Took cities from him. — The three cities and their districts were only temporarily annexed to Judah. According to 1 Kings 15:17-21, Baasha, King of Israel, attempted in the next reign to fortify Ramah, which was only about five miles north of Jerusalem. He had probably recovered these towns before doing so (Bertheau).
Bethel. — Beitin. (Genesis 12:8; Joshua 7:2.)
Jeshanah. — Not mentioned elsewhere in the Old Testament. Probably identical with Ἰσάνας of Josephus (Ant. xiv. 15, § 12); site unknown. Syriac, Shâlâ; Arabic, Sâiâ.
Ephrain. — So the Heb. margin; Heb. text, Ephron; and so LXX., Vulg., Syriac, Arabic. Mount Ephron (Joshua 15:9) was situated too far to the south to be intended here. Perhaps Ophrah, near Bethel (Judges 6:11), or the town called Ephraim (John 6:54) — especially if Ephrain be the right reading — which also was near Bethel, according to Josephus (Bell. Jud. iv. 9, §9), is to be understood. Ophrah and Ephraim may be identical.
The Arabic adds: “And Zâghâr with the towns thereof.”