Joshua 15

The Territory of Judah

¹The 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.

²Their south border was from the uttermost part of the Salt Sea, from the bay that looks southward;

³and it went out southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and went up by the south of Kadesh Barnea, and passed along by Hezron, went up to Addar, and turned toward Karka;

⁴and it passed along to Azmon, went out at the brook of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This shall be your south border.

⁵The east border was the Salt Sea, even to the end of the Jordan. The border of the north quarter was from the bay of the sea at the end of the Jordan.

⁶The border went up to Beth Hoglah, and passed along by the north of Beth Arabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.

⁷The border went up to Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that faces the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the river. The border passed along to the waters of En Shemesh, and ended at En Rogel.

⁸The border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom to the side of the Jebusite (also called Jerusalem) southward; and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the farthest part of the valley of Rephaim northward.

⁹The border extended from the top of the mountain to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of Mount Ephron; and the border extended to Baalah (also called Kiriath Jearim);

¹⁰and the border turned about from Baalah westward to Mount Seir, and passed along to the side of Mount Jearim (also called Chesalon) on the north, and went down to Beth Shemesh, and passed along by Timnah;

¹¹and the border went out to the side of Ekron northward; and the border extended to Shikkeron, and passed along to Mount Baalah, and went out at Jabneel; and the goings out of the border were at the sea.

¹²The west border was to the shore of the great sea. This is the border of the children of Judah according to their families.

¹³He gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even Kiriath Arba, named after the father of Anak (also called Hebron).

¹⁴Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.

¹⁵He went up against the inhabitants of Debir: now the name of Debir before was Kiriath Sepher.

¹⁶Caleb said, “He who strikes Kiriath Sepher, and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter as wife.”

¹⁷Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife.

¹⁸When she came, she had him ask her father for a field. She got off her donkey, and Caleb said, “What do you want?”

¹⁹She said, “Give me a blessing. Because you have set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water.” So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

²⁰This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families.

²¹The farthest cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the border of Edom in the South were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,

²²Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah,

²³Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan,

²⁴Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,

²⁵Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (also called Hazor),

²⁶Amam, Shema, Moladah,

²⁷Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet,

²⁸Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah,

²⁹Baalah, Iim, Ezem,

³⁰Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah,

³¹Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,

³²Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon. All the cities are twenty-nine, with their villages.

³³In the lowland, Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,

³⁴Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam,

³⁵Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,

³⁶Shaaraim, Adithaim and Gederah (or Gederothaim); fourteen cities with their villages.

³⁷Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad,

³⁸Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel,

³⁹Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,

⁴⁰Cabbon, Lahmam, Chitlish,

⁴¹Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages.

⁴²Libnah, Ether, Ashan,

⁴³Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib,

⁴⁴Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages.

⁴⁵Ekron, with its towns and its villages;

⁴⁶from Ekron even to the sea, all that were by the side of Ashdod, with their villages.

⁴⁷Ashdod, its towns and its villages; Gaza, its towns and its villages; to the brook of Egypt, and the great sea with its coastline.

⁴⁸In the hill country, Shamir, Jattir, Socoh,

⁴⁹Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (which is Debir),

⁵⁰Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim,

⁵¹Goshen, Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages.

⁵²Arab, Dumah, Eshan,

⁵³Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah,

⁵⁴Humtah, Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), and Zior; nine cities with their villages.

⁵⁵Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Jutah,

⁵⁶Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah,

⁵⁷Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages.

⁵⁸Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor,

⁵⁹Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages.

⁶⁰Kiriath Baal (also called Kiriath Jearim), and Rabbah; two cities with their villages.

⁶¹In the wilderness, Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah,

⁶²Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi; six cities with their villages.

⁶³As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah couldn’t drive them out; but the Jebusites live with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.

Previous Joshua 14

Next Joshua 16

Joshua 15 details the territorial boundaries allotted to the tribe of Judah, the largest and most prominent tribe of Israel. The chapter provides extensive geographical descriptions of Judah's borders, stretching from the wilderness of Zin in the south to Jerusalem in the north, and from the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean coast. Special attention is given to Caleb's inheritance of Hebron and his successful conquest of the land, including his daughter Achsah's marriage to Othniel and her request for additional water sources, demonstrating God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to His people.

Context

This chapter continues the systematic distribution of the Promised Land that began in chapter 14, with Judah receiving the first and largest tribal inheritance.

Key Themes

Outline

1-12
Judah's Territorial Boundaries Detailed description of Judah's borders extending from Edom in the south to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.
13-19
Caleb's Inheritance and Conquest Caleb receives Hebron, defeats the Anakim, and his daughter Achsah secures additional land with water sources.
20-63
Cities Within Judah's Territory Comprehensive listing of towns and cities allocated to Judah's clans, organized by geographical regions.

The Territory of Judah

15:1–15:63

narrative narration solemn

Detailed description of the territorial boundaries allocated to the tribe of Judah. The passage provides extensive geographical boundaries defining Judah's inheritance in the Promised Land.

geographic

Hezron uniquely bridges genealogy and geography, appearing as both a son of Judah in Genesis and a boundary marker defining Judah's territorial inheritance.

Insight Geography

Hezron uniquely bridges genealogy and geography, appearing as both a son of Judah in Genesis and a boundary marker defining Judah's territorial inheritance.

Cross-References

Connected passages across Scripture

Joshua 15:1 5 references

Lexicals 5

Numbers 34:3 Lexical

then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the side of Edom, and your south border shall be fr…

6 shared words

Joshua 18:11 Lexical

The lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families. The border of their lot went out b…

4 shared words

Numbers 34:4 Lexical

Your border shall turn about southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass along to Zin; and it shall pass southward of…

Joshua 15

The Territory of Judah

The Territory of Judah

Insights

Cross-References

Joshua 15:1 5 references

Joshua 15:2 5 references

Joshua 15:3 2 references

Joshua 15:4 5 references

Joshua 15:5 5 references

Joshua 15:6 2 references

Joshua 15:7 5 references

Joshua 15:8 5 references

Joshua 15:9 3 references

Joshua 15:10 5 references

Joshua 15:11 5 references

Joshua 15:13 5 references

Joshua 15:14 4 references

Joshua 15:15 1 reference

Joshua 15:16 3 references

Joshua 15:17 5 references

Joshua 15:18 1 reference

Joshua 15:19 1 reference

Joshua 15:20 5 references

Joshua 15:21 4 references

Joshua 15:23 1 reference

Joshua 15:28 2 references

Joshua 15:30 1 reference

Joshua 15:32 2 references

Joshua 15:33 5 references

Joshua 15:35 3 references

Joshua 15:42 1 reference

Joshua 15:47 5 references

Joshua 15:49 1 reference

Joshua 15:55 2 references

Joshua 15:60 1 reference

Interlinear

Historical Context