Joshua 15:1-12

Borders of Judah Joshua 15:1-12

This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; even to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward was the uttermost part of the south coast.
2 And their south border was from the shore of the Salt Sea, from the bay that looketh southward:
3 And it went out to the south side to Maalehacrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and ascended up on the south side unto Kadesh-barnea, and passed along to Hezron, and went up to Adar, and fetched a compass to Karkaa:
4 From thence it passed toward Azmon, and went out unto the river of Egypt; and the goings out of that coast were at the sea: this shall be your south coast.
5 And the east border was the Salt Sea, even unto the end of Jordan. And their border in the north quarter was from the bay of the sea at the uttermost part of Jordan:
6 And the border went up to Beth-hogla, and passed along by the north of Beth-arabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben:
7 And the border went up toward Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that is before the going up to Adummim, which is on the south side of the river: and the border passed toward the waters of En-shemesh, and the goings out thereof were at En-rogel:
8 And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward:
9 And the border was drawn from the top of the hill unto the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of mount Ephron; and the border was drawn to Baalah, which is Kirjath-jearim:
10 And the border compassed from Baalah westward unto mount Seir, and passed along unto the side of mount Jearim, which is Chesalon, on the north side, and went down to Beth-shemesh, and passed on to Timnah:
11 And the border went out unto the side of Ekron northward: and the border was drawn to Shicron, and passed along to mount Baalah, and went out unto Jabneel; and the goings out of the border were at the sea.
12 And the west border was to the Great Sea, and the coast thereof, This is the coast of the children of Judah round about according to their families,

1.

Where was Edom? Joshua 15:1

Edom was the territory inhabited by the descendants of Esau. It lay south of the Dead Sea. This land was the southern border of the tribe of Judah. The wilderness of Zin was a part of the Sinaitic Peninsula. In this area Israel had wandered for forty years in the days of Moses. When Israel left Kadesh-barnea, their major camp site in the wilderness of Zin, they asked the king of Edom for permission to travel through his territory. He refused their request, and the Israelites were forced to go all the way back to the head of the Gulf of Aqaba at Ezion-geber in order to go around the land of Edom (Numbers 20:14-21).

2.

Where was the wilderness of Zin? Joshua 15:1 b

The wilderness of Zin was the section of the Sinaitic Peninsula where the children of Israel had wandered for forty years. They had arrived here soon after leaving Mount Sinai, and it was from Kadesh-barnea that Moses had sent twelve spies to search out the land. They returned to this point prior to the death of Aaron and then turned back into the wilderness during the final year of their wanderings. This wilderness also formed a part of the border of Edom, the nation of Esau's descendants, who lived in an area south of the Dead Sea.

3.

Where was the Salt Sea? Joshua 15:2

The Salt Sea was the Dead Sea. The Salt Sea is the lowest spot on the face of the earth. It was the southern extremity of the Jordan River. The waters of the Jordan flow into the sea, but there is no outlet from the sea. As a result, the water stagnates and is filled with all kinds of minerals derived from the evaporation of the waters. Plant life and marine life is killed by the saltiness of the sea. For this reason, it is known as both the Salt Sea and the Dead Sea. This body of water formed the east border of Judah, and a line drawn in a westerly direction from the south end of the Dead Sea formed Judah's southern boundary line.

4.

What points were on the southern border of Judah? Joshua 15:2

The southern border of Judah was along a line drawn from the south end of the Dead Sea. This border followed a southwesterly course until it came to Kadesh-barnea. From this point, it turned back in a northwesterly direction and finally went to the shore of the River of Egypt. The boundary then stretched along the River of Egypt to the shore of the Mediterranean Sea.

5.

Where was the River of Egypt? Joshua 15:4

Some commentators believe that the River of Egypt was the Nile River, but there is never any historical evidence of the children of Israel possessing all of the land between Canaan and the Nile River. Most maps will show a small river running in a northwesterly direction which empties into the Mediterranean Sea, a few miles south of Gaza. It was a stream which flowed rapidly in winter which was the rainy season, and it is now called Wady el-Arish.

6.

What was the east border of Judah? Joshua 15:5

Judah's east border was the Dead Sea. The Scripture says that it was the Salt Sea, even unto the end of Jordan. This was a reference to the fact that the eastern border ran from the junction with the south border at the southern end of the Dead Sea to the north end of the Dead Sea. It was here at the north end of the Dead Sea that the Jordan emptied into the sea. This is the meaning of the phrase, unto the end of Jordan. Of course, the Salt Sea is the Dead Sea.

7.

What was the north border of Judah? Joshua 15:5 b - Joshua 15:11

Judah's north border was along a line which ran from the north end of the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. The border passed along by the south side of the city of Jerusalem and continued on westward. It ran along the north side of the famous Philistine city of Ekron before reaching the shore of the Mediterranean. Kirjath-jearim was another well-known site on the northern border, for here travelers coming to Jerusalem from the west caught their first view of Jerusalem. It was customary for them to stop at this point on the border between Judah and Benjamin, refresh themselves, take in the magnificent view, and then continue gratefully on their way.

8.

What was the west border of Judah? Joshua 15:12

Judah's west border was the Mediterranean Sea. The Scripture reference calls it the Great Sea. It was larger than the Dead Sea or the Sea of Galilee, and thus deserving of this title. The land of Judah thus included the rich maritime plain from a point near Joppa all the way to the point where the River of Egypt emptied into the Mediterranean Sea. The fertile hill country from Jerusalem to Kadesh-barnea was also a part of this great tribe's territory and included such prominent centers as Bethlehem, Hebron, and Beer-sheba.