The Meaning of Joshua 13:4 Explained

Joshua 13:4

KJV: From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites:

YLT: From the south, all the land of the Canaanite, and Mearah, which is to the Sidonians, unto Aphek, unto the border of the Amorite;

Darby: in the south, the whole land of the Canaanites, and Mearah which belongeth to the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the border of the Amorites;

ASV: on the south; all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongeth to the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the border of the Amorites;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

From the south,  all the land  of the Canaanites,  and Mearah  that [is] beside the Sidonians,  unto Aphek,  to the borders  of the Amorites: 

What does Joshua 13:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 13:1-7 - Much Land Yet To Be Possessed
We do not know how long the war lasted. Probably about seven years, Joshua 14:10 (forty-five less thirty-eight). It was only in David's reign that the Canaanites were finally subdued. Note that Joshua took the land and then gave it to Israel. So Christ received the fullness of the Spirit and all spiritual blessings as the Trustee of those who believe; but we must claim and appropriate our heritage. So at last there will be rest, Joshua 11:23.
With Joshua 13:1 begins the second division of this book. A Doomsday Book! How significant is the sentence, "Much land to be possessed." This is true of tracts of the Bible, seldom read by ordinary Christians; of regions of experience, such as those alluded to in Colossians 3:1-4; and of countries in the world which have never been trodden by the feet of the missionary!
Read also Joshua 13:13. What pathos it contains! Either they did not believe in God's assurances, or were too indolent to claim them! [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 13

1  The bounds of the land not yet conquered
8  The inheritance of the two tribes and a half
14  The Lord and his sacrifices are the inheritance of Levi
15  The bounds of the inheritance of Reuben
22  Balaam slain
24  The bounds of the inheritance of God
29  and of the half tribe of Manasseh

What do the individual words in Joshua 13:4 mean?

from the south all the land of the Canaanite and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians as far as Aphek to the border of the Amorites
מִתֵּימָ֞ן כָּל־ אֶ֣רֶץ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֗י וּמְעָרָ֛ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר לַצִּידֹנִ֖ים עַד־ אֲפֵ֑קָה עַ֖ד גְּב֥וּל הָאֱמֹרִֽי

מִתֵּימָ֞ן  from  the  south 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֵּימָן  
Sense: south, southward, whatever is on the right (so the southern quarter), south wind.
אֶ֣רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֗י  of  the  Canaanite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כִּנְעָן 
Sense: descendant of inhabitant of Canaan n.
וּמְעָרָ֛ה  and  Mearah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְעָרָה 
Sense: an area or cavern in the neighbourhood east of Sidon.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  that  belongs 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לַצִּידֹנִ֖ים  to  the  Sidonians 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: צִידֹנִי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Sidon.
עַד־  as  far  as 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
אֲפֵ֑קָה  Aphek 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אֲפֵק  
Sense: a Canaanite city near Jezreel.
גְּב֥וּל  the  border 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גְּבוּל  
Sense: border, territory.
הָאֱמֹרִֽי  of  the  Amorites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱמֹרִי  
Sense: one of the peoples of east Canaan and beyond the Jordan, dispossessed by the Israelite incursion from Egypt.