Joshua 15:1-12. Boundaries of the Tribe of Judah 1. _the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah_ In this Chapter we have (_a) the boundaries of the tribe of Judah_(Joshua 15:1-12); (_b) Caleb's possession_(Joshua 15:13-19); (_c) a list of the cities of Judah_(Joshua 15:20-63). "_The lot of the t... [ Continue Reading ]
_And their south border_ The general account of the position of the tribe of Judah is followed by a more particular description of its boundaries. And first _the southern boundary_is described. _from the shore_ The southern border of Canaan has already been described in Numbers 34:3-5. It is here gi... [ Continue Reading ]
_and it went out to the south_ From this point the border ran in a tolerably direct course towards the south side of Maaleh-acrabbim, "_the ascent of scorpions_," "the stiyinge vp of Scorpion," Wyclif; "the going up to Akrabbim," as it is given in Numbers 34:4; Judges 1:36, a pass in "the bald mount... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the east border_ "Till to the laste partis of Jordan," Wyclif. This was the Salt Sea in all its extent from south to north, even "unto the end of Jordan," i. e. to the point where it enters the Dead Sea. _their border in the north quarter was from the bay of the sea_ i. e. from the embouchure... [ Continue Reading ]
_and the border went up to Beth-hogla_ A point between Judah and Benjamin (Joshua 18:19). A magnificent spring and a ruin between Jericho and the Jordan still bear the names of _Ain-hajla_and _Kŭsr Hajla_, and are doubtless at or near the old site. _and passed along by the north of Beth-arabah_ bet... [ Continue Reading ]
_and the border went up toward Debir_ Not the royal Canaanitish city conquered (Joshua 10:29; Joshua 10:38), but somewhere behind Jericho. A _Wady Dabor_is marked in _Van de Velde's_Map as close to the south of _Nêby Mûsa_, at the north-west of the Dead Sea." Smith's _Bibl. Dict_. _from the valley... [ Continue Reading ]
_and the border went up_ From En-rogel the border _went up into the valley of the son of Hinnom, on the south side of the Jebusite, that is Jerusalem_. The direction accordingly runs S. S. W. of Jerusalem, where the valley mentioned lies. Nothing is known of this Hinnom. Possibly he was some ancient... [ Continue Reading ]
_and the border was drawn_ From the summit of the mountain just alluded to, the border was drawn to "the fountain of the water at Nephtoah." Nephtoah has been identified with _Ain Lifta_, a spring situated a little distance above the village of the same name, N.W. of Jerusalem. It irrigates a strip... [ Continue Reading ]
_and the border compassed_ = it "beat round," "took a circuit;" and see above, Joshua 15:3. _unto mount Seir_ not the Edomite range (Genesis 32:3; Numbers 24:18), but the range, which lies between the _Wady Aly_and _the Wady Ghurab_. It may have derived its name either (_a_) from some peculiarity i... [ Continue Reading ]
_unto the side of Ekron northward_ The boundary, still following a N.W. course, now tended towards a point lying near the Philistine city of Ekron (see above, ch. Joshua 13:3), whence it was drawn to _Shicron_, between Ekron and Jabneal (Yebna), and passed along to mount _Baalah_, "the short line of... [ Continue Reading ]
_the west border_ was formed by the Mediterranean Sea. _to the great sea_ From Jabneel the boundary continued to the Mediterranean Sea along the _Wady es Surah_. _and the coast thereof_ or _borders thereof_; see above, ch. Joshua 13:23; Joshua 13:27, and comp. Numbers 34:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Request of Achsah, Daughter of Caleb 13. _And unto Caleb_ This section, from Joshua 15:13-19, is repeated with slight alterations almost verbatim in Judges 1:10-20. The two sections are probably derived from a common source. As occurring here the verses are intended to complete the history of th... [ Continue Reading ]
_the three sons of Anak_ Three chiefs of the Anakims. Comp. Numbers 13:22.... [ Continue Reading ]
_to the inhabitants of Debir_ On Debir see above, Joshua 11:21. Joshua had conquered and devoted it. _Debir before was Kirjath-sepher_ = "_the city of Books_", "citee of lettrys;" Wyclif, or (Joshua 15:49) Kirjath-Sannah = "city of palm.... [ Continue Reading ]
_to him will I give Achsah my daughter_ So Saul promised to the victor over Goliath to "give him his daughter" (1 Samuel 17:25), and undertook if David was valiant for him to give him to wife his elder daughter Merab (1 Samuel 18:17).... [ Continue Reading ]
_Othniel the son of Kenaz_ The younger brother of Caleb (comp. Judges 1:13; Judges 3:9; 1 Chronicles 4:13). But it is not certain from these passages whether Kenaz was his father, or, as some think, the more remote ancestor and head of the tribe, whose descendants were called "sons of Kenaz" (Number... [ Continue Reading ]
