[823] יענה בנות, that is, the ostriches: cf. Arab, wa'ana, "white, barren ground." The Arabs call the ostrich "father of the desert: abu sahârâ."
[825] Isa. x. 28 ff.
[826] It is well put by Robertson Smith's _Prophets_^2, pp. 289 ff.
[827] iii. 12.
[828] LXX. ἐν Ἀκειμ; Heb. "weep not at all."
[829] לְֽעַפְרָה cannot be the Ophrah, עָפְרָה, of Benjamin. It may be connected with עֹפֶר, a gazelle; and it is to be noted that S. of Beit-Jibrin there is a wady now called El-Ghufr, the corresponding Arabic word. But, as stated in the text above, the name ought to be one of a Philistine town.
[830] Beauty town. This is usually taken to be the modern Suafîr on the Philistine plain, 4-1/2 miles S.E. of Ashdod, a site not unsuitable for identification with the Σαφειρ of the _Onom._, "between Eleutheropolis and Ascalon," except that Σαφειρ is also described as "in the hill country." Guérin found the name Safar a very little N. of Beit-Jíbrin (_Judée_, II. 317).
[831] March-town: perhaps the same as Ṣenan (צֵנַן) of Josh. xv. 37; given along with Migdal-Gad and Hadashah; not identified.
[832] Unknown.
[833] "Bitternesses": unknown.
[834] Tell-el-Hesy.
[835] _Ambassadors_ or _letters of dismissal_.
[836] See above, p. 376.
[837] Josh. xv. 44; mentioned with Keilah and Mareshah; perhaps the present Ain Kezbeh, 8 miles N.N.E. of Beit-Jibrin.
[838] מָרֵשָׁה, but in Josh. xv. 44 מראשה, which is identical with spelling of the present name of a ruin 1 mile S. of Beit-Jibrin. Μαρησα is placed by Eusebius (_Onom._) 2 Roman miles S. of Eleutheropolis ( = Beit-Jibrin).
[839] 6 miles N.E. of Beit-Jibrin.