יהושע, פרק י״ג, פסוק ג׳

A map of the unconquered territories in the southwestern part of the Promised Land reveals the specific borders and local rulers that remained in power. The boundary begins at the Shihor, identified as the Nile River or its eastern branch, which forms the southwestern edge of the land of Israel [רש״י, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Establishing this marker shows that during his lifetime, Joshua did not manage to capture the entire southern strip, conquering only the region from the wilderness of Zin up to the Nile [רש״י, רד״ק].

From the Nile, the boundary line extends northward toward the border of Ekron, a coastal city whose territory stretches further north than the surrounding cities [רש״י]. Although this region is controlled by foreign nations, it is explicitly classified as Canaanite territory. This classification emphasizes that, fundamentally, the area is an integral part of the land of Canaan that God promised to Abraham and gave to Israel [רש״י, מצודת דוד].

This coastal territory, marking the western border along the Great Sea, is governed by five Philistine lords, a term referring to their ministers or rulers [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, an apparent contradiction emerges when six distinct groups are actually listed in the region: the people of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, Ekron, and the Avvites. Commentators offer two ways to resolve this mismatch. One approach explains that the number five accounts only for the most prominent and important rulers, leaving the Avvites uncounted due to their inferior political status [רש״י, רד״ק]. Another perspective points to a national distinction, noting that the first five groups are true Philistine rulers, whereas the Avvites are not Philistines at all [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. Instead, the Avvites were likely the remnants of an ancient nation that inhabited the area before the Philistine invasion [ביאור שטיינזלץ], or perhaps a distinct group that migrated from the region of Yemen [רד״ק]. Regardless of their origins, the territory of the Avvites remained among the lands that still needed to be conquered [רש״י].