Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

Bamoth-baal - The high places of Baal, probably so called from altars erected on hills for the impure worship of this Canaanitish Priapus.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the plain,.... Which was by Medeba, and reached to Dibon:

Dibon, and Bamothbaal, and Bethbaalmeon; Dibon was rebuilt by Gad, though it belonged to Reuben, and perhaps was inhabited by both, being on the borders of each; and Bamothbaal signifies the high places of Baal; see Numbers 22:41; perhaps this is the same with Bamoth in the valley, Numbers 21:20; and Bethbaalmeon is the same with Baalmeon in Numbers 32:38; where it is highly probable was a temple of Baal, since both "beth" signifies an house, and "meon" an habitation.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Joshua 13:17 Heshbon, and all her cities that [are] in the plain; Dibon, and Bamothbaal, and Bethbaalmeon,

Ver. 17. Bamothbaal and Bethbaalmeon.] Places of much idolatry, that land desolating sin: such as are now Sichem and Loretto; where, whensoever the Ave Maria bell rings, which is at sunrising, noon, and sun setting, all men, in what place soever, house, field, street, or market, do presently kneel down and say an Ave Maria, &c.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Heshbon: this city and Dibon and Ataroth were upon the borders of Reuben and Gad, and therefore sometimes are ascribed to Reuben, as here, and Numbers 32:37, sometimes to Gad, as Numbers 32:34 1 Chronicles 6:80,81, by whom Heshbon, is said to be given to the Levites, Joshua 21:39. Possibly it and the rest were jointly inhabited by both tribes, as Jerusalem was by Jews and Benjamites.

Bamoth-baal; of which Numbers 21:28. Beth-baal-meon; called Beth-meon, Jeremiah 48:23, and Baal-meon, Ezekiel 25:9, part of the name being cut off, as is usual with the Hebrews.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

17.Heshbon — The ancient capital of Sihon, king of the Amorites. See on Numbers 21:26-28. Its ruins, some twenty miles east of the Jordan at the spot where it empties into the Dead Sea, still bear the name of Hesban. It was on the summit and sides of a low hill that rises from the undulating plain, and commands a wide prospect. After its capture by the Israelites it was rebuilt by the tribe of Reuben, (Numbers 32:37,) and afterwards assigned to the Levites. Joshua 21:39.

Dibon — A city three miles north of the Arnon, captured and occupied by the Israelites after they defeated Sihon. Numbers 21:30. It was rebuilt by the tribe of Gad, and called Dibon-gad. Numbers 32:34; Numbers 33:45. In Isaiah 15:9, it is called Dimon. It is identified with extensive ruins still bearing the name of Diban. Both Medeba and Dibon are mentioned on the famous Moabite stone recently discovered near this place. See note on 1 Kings 16:23.

Bamoth-baal — That is, high places of Baal, so called, probably, because it had been a noted place of Baal worship. Knobel regards this place as identical with the modern Jebel Attarus, a mountain a few miles northwest of Dibon, but the true site of the place is as yet only a matter of conjecture.

Bethbaal-meon — Called also Baal-meon (Numbers 32:38) and Beon. Numbers 32:3. It was evidently also associated with the worship of Baal. Its ruins are found in the modern Main, a few miles southwest of Medeba and a little north of the Wady Zerka.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the plain; Dibon, and Bamothbaal, and Beth-baal-meon,

Heshbon - (see the note at Joshua 12:2; Numbers 21:26.)

Dibon - (see the note at Joshua 13:9.)

Bamoth-baal - (see the note at Numbers 21:20; Numbers 22:41.)

Beth-baal-meon (the house or habitations of Baal) - or Baal-meon, now the ruins of Main, situated like Heshbon, from which it is about two miles distant (Burckhardt, 2:, 624), in the Abarim range, on an eminence on the south bank of the Waleh, which commands an extensive view of the subjacent plains (see the notes at Numbers 32:3; Numbers 32:37-38) (Seetzen, p. 431; Burckhardt, p. 632). Dibon (Hebrew #1769), Bajith [ ha-Bayith (Hebrew #1006) = Beth-baal-meon], and Bamoth-baal [ ha-Baamowt (Hebrew #1120] - these three places are all mentioned as contiguous (Isaiah 15:2).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Dibon

Eusebius says the city was situated in the plain of Arnon.

Bamoth-baal

or, the high places of Baal, and the house of Baal-meon.

Numbers 21:19; 22:41; 32:38