Yehoshua 15:19

19 She answered, Give me a brocha; for thou hast given me eretz HaNegev [land in the southern desert]; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the lower springs.

Yehoshua 15:19 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 15:19

Who answered, give me a blessing
By which she meant not a paternal benediction, or that he would wish and pray for a blessing on her; nor food, or a maintenance, as Jarchi, that her husband would provide for her; but rather an inheritance or possession, as the Targum; or a gift, as Abendana, a present, or something over and above what he had already given her; or an addition to her portion, as Kimchi: the word is sometimes used for a fish pool, as well as a blessing, and so glances at what she had in view, pools of water, or a well watered land:

for thou hast given me a south land;
a dry land, as the Jewish writers


FOOTNOTES:

F1 generally interpret this word, otherwise all the land belonging to the tribe of Judah was south land, and Caleb could give her no other; but Debir, as Hebron was, was in the hill country, was mountainous and so dry, and wanted watering:

give me also springs of water;
she means land in which there were springs of water; for unless she was possessed of the land in which they were, she would have no command of the springs, and so have little or no use of them:

and he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs;
such as were in the higher grounds, and such as were in the lower ones, that she might have a sufficiency to water all her lands and fields; or as she moved her husband to ask a field, and he put her on doing the same, Caleb gave her a field, in the upper part of which were springs, and also in the lower part; though he seems to have given more than she requested.


F1 So Jarchi and Kimchi in loc. R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 34. 1.

Yehoshua 15:19 In-Context

17 And Otniel ben Kenaz, the brother of Kalev, took it; and he gave him Achsah his bat as isha.
18 And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she urged him to ask of her av a sadeh; and she got off her chamor; and Kalev said unto her, What wouldest thou?
19 She answered, Give me a brocha; for thou hast given me eretz HaNegev [land in the southern desert]; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the lower springs.
20 This is the nachalah of the tribe of the Bnei Yehudah according to their mishpekhot.
21 And the towns at the extremity of the tribe of the Bnei Yehudah toward the boundary of Edom southward were Kavtze’el, and Eder, and Yagur,
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.