Joshua 15 Study Notes

15:17 The capture of the city of Debir by Othniel led to his marriage to Caleb’s daughter. He and the first judge may be one and the same (Jdg 3:9-11). This anticipates David’s capture of Jerusalem, where he also started out from Hebron and also offered a reward to the person who succeeded in defeating the enemy (2Sm 5:6-15).

15:18-19 The request of Achsah was to increase her dowry and receive a full inheritance that included the necessary water sources for land to be usable in the Judean desert.

15:20-62 This section contains the most detailed town list of any of the allotments. It reflects the large tract of land given to Judah in comparison with the other tribes. The Hebrew text preserves eleven districts: the Negev (vv. 21-32); the western foothills with towns in the north (vv. 33-36), the south (vv. 37-41), and the center (vv. 42-44); the coastal plain (vv. 45-47); four regions in the hill country (vv. 48-51,52-54,55-57,58-59); a fifth hill country region west of Jerusalem (v. 60); and the Judean wilderness (vv. 61-62).

15:63 This note makes explicit what the note at v. 8 suggests—that Jerusalem remained unconquered.