Joshua 15:1-63

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Joshua

Brian Rowlands

Maps to help you to study this book are on the Internet at www.easyenglish.info.

Chapter 15

v1 Joshua gave land to the *tribe of Judah. And he divided it between the various families. This land was between Edom and the Desert of Zin. The desert was at the south of the land.

v2 Judah’s land began at the south end of the Salt Sea. v3 It crossed the south side of Scorpion valley, to Zin. Joshua also gave land to them south of Kadesh Barnea, as far as Hebron. The edge of their land continued past Addar. Then it went round to Karka v4 and to Azmon. The dry valley of Egypt that leads to the sea was the south edge of Judah.

v5 The east edge of Judah was the Salt Sea. It went as far as the mouth of the river Jordan.

The north edge of Judah was from the mouth of the Jordan v6 to Beth Hoglah. Then it went north of Beth Arabah to the stone of Bohan. (Bohan was the son of Reuben.)

v7 The edge of Judah’s land went from Achor valley to Debir. Then it went north to Gilgal. Gilgal is opposite the path of Adummim on the south side of the valley.

The edge of Judah then went past the water *springs of En Shemesh to En Rogel. v8 From there it went through Hinnom valley. And it went to the south side of a hill. This hill was near the Jebusite city called Jerusalem.

The edge of Judah continued to the top of the hill on the west side of the Hinnom valley. This was at the north end of the valley of Rephaim. v9 From there it went to the Nephtoah *springs. And then it went on to the cities near Ephron mountain. It went towards Baalah (also called Kiriath Jearim). v10 From there it went round Baalah towards the hills of Edom. It went north of Jearim mountain (that is Kesalon) down to Beth Shemesh, and on past Timnah.

v11 The edge of Judah went out to the hills north of Ekron, then towards Shikkeron. It went past Baalah mountain to Jabneel. The land of Judah ended at the sea. v12 The sea was the west edge of Judah’s land.

The families of the *tribe of Judah lived inside this land.

Verses 1-12 Joshua gave this land to the *tribe of Judah. Judah was the largest *tribe. It was also the most important one. Genesis 49:10 tells us that the king would come from Judah. This refers to Jesus, although Moses wrote the Book of Genesis long before Jesus. Jesus belonged to the *tribe of Judah (Hebrews 7:14).

The east edge of this land was at the Dead Sea (also called the Salt Sea). And the western edge was at the Mediterranean Sea (also called the Great Sea). It included all the land between.

v13 The *Lord had told Joshua to give part of Judah’s land to Caleb, Jephunneh’s son. (He belonged to the *tribe of Judah.) Joshua gave to him Hebron, the city of Arba. Arba was the father of Anak. v14 Caleb defeated the three sons of Anak at Hebron. Their names were Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. v15 From there he marched to fight the people in Debir (also called Kiriath Sepher). v16 Caleb said, ‘If a man attacks and takes Kiriath Sepher, he can marry my daughter, Acsah.’ v17 Othniel was the son of Caleb’s brother, Kenaz. He took Kiriath Sepher, so Caleb gave his daughter to him to marry.

v18 Acsah spoke to Othniel one day. He wanted her to ask her father for a field. She got off her donkey (small horse). ‘What can I do for you?’ Caleb asked her.

v19 ‘Be very kind to me’, she said. ‘You have given me land in the dry country in the south. So please give to me some *springs of water, too.’ So Caleb gave the higher and lower *springs to her.

Verses 13-19 Caleb provided for his children. His daughter asked him for a field and *springs of water. Caleb gave them to her.

It is important that we provide for our children. We give physical provisions to them. We must also provide for their *spiritual needs. We should read the Bible with them. We should pray with them. We should also pray for them.

