Joshua 15:14

_AND CALEB DROVE THENCE THE THREE SONS OF ANAK, SHESHAI, AND AHIMAN, AND TALMAI, THE CHILDREN OF ANAK._ Drove thence the three sons of Anak - rather, three chiefs of the Anakim race (see the note at Joshua 14:15), which seem to have been divided into three clans (cf. Judges 1:20). This exploit is recorded to the honour of Caleb, as the success of it was the reward of his trust in God....

Here we have a narrative of what plainly appears from the book of Joshua to have taken place subsequent to the death of Joshua; but lest a question might have been raised by the novelty of the procedure, in giving a fertile and well watered field as the patrimony of a woman, the writer of the book thought proper to insert a history of that which afterwards happened, in order that no ambiguity might remain in regard to the lot of the tribe of Judah. First, Caleb is said, after he had taken the city of Hebron, to have attacked Debir or Ciriath-sepher, and to have declared, that the person who should be the first to enter it, would be his son-in-law. And it appears, that when he held out this rare prize to his fellow-soldiers for taking the city, no small achievement was required. This confirms what formerly seemed to be the case, that it was a dangerous and difficult task which had been as...

13-19 Achsah obtained some land by Caleb's free grant. He gave her a south land. Land indeed, but a south land, dry and apt to be parched. She obtained more, on her request, and he gave the upper and the nether springs. Those who understand it but of one field, watered both with the rain of heaven, and the springs that issued out of the earth, countenance the allusion commonly made to this, when we pray for spiritual and heavenly blessings which relate to our souls, as blessings of the upper springs, and those which relate to the body and the life that now is, as blessings of the nether springs. All the blessings, both of the upper and the nether springs, belong to the children of God. As related to Christ, they have them freely given of the Father, for the lot of their inheritance....

Verse Joshua 15:14. _THE THREE SONS OF ANAK_] Joshua 14:15....

See the marginal references....

EXPOSITION THE LOT OF JUDAH. JOSHUA 15:1 THE LOT OF THE TRIBE OF THE CHILDREN OF JUDAH. The first twelve verses of this chapter define the boundaries of Judah. With it compare Numbers 34:3, which gives the southern border of the Israelitish territory, corresponding closely with this account of the southern border of Judah. The word _tribe _here is, as might be expected from the context מַטֶה and not שֶּׁבֶט. EVEN TO THE BORDER OF EDOM. The literal translation, which makes the passage clearer, is, "the border of Edom, the wilderness of Zin towards the dry region (נֶגְבָּה) from the extreme limit of the south תֵימָן. The latter of these words, derived from יָמִי

AND CALEB DROVE THENCE THE THREE SONS OF ANAK,.... Some think this was after the death of Joshua, and is here inserted by some other person divinely inspired, and thoroughly acquainted with this fact, that the gift and the possession of this place might appear in one view; but it rather seems to be done before: SHESHAI, AND AHIMAN, AND TALMAI, THE CHILDREN OF ANAK; the very same giants Caleb saw at Hebron, when he was sent a spy into the land, Numbers 13:22; for these may as well be supposed to have lived to this time as himself, unless it can be thought that they were the sons of those men, called by their fathers' names; and though they were driven out when Joshua took Hebron, yet while he was engaged in making other conquests, or however before he died, they regained the possession of that city, and of the parts adjacent to it, from whence Caleb, with the

3. THE PORTION OF JUDAH CHAPTER 15 _ 1. The south-border of Judah's portion (Joshua 15:1)_ 2. The eastern and northern border (Joshua 15:5) 3. The western border (Joshua 15:12) 4. Caleb's conquest (Joshua 15:13) 5. Inheritance according to families (Joshua 15:20) This is a chapter which contains many names; nearly one hundred and fifty are recorded. With the help of a good concordance, or dictionary of Hebrew names, the English meaning may be ascertained. However, many of these names may be derived from

JOSHUA 15:1 reads rather confusedly. The statement is made that the following is the inheritance of Israel a late writer, wishing to be more exact, says the 9½ tribes, and then proceeds to point out how the number 9½ was obtained....

CALEB DROVE THENCE. Compare Judges 1:10, It seems that some evidently returned and repossessed it....