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11. Unto the side. Literally the passage reads, “unto the shoulder of the hill north of Ekron.” Ekron was the northernmost of the five Philistine cities, and lay about halfway between the Judean highlands and the sea. The border passed a short distance north of this city; hence, Ekron was in the territory of Judah (later of Dan).

Shicron. A small town on the northern border of Judah.

Mount Baalah. Probably the short line of hills running almost parallel with the coast, west of Ekron. It has been suggested that they may have been dedicated to Baal in view of the fact that they were the last hills the sun passed over before setting.

Jabneel. Literally, “a god causes to build.” The town was about 13 mi. south of Joppa and 4 mi. inland from the Mediterranean on the road from Gaza. It has been identified with the village of Yebnā. Jabneel was the Jamnia of the Apocrypha. Here many of Jewish scholars and members of the Sanhedrin fled before the fall of Jerusalem in a.d. 70. It became a seat of Jewish learning in the first and second centuries a.d.