Judges 1:13

Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother The language leaves it uncertain whether Othniel was the nephew (LXX. cod. B) or the brother (LXX. cod. A, Vulgate) of Caleb; but tradition favours the latter alternative. Elsewhere, though in later documents, Caleb is styled -the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite" Josh, Joshua 14:6; Joshua 14:14 D; Numbers 32:12 P. Kenaz was not the actual father, but the name of an Edomite tribe Genesis 36:15; Genesis 36:42; -the son of Kenaz," therefore, is equivalent to -the Kenizzite." Kenaz being a tribe, we must suppose that Othniel and Caleb were really clans belonging to it. As a tribal name Othniel may be compared with Israel and Jeraḥmeel. Caleb was closely connected with Jeraḥmeel (1 Chronicles 2:9; 1Ch 2:25; 1 Chronicles 2:42; 1 Chronicles 2:49), a clan settled in the Negeb, S. of Caleb (1 Samuel 27:10; 1 Samuel 30:29), which, as the present narrative shews, settled in Hebron and the neighbourhood. How Caleb came to find a home in Judah is told in Joshua 15:13 JE, cf. Joshua 14:6 ff. D. In the time of David Caleb was still distinct from Judah, 1 Samuel 30:14; but later on the clan became absorbed into Judah, so much so that in Numbers 13:6; Numbers 34:19 P Caleb is the -prince" of Judah, and the Chronicler knows of hardly any other Judahites outside the Calebite family (1 Chronicles 2). The present story gives the tribal traditions under the guise of a narrative dealing with individuals (cf. Judges 1:3 note). Othniel is called -the younger" (not in Joshua 15:17) brother of Caleb to account for his being of an age to marry Caleb's daughter, as in Judges 3:9 to explain how he outlived Caleb so long. The marriage indicates an alliance between the Othniel clan and an off-shoot of Caleb.

Contrast the account of the conquest of Debir by Joshua and all Israel given in Joshua 10:38-39; Joshua 11:21 D.