Joshua 15

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

Footnotes 3

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

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.