And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.
And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel - i:e., the captives of this multitude of Israelites.
Shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath. Maurer translates, 'the captives ... whom the Canaanites carried away captive (into Phoenicia) even unto Zarephath, and the captivity of Jerusalem, which, etc., shall possess the cities of the south'-namely, shall possess Idumea as well as the south (Obadiah 1:19). Henderson, similarly, 'The captives that are among the Canaanites,' etc. But the corresponding clauses of the parallelism are better balanced in the English version, 'The ten tribes of Israel shall possess the territory of the Canaanites,' namely, northwest Palestine and Phoenicia (Judges 3:3). 'And the captives of Jerusalem (and Judah) shall possess the southern cities,' namely, Edom, etc. Each has the region respectively adjoining assigned to it: Israel has the northwest Canaanite region; Judah, the south. The Vulgate supports the English version; literally, 'that which (belonged to) the Canaanites; or ('shall possess that) which the Canaanites (possessed'). Pusey argues for 'the captives which are among the Canaanites,' on the ground of the Hebrew accents, the parallelism (but the English version makes a good parallelism, as shown above), and the uniform use of the accusative here.
Even unto Zarephath - near Zidon, and on the sea coast; called Sarepta in Luke 4:26. The name implies it was a Even unto Zarephath - near Zidon, and on the sea coast; called Sarepta in Luke 4:26. The name implies it was a place for smelting metals. From this quarter came the "woman of Canaan" (Matthew 15:21-22). Captives of the Jews had been carried into the coasts of Palestine or Canaan, about Tyre and Sidon (Joel 3:3-4; Amos 1:9). The Jews, when restored, shall possess the territory of their ancient oppressors.
Which is in Sepharad - i:e., the Bosphorus (Jerome, from his 'Hebrew Instructor'). Sephar, according to others (Genesis 10:30, "Sephar, a mount of the east.") The identification of Sepharad with the Bosphorus seems to be but a conjecture of Jerome. In the cuneiform inscription containing a list of the tribes of Persia ('Niebuhr tab.,' 31: 1), before Ionia and Greece, and after Cappadocia, comes the name CPaRad. It also occurs in the epitaph of Darius at Nakshi Rustam, 1: 28, before Ionia, in column 1 of the inscription of Bisutun, 1: 15. It was therefore a district of western Asia Minor, about Lydia, at a considerable distance from the Bosphorus. De Sacy and Lessen identify it with Sardis, the capital of Lydia, the Greeks omitting the "v" or "ph" and adding " - is", their own termination to the Asiatic name. It is made an appellative by Maurer, 'The Jerusalem captives of the dispersion' (cf. James 1:1), wherever they be dispersed, shall return and possess the southern cities. Sepharad, though literally a district of Lydia, represents the Jews' far and wide dispersion. Jerome says the name in Assyrian means a boundary - i:e., 'the Jews scattered in all boundaries and regions.'