Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Genesis 10:17
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And the Hivite, etc.] These dwelt in Hermon, a part of Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal Hermon unto the entering in of Hamath, (<061103>Joshua 11:3 <070303>Judges 3:3) to the east of the land of Canaan; hence they were sometimes called Kadmonites, or Easterlings, (<011519>Genesis 15:19) and are thought to have their name from dwelling in holes and caves like serpents; hence Cadmus the Phoenician, and his wife Hermonia, who seem to have their names from hence, are reported to be turned into serpents, they being Hivites, which this word signifies, as Bochart f673 observes. And the Arkite; the same with the Aruceans, or Arcaeans, Josephus f674 speaks of in Phoenicia about Sidon, and from whom the city Arce had its name, which he places in Lebanon; and is mentioned by Menander f675 as revolting to the king of Assyria, with Sidon and old Tyre; and which is reckoned by Ptolemy f676 a city of Phoenicia, and placed by him near old Byblus; and hence Bothart f677 thinks Venus had the name of Venus Architis, said by Macrobius f678 to be worshipped by the Assyrians and Phoenicians. And the Sinite: either the inhabitants of the wilderness of Sin, who dwelt in the northern part of the desert of Arabia, or the Pelusiotae, as Bochart f679 thinks, the inhabitants of Pelusium, which was called Sin, (<263015>Ezekiel 30:15) the former being its Greek name, the latter its Chaldee or Syriac name, and both signify “clay”, it being a clayey place; but Canaan or Phoenicia seems not to have reached so far; Jerom speaks of a city not far from Arca called Sin, where rather these people may be thought to dwell.
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