Joshua 15

Chapters 13–21 of Joshua describe the division of the land of Canaan among the tribes. Chapter 15 follows the preceding chapter, in which Caleb received Hebron as an inheritance (a portion passed down from generation to generation), and records the portion of the tribe of Judah, the first of the tribes west of the Jordan to be listed.

Outline

• Verses 1–12: The boundaries of Judah's territory. The southern border runs from the southern end of the Salt Sea (the Dead Sea) past Kadesh-barnea to the river (brook) of Egypt and the sea; the eastern border is the Salt Sea; the northern border runs from the mouth of the Jordan past the Valley of Hinnom and Kiriath-jearim to the sea; and the western border is the Great Sea (the Mediterranean).
• Verses 13–19: Caleb receives Hebron and drives out the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. He promises his daughter Achsah to whoever will attack Debir (Kiriath-sepher), and Othniel captures it. Having been given land in the south, Achsah also asks for springs of water, and Caleb gives her the upper springs and the lower springs.
• Verse 20: A summary of Judah's inheritance.
• Verses 21–32: The twenty-nine towns of the south (the Negev), including Beersheba, Hormah, and Ziklag.
• Verses 33–47: The towns of the lowland (the western foothills). Groups of fourteen, sixteen, and nine towns are followed by the Philistine region, including Ekron, Ashdod, and Gaza.
• Verses 48–60: The towns of the hill country, in groups of eleven, nine, ten, six, and two; Debir and Hebron are among them.
• Verses 61–62: The six towns of the wilderness, including the City of Salt and En-gedi.
• Verse 63: The people of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites of Jerusalem.

Key Verses

• Joshua 15:13: "And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave … the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron." This scene marks the fulfillment of God's promise to Caleb.
• Joshua 15:19: "Give me also springs of water." This is Achsah's request for a source of water in the dry land of the south.
• Joshua 15:63: "As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out." This verse shows that the conquest was not complete.

People and Places

• Joshua: The leader who distributed the land.
• Caleb: The son of Jephunneh, who takes Hebron.
• Othniel: The son of Kenaz, who later becomes the first judge.
• Achsah: Caleb's daughter and Othniel's wife.
• Anak: His father is the "Arba" of Kiriath-arba, the old name of Hebron. His three sons are remembered as men of great stature.
• Hebron, Beersheba, Kadesh-barnea, Edom: Major place names in Judah's territory and along its borders.
• Valley of Achor: A valley on the northern border, where the incident involving Achan took place.
• Valley of Hinnom and Jerusalem: Places through which the northern border passes.
• The Philistine region: Ekron, Ashdod, and Gaza are listed as part of Judah's portion.

Points for Reflection

• Material nearly identical to verses 13–19 also appears in Judges 1, where the same conquest is also presented as an action of the tribe of Judah. Verse 63 is likewise read alongside Judges 1: Judges 1:8 states that Judah attacked Jerusalem, while Judges 1:21 states that Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites. Jerusalem is captured by David in 2 Samuel 5. Some interpreters regard the phrase "unto this day" in verse 63 as reflecting the situation before David.
• Because of the Hebrew wording, verse 17 can be read as making Othniel Caleb's younger brother, or as making him the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother (that is, Caleb's nephew). Translations render it differently.
• In some places the total given for a group of towns does not exactly match the number of names actually listed (for example, verses 21–32). This is sometimes attributed to overlapping place names or to names added at a later time. The Septuagint contains an additional group of towns after verse 59, including Bethlehem.
• The word Gehenna, translated "hell" in the New Testament, is derived from "the Valley of Hinnom."