CHAPTER 15 THE LOT OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH. In this chapter we have details given of the boundaries of ‘the lot' allocated by lot to the tribe of Judah. This is followed by the assignment of Hebron to Caleb, from where he drove out the Anakim, and the assignment of Debir, which was taken by Othniel h... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And it went out southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and went up by the south of Kadesh-barnea, and passed along by Hezron, and went up to Addar and turned about to Karka, and it passed along to Azmon and went out at the torrent-wadi of Egypt. And the goings out of the bor... [ Continue Reading ]
Joshua 15:5 A ‘And the east border was the Salt Sea, even to the end of Jordan.' The east border of Judah was simple. It went from below the Dead Sea and along its western side up to where the Jordan entered it. At the time that this was written the Sea probably extended a few miles further north.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And the border went up to Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward looking towards Gilgal, that is over against the Ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the river, and the border passed along to the waters of Enshemesh and its goings out were at En-rogel.' This Debir was not th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom, to the side (shoulder, sloping hillside) of the Jebusite southward, the same is Jerusalem, and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the furthest extent of the vale of Rep... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And the border was drawn from the top of the mountain, to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of Mount Ephron, and the border was drawn to Baalah, which is Kiriath-jearim.' From the mountain at the northern end of the vale of Rephaim the border went to the spring of th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And the border turned about from Baalah westward to Mount Seir, and passed along to the shoulder (sloping hillside) of mount Jearim on the north, the same is Chesalon, and went down to Bethshemesh, and passed along by Timnah.' There was a change of direction of the border towards the south west t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And the border went out to the sloping hillside of Ekron northward, and the border was drawn to Shikkeron, and passed along to Mount Baalah, and went out at Jabneel, and the goings out of the border were at the sea.' The border then continued north westward to the northern side of Ekron, which was... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And the west border was to the Great Sea, and its border. This is the border of the children of Judah round about according to their families.' The west border was the coast of the Mediterranean, the Great Sea. Thus were described the borders of Judah, allocated by lot in accordance with the numb... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a portion among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of Yahweh to Joshua, even Kiriath-arba, the father of Anak, the same is Hebron.' The importance given to this first real settlement of the land comes out in that it is repeated three times... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And Caleb drove from there the three sons of Anak, Sheshai and Ahinam and Talmai, the children of Anak.' For these three sons of Anak compare Numbers 13:22. Their size was one of the main reasons for the fear of the Israelite scouts who surveyed the land of Canaan. They are mentioned here in order... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And he went up from there against the inhabitants of Debir. Now the name of Debir was previously Kiriath-sepher.' The mention of the ancient names may suggest that this record was written shortly after the change of name. Debir or Kiriath-sepher was at the end of the Judean hills. It is also call... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And Caleb said, “He who smites Kiriath-sepher, and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife”.' This was a kind of test of suitability. Chief's daughters were given to mighty champions to ensure continual strong leadership. Compare Saul's offer in 1 Samuel 17:25. It is understandabl... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it, and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.' It was probably Kenaz who was Caleb's younger brother. The son and daughter were thus cousins. Othniel was probably Caleb's hope in the first place. ‘Son of Kenaz' might simply indicate t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And it happened that when she came to him, she moved him to ask of her father a field, and she lighted from her ass, and Caleb said to her, “What is it you want?” And she said to him, “Give me a blessing, for you have set me in the land of the Negeb. Give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah, according to their families.' For this summary description with respect to the tribes compare Joshua 13:23 (Reuben); Joshua 13:28 (Gad); Joshua 15:20 (Judah); Joshua 16:8 (Ephraim); Joshua 18:28 (Benjamin); Joshua 19:8 (Simeon); Joshua... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LISTING OF CITIES AND TOWNS, VILLAGES AND ENCAMPMENTS OF JUDAH (JOSHUA 15:21). | The making of lists of places is well testified to in the ancient world, and the cities and towns and encampments of Judah are now listed. We do not know whether these were as first surveyed, or as compiled at the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdal-gad, and Dilan, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel. Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon, and Cabbon, and Lahmam, and Chithlish, and Gederoth, Beth-dagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages.' These were situated in the north western part of the Judaean Sh... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan. And Iphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib, and Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah. Nine cities with their villages.' These are not all specifically identifiable to a particular area but are related to the Shephelah. The site of Libnah, a royal city, has not been satisfactorily... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ Ekron, with her towns (daughters) and her villages, from Ekron even to the sea, all that were by the side of Ashdod, with their villages. Ashdod, her towns and her villages, Gaza, her towns and her villages, to the Brook of Egypt and the Great Sea and its border.' We must remember that all these c... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And in the hill country Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh, and Dannah, and Kiriath-sannah, the same is Debir, and Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim, and Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh. Eleven cities with their villages.' The hill country (literally ‘the mountain') signifies the central mountain range west of... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ Arab, and Dumah, and Eshan, and Janim, and Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah, and Humtah, and Kiriath-arba, the same is Hebron, and Zior. Nine cities with their villages.' For Arab compare 2 Samuel 23:35. Perhaps er-Rabiyeh, eleven kilometres (seven miles) south west of Hebron. Dumah is probably ed-Domeh,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Jutah, and Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah. Kain, Gibeah and Timnah. Ten cities with their villages.' The towns of this group were situated south of Hebron. Maon lay on the edge of the wilderness of Judah, known in this neighbourhood as the wilderness of Maon, signify... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ Halhul, Beth-zur and Gedor, and Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon. Six cities with their villages.' This is the fourth section of cities and townships in the hill country, lying to the north of Hebron. Halhul survives as the name of a village seven kilometres (four miles) north of Hebron. Two... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ Kiriath-baal, the same is Kiriath-jearim, and Rabbah, two cities with their villages.' Kiriath-baal (city of Baal) or Kiriath-jearim (city of the forests) was on the Judah-Benjamite border. It is first shown as belonging to Judah (Joshua 15:60) and then to Benjamin (Joshua 18:28). This is not unli... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ In the Wilderness, Betharabah, Middin, and Secacah, and Nibshan, and the City of Salt, and En-gedi. Six cities with their villages.' The Wilderness of Judah was the barren rocky country, also called Jeshimon (‘devastation' - 1 Samuel 23:19; 1 Samuel 23:24). It lay between the Central Range and th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.' The Jebusites were safe in their mountain fortress and Judah could not displace them. Yet we note that Judah at one stage... [ Continue Reading ]