Joshua 15

1 [This] then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; [even] to the border of Edom, the wilderness of Zin southward [was] the uttermost part of the south border.
2 And their south border was from the shore of the salt-sea, from the bay that looketh southward:
3 And it went out to the south side to Maaleh-acrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and ascended on the south side to Kadesh-barnea, and passed along to Hezron, and went up to Adar, and fetched a compass to Karkaa:
4 [From thence] it passed towards Azmon, and went out to the river of Egypt; and the limits of that border were at the sea: this shall be your south limit.
5 And the east border [was] the salt-sea, [even] to the end of Jordan: and [their] border in the north quarter [was] from the bay of the sea, at the uttermost part of Jordan:
6 And the border went up to Beth-hogla, and passed along by the north of Beth-arabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben:
7 And the border went up towards Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward looking towards Gilgal, that [is] before the going up to Adummim, which [is] on the south side of the river: and the border passed towards the waters of En-shemesh, and the borders of it were at En-rogel:
8 And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom, to the south side of the Jebusite; the same [is] Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that [lieth] before the valley of Hinnom westward, which [is] at the end of the valley of the giants northward:
9 And the border was drawn from the top of the hill to the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of mount Ephron; and the border was drawn to Baalah, which [is] Kirjath-jearim:
10 And the border compassed from Baalah westward to mount Seir, and passed along to the side of mount Jearim (which [is] Chesalon) on the north side, and went down to Beth-shemesh, and passed on to Timnah:
11 And the border went out to the side of Ekron northward: and the border was drawn to Shicron, and passed along to mount Baalah, and went out to Jabneel; and the terminations of the border were at the sea.
12 And the west border [was] to the great sea, and its coast: this [is] the border of the children of Judah round about, according to their families.
13 And to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, [even] the city of Arba the father of Anak, which [city is] Hebron.
14 And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.
15 And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before [was] Kirjath-sepher.
16 And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter for a wife.
17 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife.
18 And it came to pass, as she came [to him], that she moved him to ask of her father a field. And she lighted off [her] ass; and Caleb said to her, What wouldst thou?
19 Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land, give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.
20 This [is] the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families.
21 And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah towards the border of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur,
22 And Kinah, and Dimonah, and Adadah,
23 And Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan,
24 Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth,
25 And Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth, [and] Hezron, which [is] Hazor,
26 Aman, and Shema, and Moladah,
27 And Hazar-gaddah, and Heshmon, and Beth-palet,
28 And Hazar-shual, and Beer-sheba, and Bizjothjah,
29 Baalah, and Iim, and Azem,
30 And Eltolad, and Chesil, and Hormah,
31 And Ziglag, and Madmannah, and Sansannah,
32 And Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities [are] twenty and nine, with their villages:
33 [And] in the valley, Eshtaol, and Zoreah, and Ashnah,
34 And Zanoah, and En-gannim, Tappuah, and Enam,
35 Jarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah,
36 And Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages:
37 Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdalgad,
38 And Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel,
39 Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,
40 And Cabbon, and Lahman, and Kithlish,
41 And Gederoth, Beth-dagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages:
42 Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan,
43 And Jiphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib,
44 And Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages:
45 Ekron, with her towns and her villages:
46 From Ekron even to the sea, all that [lay] near Ashdod, with their villages:
47 Ashdod, with her towns and her villages; Gaza, with her towns and her villages, to the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and its border:
48 And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh,
49 And Dannah, and Kirjath-sannah, which [is] Debir,
50 And Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim,
51 And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh: eleven cities with their villages:
52 Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean,
53 And Janum, and Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah,
54 And Humtah, and Kirjath-arba (which [is] Hebron) and Zior; nine cities with their villages:
55 Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,
56 And Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah,
57 Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages:
58 Halhul, Beth-zur, and Gedor,
59 And Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages:
60 Kirjath-baal (which [is] Kirjath-jearim) and Rabbah; two cities with their villages:
61 In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah,
62 And Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and En-gedi; six cities with their villages.
63 As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not expel them: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.

Joshua 15 Commentary

Chapter 15

The borders of the lot of Judah. (1-12) Caleb's portion, His daughter's blessing. (13-19) The cities of Judah. (20-63)

Verses 1-12 Joshua allotted to Judah, Ephraim, and the half of Manasseh, their inheritances before they left Gilgal. Afterwards removing to Shiloh, another survey was made, and the other tribes had their portion assigned. In due time all God's people are settled.

Verses 13-19 Achsah obtained some land by Caleb's free grant. He gave her a south land. Land indeed, but a south land, dry and apt to be parched. She obtained more, on her request, and he gave the upper and the nether springs. Those who understand it but of one field, watered both with the rain of heaven, and the springs that issued out of the earth, countenance the allusion commonly made to this, when we pray for spiritual and heavenly blessings which relate to our souls, as blessings of the upper springs, and those which relate to the body and the life that now is, as blessings of the nether springs. All the blessings, both of the upper and the nether springs, belong to the children of God. As related to Christ, they have them freely given of the Father, for the lot of their inheritance.

Verses 20-63 Here is a list of the cities of Judah. But we do not here find Bethlehem, afterwards the city of David, and ennobled by the birth of our Lord Jesus in it. That city, which, at the best, was but little among the thousands of Judah, ( Micah 5:2 ) , except that it was thus honoured, was now so little as not to be accounted one of the cities.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 15

In this chapter are related the boundaries of the lot of the tribe of Judah, Jos 15:1-12; and the assignment of Hebron to Caleb, from whence he drove out the giants, and of Debir, which was taken by Othniel his brother, to whom, on that account, he gave his daughter in marriage, who made a further request to her father, which was granted, Jos 15:13-19; and then follows an account of the several cities by name, which fell to the tribe of Judah, Jos 15:20-63.

Joshua 15 Commentaries

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