_as she came unto him_ i. e. as she proceeded to the home of Othniel at Debir to become his wife. "When the parties live in different villages, the bridegroom accompanied by his friends, all well mounted and armed, and escorted with music, repair to the house of the bride, and escort her to her new... [ Continue Reading ]
_Give me a blessing_ Comp. the words of Jacob to Esau, Genesis 33:11, "Take, I pray thee, _my blessing_that is brought to thee;" Joshua 14:13, "And Joshua _blessed him_, and gave unto Caleb … Hebron for an inheritance;" and the words of Naaman to Elisha, "Now therefore, I pray thee, _take a blessing... [ Continue Reading ]
Cities of Judah in the South 20. _This is the inheritance_ "The speech of Achsah to her father was the best reason for the slight notice of this desert tract in later times, and is the best introduction to the real territory of Judah, on which we now enter. -Give me a blessing, _for_thou hast given... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the uttermost cities_ The writer commences with the cities at the extremity of the territory of Judah, the S.E. point of the Dead Sea, on the Edomite frontier. _toward the coast of Edom southward_ For "_coast_," see above, ch. Joshua 13:16. (_a) First_we have a group of _nine cities_within the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ziph (b_) With this town commences a _second group_of _five cities_: (1) _Ziph_, not identified; (2) _Telem_, not identified not to be confounded with _Telaim_, where Saul collected and numbered his forces before his attack on Amalek (1 Samuel 15:4); (3) _Bealoth_= Bealoth-beer, on the road toward... [ Continue Reading ]
_Amam_(_c) Third group_of _nine cities_: (1) _Amam_, unknown; (2) _Shema_, a place of the Simeonites (ch. Joshua 19:2); (3) _Moladah_, called _Malatua_by the Greeks and Romans = the modern _El-Milh_, four English miles from _Tell Arad_and nine or ten due east of Beersheba; (4) _Hazar-gaddah_, unkno... [ Continue Reading ]
_Baalah_ A _fourth group_is added of _thirteen places_which lay to the _west_and _south-west:_ (1) _Baalah_, called _Balah_(ch. Joshua 19:3) and _Bilhah_(1 Chronicles 4:29); (2) _Iim_, unknown; (3) _Azem_= "firmness" or "strength" (ch. Joshua 19:3); (4) _Eltolad_= _Tolad_(1 Chronicles 4:29), unknow... [ Continue Reading ]
_all the cities are twenty and nine_ Thirty-six, however, are actually given, viz., (1) _the first group_= 9; (2) the _second group_= 5; (3) the _third group_= 9; (4) the _fourth group_13 =36 in all. The discrepancy has been variously explained by supposing (_a_) that some of the places were merely... [ Continue Reading ]
Cities in the Lowland 33. _in the valley_ i.e. the Lowland. See above, Joshua 15:20, and also Joshua 10:40; Joshua 11:16. The places mentioned are arranged in _four groups_. The first of these lies in the _north-eastern_portion of the _Shephêlah: _ Group I. 1. _Eshtaol_= _Yeshû"a_; 2. _Zoreah_= _S... [ Continue Reading ]
_fourteen cities_ The LXX. omits Gederothaim, which makes fourteen instead of fifteen cities.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Zenan Group II_. comprises the cities of the actual plain in its whole extent from north to south, between the hilly region on the west and the Philistine coast on the east. It includes _sixteen cities_:... [ Continue Reading ]
_Libnah Group III_. consists of the places in the southern part of the hill region, and includes _nine cities_:... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ekron. Group IV_. includes the Philistine line of coast, and includes three chief cities:... [ Continue Reading ]
The Cities in the Mountains 48. _And in the mountains_ This section treats of the Cities in the Mountains or "the Hill Country," (see above, Joshua 15:20), and includes _five groups_. _Shamir Group I_. consists of _eleven cities_on the south-western portion of the "hill Country:... [ Continue Reading ]
_Arab. Group II_. includes _nine cities_to the north of those just enumerated in the country round Hebron:... [ Continue Reading ]
_Maon Group III_, consists of ten cities, on the south-east of the two preceding groups, towards the desert:... [ Continue Reading ]
_Halhul Group IV_. consists of _six cities_on the north of Hebron:... [ Continue Reading ]
_Kirjath-baal Group V_. consists of _two cities_on the west of Jerusalem:... [ Continue Reading ]
Cities in the Wilderness This section relates to the cities in "the Wilderness" between the Mountain and the Dead Sea, and includes one Group of _six cities_: 1. _Beth-arabah_, see above, Joshua 15:6_; Joshua 2. Middin_; 3. _Secacah_; 4. _Nibshan_, sites unknown, places not mentioned elsewhere; 5.... [ Continue Reading ]
_As for_ The Author closes the catalogue of the cities of Judah with an announcement that the children of this royal tribe failed to drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem. _the Jebusites_ The Jebusites are noticed above, ch. Joshua 10:1, and ch. Joshua 11:3. They were a strong mountain-tribe, and... [ Continue Reading ]