Verse 17 Othniel was Caleb’s nephew. He became the first judge of *Israel (see Judges 3:7-11).

v20 This is the land that Joshua gave to the families of the *tribe of Judah, to live in. v21 The towns south of Judah, near the edge of Edom were:

• Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,

• v22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah,

• v23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan,

• v24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,

• v25 Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (that is, Hazor),

• v26 Amam, Shema, Moladah,

• v27 Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet,

• v28 Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah,

• v29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem,

• v30 Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah,

• v31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,

• v32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, Rimmon.

He gave 29 towns to them with their villages.

v33 He gave them towns in the small hills in the west:

• Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,

• v34 Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam,

• v35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,

• v36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, (or Gederothaim).

There were 14 towns and villages.

v37 He gave to them:

• Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad,

• v38 Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel,

• v39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,

• v40 Cabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish,

• v41 Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, Makkedah.

There were 16 towns and their villages.

v42 And he gave to them:

• Libnah, Ether, Ashan,

• v43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib,

• v44 Keilah, Aczib, Mareshah.

There were 9 towns with their villages.

v45 He also gave Ekron to the *tribe of Judah. He also gave to them the houses and villages near Ekron.

v46 And he gave to them all those towns west of Ekron, near Ashdod with their villages.

v47 And he gave to them Ashdod and Gaza with their houses and villages. They had the land as far as the valley of Egypt, and to the Great Sea.

v48 Joshua gave to them land in the hill country:

• Shamir, Jattir, Socoh,

• v49 Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (that is, Debir),

• v50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim,

• v51 Goshen, Holon, Giloh.

There were 11 towns and their villages.

v52 He also gave to them:

• Arab, Dumah, Eshan,

• v53 Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah,

• v54 Humtah, Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), Zior.

There were 9 towns and their villages.

v55 He also gave to them:

• Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,

• v56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah,

• v57 Kain, Gibeah, Timnah.

There were 10 towns and their villages.

v58 And he gave to them:

• Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor,

• v59 Maarath, Beth Anoth, Eltekon.

There were 6 towns and their villages.

v60 And he gave to them:

• Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim), Rabbah.

There were two towns and their villages.

v61 Joshua gave Judah towns in the desert:

• Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah,

• v62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, En Gedi.

There were 6 towns and their villages.

v63 But Judah could not push the Jebusites out of Jerusalem. So, Jebusites still live there with Judah’s people.

Verses 20-63 This is a list of all the towns that Joshua gave to the *tribe of Judah. There are 112 towns in the list. We have a list like this in the Bible because it shows to us God’s goodness. It shows to us all the good things that God gave to Judah.

There is a song that says that we should ‘count our *blessings’. The song says that we should ‘name them one by one’. Judah’s people could name their towns one by one.

Verse 63 Judah could not take control of Jerusalem. Later David took control of it. He made Jerusalem his capital city (2 Samuel 5:6-10).

tribe ~ the whole family of one of Jacob’s 12 sons.
spring ~ where water comes out of the ground. Often, a spring is the place where a river begins.
Lord ~ a name for God in the Bible. The original language of the Old Testament is called Hebrew. In the Hebrew language, there are two words that we translate as ‘Lord’. The Hebrew word ‘ADONAI’ means that God rules. God is our master. The Hebrew word ‘YHWH’ means that God never changes. God is always God.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before the life of Jesus.
spiritual ~ something that belongs to the spirit rather than to physical things. Or, a holy thing.

spirit ~ part of a living person that we cannot see. Our spirit can speak to God and God can speak to our spirit. There are good spirits, like God’s Holy Spirit and his servants, called ‘angels’. And there are bad spirits like the devil and his servants.
holy ~ description of God, God’s character; set apart, perfect, wonderful; completely good, with nothing bad in it. People can be holy if they belong to God. And, they should refuse to do evil things.
Israel ~ all the people born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children; the people that God chose; or, the land that the Israelites lived in.

Israelites ~ people from Israel. They are also called Hebrews and Jews.
Jew ~ a person who was born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children. It is also a name for one of the Israelites.
blessings ~ the good things that God does for us.