Ziph] Probably Tell Zif south of Hebron.
⁹and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
9. Adoraim] The modern Dora west of Hebron.
Azekah] In the Shephelah, mentioned along with Socoh in Joshua xv. 35.
¹⁰and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fenced cities. ¹¹And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and oil and wine.
10. Zorah] Joshua xv. 33 (Revised Version). It was situated in the Shephelah.
Aijalon] The modern Yalo, a little north of the Jaffa road about midway between Ramleh and Jerusalem. It is an ancient place mentioned in the Tell el-Amarna letters. Compare xxviii. 18 and 1 Chronicles vi. 69; also Smith, Historical Geography of the Holy Land pp. 210–213.
and in Benjamin] None of the fifteen cities seems to have been in Benjamin. Zorah and Aijalon were in Dan (Joshua xix. 41, 42, Revised Version), while the remaining thirteen were in Judah. Compare verse 5.
Benjamin, in reality, belonged to the Northern Kingdom until, after the fall of Samaria, its territory was included in the Judean kingdom (see 1 Kings xii. 20). Later, the idea prevailed that it had been one with the Southern Kingdom from the beginning—as appears here, and apparently in 1 Kings xi. 31. At any rate the phrase, Judah and Benjamin, came to be used as a general expression denoting the Southern Kingdom. How long any sense of its partial inaccuracy remained is uncertain.
¹²And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong. And Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.