Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Beth-horon the nether - See the marginal reference note.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And Solomon built Gezer,.... Rebuilt it, it having been burnt, at least great part of it, by Pharaoh when he took it:

and Bethhoron the nether; and the upper also, 2 Chronicles 8:5, which belonged to the tribe of Ephraim, and were on the borders of it, between that and Benjamin, Joshua 16:3.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Beth-horon the nether — situated on the way from Joppa to Jerusalem and Gibeon; it required, from so public a road, to be strongly garrisoned.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

1 Kings 9:17 And Solomon built Gezer, and Bethhoron the nether,

Ver. 17. And Bethhoron, the nether.] Yea, both the Bethhorons, nether and upper too. [2 Chronicles 8:5]

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

In Benjamin, Joshua 18:13,14; and Beth-horon the upper, which is added 2 Chronicles 8:5, a city in the tribe of Ephraim, Joshua 16:5, possibly bordering upon Benjamin, and nigh unto the lower

Beth-horon; which alone may be here mentioned, either because it was the more famous place, or because it needed more reparations.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

17.Solomon built Gezer — That is, rebuilt and fortified the city on the ruined site of the former town. So doubtless of all the other cities mentioned in this chapter, which had existence before. The work of Solomon was that of rebuilding, repairing or enlarging, and fortifying.

Beth-horon the nether — See on Joshua 10:10.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Nether, in the tribe of Benjamin. 2 Paralipomenon (viii. 5.) adds, the upper, which was a town of Ephraim. (Menochius)

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

built = rebuilt and fortified.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

And Solomon built Gezer, and Beth-horon the nether,

Beth-horon the nether - situated on the way from Joppa to Jerusalem and Gibeon; it required, from so public a road, to be strongly garrisoned.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17) Beth-horon the nether.—The name “Beth-horon” (“the house of caves,”) was given to two small towns or villages (still called Beit-ûr), near Gezer, commanding the steep and rugged pass from the maritime plain, celebrated for three great victories of Israel—the great victory of Joshua (Joshua, 10), the victory of Judas Maccabæus (1 Maccabees 3:13-24), and the last victory of the Jews over the Roman army of Cestius Gallus, before the fall of Jerusalem (Josephus, Wars of the Jews, ii. 19). The lower Beth-horon stands On a low eminence on the edge of the plain.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Beth-horon

Joshua 16:3; 19:44; 21:22; 2 Chronicles 8:4-6,7-18