Joshua 15

Listen to Joshua 15

The Allotment for Judah

1 The allotment for the tribe of the people of Judah according to their clans reached southward 1to the boundary of Edom, to 2the wilderness of Zin at the farthest south.
2 And their south boundary ran from the end of the 3Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward.
3 It goes out southward of 4the ascent of Akrabbim, passes along to Zin, and goes up south of Kadesh-barnea, along by Hezron, up to Addar, turns about to Karka,
4 passes along to Azmon, goes out by 5the Brook of Egypt, and comes to its end at the sea. This shall be your south boundary.
5 And the east boundary is the 6Salt Sea, to the mouth of the Jordan. And the boundary on the north side runs from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan.
6 And the boundary goes up to 7Beth-hoglah and passes along north of 8Beth-arabah. And the boundary goes up to 9the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.
7 And the boundary goes up to Debir from 10the Valley of Achor, and so northward, turning toward Gilgal, which is opposite 11the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley. And the boundary passes along to the waters of 12En-shemesh and ends at 13En-rogel.
8 Then the boundary goes up by 14the Valley of the Son of Hinnom at the southern shoulder of the Jebusite (15that is, Jerusalem). And the boundary goes up to the top of the mountain that lies over against the Valley of Hinnom, on the west, at the northern end of the Valley 16of Rephaim.
9 Then the boundary extends from the top of the mountain 17to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, and from there to the cities of Mount Ephron. Then the boundary bends around to Baalah (18that is, Kiriath-jearim).
10 And the boundary circles west of Baalah to Mount Seir, passes along to the northern shoulder of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), and goes down to 19Beth-shemesh and passes along by 20Timnah.
11 The boundary goes out 21to the shoulder of the hill north of Ekron, then the boundary bends around to Shikkeron and passes along to Mount 22Baalah and goes out to Jabneel. Then the boundary comes to an end at the sea.
12 And the west boundary was 23the Great Sea with its coastline. This is the boundary around the people of Judah according to their clans.
13 According to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the people of Judah, 24Kiriath-arba, that is, 25Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak).
14 And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak, 26Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the descendants of Anak.
15 And he went up from there against the inhabitants of Debir. 27Now the name of Debir formerly was Kiriath-sepher.
16 And Caleb said, "Whoever strikes Kiriath-sepher and captures it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife."
17 28And Othniel the son of Kenaz, 29the brother of Caleb, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife.
18 When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she got off her donkey, and Caleb said to her, "What do you want?"
19 She said to him, "Give me a blessing. Since you have given me the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water." And he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Judah according to their clans.
21 The cities belonging to the tribe of the people of Judah in the extreme south, toward the boundary of Edom, were Kabzeel, 30Eder, Jagur,
22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah,
23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan,
24 31Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,
25 Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor),
26 Amam, Shema, Moladah,
27 Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet,
28 Hazar-shual, 32Beersheba, Biziothiah,
29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem,
30 Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah,
31 33Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,
32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon: in all, twenty-nine cities with their villages.
33 And in the lowland, 34Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,
34 Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam,
35 35Jarmuth, 36Adullam, 37Socoh, 38Azekah,
36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, Gederothaim: fourteen cities with their villages.
37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad,
38 Dilean, Mizpeh, Joktheel,
39 39Lachish, Bozkath, 40Eglon,
40 Cabbon, Lahmam, Chitlish,
41 Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and 41Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages.
42 42Libnah, Ether, Ashan,
43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib,
44 43Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities with their villages.
45 44Ekron, with its towns and its villages;
46 from Ekron to the sea, all that were by the side of Ashdod, with their villages.
47 45Ashdod, its towns and its villages; 46Gaza, its towns and its villages; to 47the Brook of Egypt, and 48the Great Sea with its coastline.
48 And in the hill country, Shamir, Jattir, Socoh,
49 Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (49that is, Debir),
50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim,
51 50Goshen, Holon, and 51Giloh: eleven cities with their villages.
52 Arab, Dumah, Eshan,
53 Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah,
54 Humtah, 52Kiriath-arba (that is, 53Hebron), and Zior: nine cities with their villages.
55 54Maon, 55Carmel, 56Ziph, Juttah,
56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah,
57 Kain, Gibeah, and 57Timnah: ten cities with their villages.
58 Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor,
59 Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon: six cities with their villages.
60 58Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah: two cities with their villages.
61 In the wilderness, 59Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah,
62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and 60Engedi: six cities with their villages.
63 But the 61Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 62the people of Judah could not drive out, 63so the Jebusites dwell with the people 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.

Cross References 63

  • 1. Numbers 34:3
  • 2. Numbers 33:36
  • 3. [See ver. 1 above]
  • 4. Numbers 34:4; Judges 1:36
  • 5. ver. 47; Numbers 34:5; [Joshua 13:3]
  • 6. [See ver. 1 above]
  • 7. Joshua 18:19, 21
  • 8. Joshua 18:18, 22
  • 9. Joshua 18:17
  • 10. Joshua 7:26
  • 11. Joshua 18:17
  • 12. Joshua 18:17
  • 13. Joshua 18:16; 2 Samuel 17:17; 1 Kings 1:9
  • 14. Joshua 18:16; 2 Kings 23:10
  • 15. ver. 63; Joshua 18:28; [Judges 19:10; 1 Chronicles 11:4]
  • 16. Joshua 18:16; See Joshua 12:4
  • 17. Joshua 18:15
  • 18. ver. 60; 1 Chronicles 13:6
  • 19. 1 Samuel 6:9, 12
  • 20. Genesis 38:12-14; Judges 14:1
  • 21. Joshua 13:3
  • 22. ver. 9
  • 23. ver. 47; Joshua 23:4; Numbers 34:6, 7; Ezekiel 47:20
  • 24. ver. 54; See Joshua 14:13-15
  • 25. ver. 54; See Joshua 14:13-15
  • 26. Numbers 13:22; Judges 1:10, 20
  • 27. Judges 1:11; [ver. 49]
  • 28. See Judges 1:13
  • 29. See Joshua 14:6, 13
  • 30. Genesis 35:21
  • 31. 1 Sam. 23:14, 15, 19, 24; 1 Samuel 26:1, 2
  • 32. Genesis 21:31; Genesis 26:23, 33
  • 33. 1 Samuel 27:6; 1 Samuel 30:1
  • 34. [Numbers 13:23]
  • 35. Joshua 10:3
  • 36. 1 Samuel 22:1
  • 37. 1 Samuel 17:1
  • 38. 1 Samuel 17:1
  • 39. Joshua 10:3, 31, 32
  • 40. Joshua 10:3, 36, 37
  • 41. Joshua 10:10, 21
  • 42. Joshua 10:29, 30
  • 43. 1 Samuel 23:1, 2
  • 44. Joshua 13:3
  • 45. [See ver. 45 above]
  • 46. [See ver. 45 above]
  • 47. See ver. 4
  • 48. See ver. 12
  • 49. [ver. 15]
  • 50. Joshua 10:41; Joshua 11:16
  • 51. 2 Samuel 15:12
  • 52. ver. 13
  • 53. ver. 13
  • 54. 1 Samuel 23:24, 25; 1 Samuel 25:2
  • 55. 1 Samuel 23:24, 25; 1 Samuel 25:2
  • 56. ver. 24
  • 57. ver. 10
  • 58. ver. 9
  • 59. ver. 6
  • 60. 1 Samuel 23:29; 1 Samuel 24:1
  • 61. See ver. 8
  • 62. [Judges 1:8, 21; 2 Samuel 5:6]
  • 63. [Judges 1:8, 21; 2 Samuel 5:6]

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

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.