towns …: The pronoun Their refers to the descendants of Ephraim. The Hebrew noun translated possessions may refer to property in general, including slaves. But in this context, as in 1 Chr 9.2, it refers to “lands” (New Jerusalem Bible) that had been allotted to their tribe and were to remain in the possession of that tribe.
Bethel was located about 16 kilometers (10 miles) north of Jerusalem, on the border between the tribes of Ephraim and Benjamin.
The words its towns (literally “its daughters” [Osty-Trinquet]) may be translated “the towns around it” (Good News Translation), “its surrounding villages” (New International Version), or “the neighboring villages” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). Other renderings include “its dependencies” (New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, American Bible) and “its dependent villages” (Revised English Bible). Compare 5.16.
Naaran, located near Jericho, is called “Naarah” in Josh 16.7. But virtually all modern versions retain the difference in spelling.
Gezer was a city of refuge in the territory of Ephraim (see the comments on 1 Chr 6.67). Shechem to the north in the hill country of Ephraim was another city of refuge for the central tribes (see the comments on 1 Chr 6.67; see also Josh 20.7).
Some interpreters consider Ayyah to be the same as Ai (Gen 12.8; 13.3; Josh 7.2), located in the south very near Bethel, but not all scholars agree on this. Ayyah may be a variant spelling for Aija, mentioned with Bethel in Neh 11.31, and Aija also may be a variant spelling for Ai. Some ancient translations in Latin and Aramaic support the name “Gaza” instead of Ayyah, and this is the basis for the rendering “Gaza” in some translations (King James Version, Revised English Bible) and “Azzah” in others (An American Translation, Moffatt). Menge reads “Ayyah (or: Gaza?),” but such uncertainty regarding the text is better placed in a footnote rather than within the text. The name “Gaza” probably arose from a misreading of the middle Hebrew letter in Ayyah. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text. So translators should maintain the name Ayyah.
Since many readers will not know the locations of these towns, the meaning of this verse may be expressed more clearly as in New Living Translation: “The descendants of Ephraim lived in the territory that included Bethel and its surrounding towns to the south, Naaran to the east, Gezer and its villages to the west, and Shechem and its surrounding villages to the north as far as Ayyah and its towns.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch likewise makes explicit that Shechem and Ayyah were in the north. However, if Ayyah is identified with the city of Ai in the south, then the translation should read “… Bethel and Ayyah and their surrounding towns to the south, Naaran to the east, Gezer and its villages to the west, and Shechem and its surrounding villages to the north.”
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .