Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi; six cities with their villages.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 62. Salt. Bonfrere supposes it is Segor, which was preserved for Lot’s sake.—Engaddi, which was famous for its balm and palm-trees, in the desert of Jericho. Solin. xxxv.—We may here remark that in the preceding catalogues, many towns are repeated like Zanoe, (verse 34 and 56,) and others are left out. Some are also afterwards attributed to other tribes. Hence some have inferred that alterations have been made in the original copies. But we may rather believe that the reason of these variations is, because the cities were parceled out among the 10 families of Juda, (1 Chronicles 2:3,) as was the case in the distribution of land to Manasses; (Calmet. 17:2,) and hence the same cities were sometimes given to two different families. They are also attributed to different tribes, because many families of the respective tribes dwelt in them. The priests, for example, lived along with their brethren of other tribes. Calmet.