PHILISTIA

Philistia

fi-lis´ti-a: The country is referred to under various designations in the Old Testament: namely, פּלשׁת, pelesheth (Philistia) (Psa_60:8 (Hebrew 10); Psa_87:4), פּלשׁתּים ארץ, 'erec pelishtı̄m, “land of the Philistines” (Gen_21:32, Gen_21:34), הפּלשׁתּים גּלית, gelōth ha-pelishtı̄m; Septuagint gḗ tṓn Phulistieı́m, “the regions of the Philistines” (Jos_13:2). The Egyptian monuments have Puirsatha, Pulsath (Budge), Peleset (Breasted) and Purasati (HGHL), according to the different voweling of the radicals; the Assyrian form is Palastu or Pilistu, which corresponds very closely to the Egyptian and the Hebrew. The extent of the land is indicated in Jos_13:2 as being from the Shihor, or Brook of Egypt (Revised Version), to the border of Ekron, northward. The eastern border was along the Judean foothills on the line of Beth-shemesh (1Sa_6:9) with the sea on the West. It was a very small country, from 25 to 30 miles in length and with an average width of about half the length, but it was fertile, being an extension of the plain of Sharon, except that along the coast high sand dunes encroached upon the cultivated tract. It contained many towns and villages, the most important being the five so often mentioned in Scripture: Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. The population must have been large for the territory, which enabled them to contend successfully with the Israelites, notwithstanding the superiority of position in the hills to the advantage of the latter.

Journey from Succoth to Etham. - Succoth, Israel's first place of encampment after their departure, was probably the rendezvous for the whole nation, so that it was from this point that they first proceeded in an orderly march. The shortest and most direct route from Egypt to Canaan would have been by the road to Gaza, in the land of the Philistines; but God did not lead them by this road, lest they should repent of their movement as soon as the Philistines opposed them, and so desire to return to Egypt, פֶּן: μή, after אָמַר to say (to himself), i.e., to think, with the subordinate idea of anxiety. The Philistines were very warlike, and would hardly have failed to resist the entrance of the Israelites into Canaan, of which they had taken possession of a very large portion. But the Israelites were not prepared for such a conflict, as is sufficiently evident from their despair, in Exo_14:10. For this reason God made them turn round (יַסֵּב for יָסֵב, see Ges. §67) by the way of the desert of the Red Sea. Previous to the account of their onward march, it is still further stated in Exo_13:18, Exo_13:19, that they went out equipped, and took Joseph's bones with them, according to his last request. חֲמֻשִׁים, from חֹמֶשׁ lumbus, lit., lumbis accincti, signifies equipped, as a comparison of this word as it is used in Jos_1:14; Jos_4:12, with חֲלוּצִים in Num_32:30, Num_32:32; Deu_3:18, places beyond all doubt; that is to say, not “armed,” καθωπλισμένοι (Sym.), but prepared for the march, as contrasted with fleeing in disorder like fugitives. For this reason they were able to fulfil Joseph's request, from which fact Calvin draws the following conclusion: “In the midst of their adversity the people had never lost sight of the promised redemption. For unless the celebrated adjuration of Joseph had been a subject of common conversation among them all, Moses would never have thought of it.”