The children of the Kenite, Moses’ brother-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the south of Arad; and they went and lived with the people.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 16. The Cinite. Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, was called Cinæus, or the Cinite: and his children, who came along with the children of Israel, settled themselves among them in the land of Chanaan, embracing their worship and religion. From these the Rechabites sprang, of whom see Jerem. 35.—The city of palms. Jericho, so called from the abundance of palm-trees, ( Ch). or rather Engaddi, which is sometimes called Hazazon-Thamar, on that account. It lies nearer to the Dead Sea. Jericho was not rebuilt till the reign of Achab. See Joshua 6:26.—Arad was one of the most southern towns of Juda, near the country of the Amalecites. Saul ordered the descendants of Jethro to depart from among them. 1 Kennicott. 15:6. The Israelites had defeated the king of Arad long before. Numbers 21:1. Calmet.—With him. Hebrew “the people” of Israel, ( Menochius.) or of Arad. Calmet.