Unto Abel, and to Beth-maachah. — Abel has been identified with the modern Christian village of Abil (called “Abil-el-Kamh,” on account of the excellence of its wheat (north-west of Lake Huleh). It is called “Abel-Beth-maachah,” in 2 Samuel 20:15 (the “of” should be omitted), and is spoken of under that name in 1 Kings 15:20 and 2 Kings 15:29 in connection with Ijon and Dan, and in the same connection is called “Abel-maim” (“Abel of waters”) in 2 Chronicles 16:4, to distinguish it from other places of the same name. It was at the extreme north of the land.
All the Berites. — Apparently a family, or clan, in the north of Israel, otherwise entirely unknown. The LXX. and Vulg. here apparently follow a different text. The Bishop of Bath and Wells supposes the Hebrew word to be a form of the word for “fortresses,” but no such form is known.