And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Beth-maacah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him.
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Tribes, north-west of the Jordan. (Calmet)
Abela and Bathmaacha. Cities of the tribe of Nephtali. (Challoner)
The former is called simply Abel (4 Kings xv. 29.; Calmet) as it is here by the Protestant version. (Haydock)
It is also called Abyla, (Luke iii. 1,) and Hoba, (Genesis xiv. 15.; Calmet) between Damascus and Paneas, (Eusebius) situated on the borders of Syria, as well as Beth Maaca, or "the canton of Maacha "or Machati, Josue xii. 5.
Chosen. Hebrew Berim, (which is translated "Berites "by the Protestants.; Haydock) is derived from Bara, "to choose "by St. Jerome. Septuagint have read áirim, "cities. "Some suppose that the inhabitants of Bahurim (near Mount Ephraim, ver. 21, where Semei, a relation of Saul, and many disaffected people resided) shut themselves up with him in Abela.
