The borders of the lot of Judah, 1-12. Caleb's portion and conquest, 13-15. Othniel, for his valor, has Achsah, Caleb's daughter, for a wife, 16, 17. She obtains a blessing from her father, 18-20. The cities of Judah, 21-62. The Jebusites unconquered, 63.
1 And the lot for the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families was to the border of Edom, even to the wilderness of Zin southward, at the uttermost part of the south border. 2 And their south border was from the shore of the Salt Sea, from the bay that looks southward, 3 And it went out to the south side to Maaleh-acrabbim, passed along to Zin, ascended on the south side to Kadesh-barnea, passed along to Hezron, went up to Adar, and turned around to Karkaa. 4 From there it passed toward Azmon, and went out to the river of Egypt, and the limits of that border were at the sea. This shall be their south limit. 5 And the east border was the Salt Sea, even to the end of the Jordan. And their border in the north quarter was from the bay of the sea, at the uttermost part of the 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 its borders were at En-rogel. 8 And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom, to the south side of the Jebusite (the same is Jerusalem). And the border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of Rephaim northward. 9 And the border was drawn from the top of the hill to 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 to mount Seir, passed along to the side of mount Jearim (which is Chesalon) on the north side, went down to Beth-shemesh, and passed on to Timnah. 11 And the border went out to the side of Ekron northward. And the border was drawn to Shicron, passed along to mount Baalah, and went out to Jabneel. And the terminations of the border were at the sea. 12 And the west border was to the Great Sea, and its coast. This is the border of the children of Judah all around according to their families.
13 And to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak (which city is Hebron). 14 And Caleb drove from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. 15 And he went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir. And the name of Debir was formerly Kirjath-sepher. 16 And Caleb said, "He who smites Kirjath-sepher, and takes it, I will give Achsah my daughter to him for a wife." 17 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife. 18 And it came to pass, as she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field. And she got off her donkey, and Caleb said to her, "What do you want?" 19 She answered, "Give me a blessing. Since you have given me land in the south, give me also springs of water." And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.
20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families.
21 And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the border of Edom southward were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor, Hadattah, Kerioth, Hezron (which is Hazor), 26 Aman, Shema, Moladah, 27 Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-palet, 28 Hazar-shual, Beer-sheba, Bizjothjah, 29 Baalah, Iim, Azem, 30 Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, 31 Ziglag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon. All the cities are twenty-nine, with their villages.
33 And in the valley, Eshtaol, Zoreah, Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 36 Sharaim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages.
37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdalgad, 38 Dilean, Mizpeh, Joktheel, 39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40 Cabbon, Lahman, Kithlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages.
42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Jiphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages.
45 Ekron, with her towns and her villages; 46 From Ekron even to the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages.
47 Ashdod, with her towns and her villages; Gaza, with her towns and her villages, to the river of Egypt, and the Great Sea, and its border.
48 And in the mountains, Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, 49 Dannah, Kirjath-sannah (which is Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages.
52 Arab, Dumah, Eshean, 53 Janum, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kirjath-arba (which is Hebron), and Zior; nine cities with their villages.
55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57 Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages.
58 Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages.
60 Kirjath-baal (which is Kirjath-jearim) and Rabbah; two cities with their villages.
61 In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi; six cities with their villages.
63 As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not expel them. But the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Joshua, Chapter 15[➚]
[v.13] - Reference, Joshua 14:13.
[v.16-19] - Reference, Judges 1:11-15.
[v.19] - "land in the south" - From the Pulpit Commentary: "Hebrew, the southland. The word Negeb signifies dry. It must be remembered that it became the word for south, because the south of Palestine was an arid tract. Therefore Achsah must be understood as saying, 'You have given me a dry country, give me also a reservoir of water.'"