“Then Jonah
Went out of the city.
He sat down
East of the city.
He made a booth
For himself there.
He sat under it
In the shade.
He was waiting
To see
What would become
Of the city.”
Jonah then went outside Nineveh on the east side of the city to see what was going to happen. He made a tent or a booth to get some shade from the sun. He sat there awaiting the eventual future of the city of Nineveh.
“Adjoining the territory
Of Zebulun,
From the east side
To the west side,
Gad shall have
One portion.”
Gad was originally on the east side of the Jordan River in Joshua, chapter 13. They were originally surrounded by Manasseh on the north and west side, with Reuben to its south. It was never close to Zebulun. However, both might have been small tribes by this time.
“Adjoining the territory
Of Manasseh,
From the east side
To the west side,
Ephraim was
One portion.”
Once again, in a very summary fashion of east to west, the territory of Ephraim was next to Manasseh. This then would be a clear indication that this is the west Jordan area, since Ephraim did not have any territory on the east side of the Jordan River. Obviously, this is a very short summary of what appeared in Joshua, chapter 16.
“Adjoining the territory
Of Naphtali,
From the east side
To the west side,
Manasseh was
One portion.”
Once again, in a very summary fashion of east to west, the territory of Manasseh was next to Naphtali. However, instead of having two portions as in Joshua, chapters 13 and 17, there is only one portion mentioned here. Even that is not clear, whether it is on the east side of the Jordan River or the west side. The assumption might be that it is only on the west side, since there was no talk of any east bank settlements.
“On the east side,
The boundary
Shall run
Between Hauran
And Damascus.
It shall run
Along the Jordan
Between Gilead
And the land of Israel,
To the eastern sea,
As far as Tamar.
This shall be the east side.”
There was no mention of the Sea of Galilee as in Numbers, chapter 34. Here the border started in the north by Hauran. Then it kind of followed the Jordan River down to the Dead Sea or the eastern sea. There was also a mention of Gilead, on the east side of the Jordan River. It goes as far south as Tamar, but it is not clear where this was.
“‘You shall eat
The flesh
Of the mighty!
You shall drink
The blood
Of the princes
Of the earth!
You shall eat
Rams,
Lambs,
Goats,
Bulls,
All of them fatlings
Of Bashan.
You shall eat fat
Until you are filled.
You shall drink blood
Until you are drunk.
I am preparing
This sacrificial feast
For you.
You shall be filled
At my table
With horses,
With charioteers,
With warriors,
With all kinds of soldiers.’
Says Yahweh God.”
What were they going to do at this great festival? Yahweh God said that they were going to eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the earthly princes in some symbolic way. However, they were also going to have some real food with rams, lambs, goats, and bulls from the great grazing land on the east side of the Jordan River in Bashan. They were going to eat until they were full and drink until they were drunk. Gluttony and drunkenness was not a problem since Yahweh was preparing this sacrificial feast for them. With them at the table would be horses, charioteers, warriors, and all kinds of soldiers. However, I don’t know why.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 