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1 This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Iudah by their families, euen to the border of Edom; the wildernesse of Zin Southward, was the vttermost 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 Southside to Maalehacrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and ascended vp on the Southside vnto Kadesh-Barnea: and passed along to Hezron, and went vp to Adar, and fetched a compasse to Karkaa.

4 From thence it passed toward Azmon, and went out vnto the riuer of Egypt, and the goings out of that coast were at the sea: this shalbe your South coast.

5 And the East border was the salt Sea, euen vnto the end of Iordan: and their border in the North quarter, was from the bay of the sea, at the vttermost part of Iordan.

6 And the border went vp to Bethhogla, and passed along by the North of Beth-arabah, and the border went vp to the stone of Bohan the sonne of Reuben.

7 And the border went vp toward Debir from the valley of Achor, and so Northward, looking toward Gilgal, that is before the going vp to Adummim, which is on the Southside of the riuer: and the border passed towards the waters of Enshemesh, and the goings out thereof were at En-Rogel.

8 And the border went vp by the valley of the sonne of Hinnom, vnto the South side of the Iebusite, the same is Ierusalem: and the border went vp to the top of the mountaine, 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 drawen from the top of the hill vnto the fountaine of the water of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of mount Ephron, and the border was drawen to Baalah, which is Kiriath-iearim.

10 And the border compassed from Baalah Westward vnto mount Seir, and passed along vnto the side of mount Iearim, (which is Chesalon) on the North side, and went downe to Bethshemesh, and passed on to Timnah.

11 And the border went out vnto the side of Ekron Northward: and the border was drawen to Shicron, and passed along to mount Baalah, and went out vnto Iabneel; and the goings out of the border were at the sea.

12 And the West border was to the great sea, and the coast therof: this is the coast of the children of Iudah round about, according to their families.

13 ¶ And vnto Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh, he gaue a part among the children of Iudah, according to the cōmandement of the Lord to Ioshua, euen the citie of Arba the father of Anak, which citie is Hebron.

14 And Caleb droue thence the three sonnes of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.

15 And he went vp thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kiriath-Sepher.

16 ¶ And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kiriath-Sepher, and taketh it, to him will I giue Achsah my daughter to wife.

17 And Othniel the sonne of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, tooke it: and hee gaue him Achsah his daughter to wife.

18 And it came to passe as shee came vnto him, that she moued him to aske of her father a field, and she lighted off her asse; and Caleb said vnto her, What wouldest thou?

19 Who answered, Giue mee a blessing; for thou hast giuen mee a Southland, giue me also springs of water; and he gaue her the vpper springs, and the nether springs.

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

21 And the vttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Iudah toward the coast of Edom Southward, were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Iagur,

22 And Kinah, and Dimonah, and Adadah,

23 And Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan,

24 Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth,

25 And Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth: and Hezron, which is Hazor,

26 Amam, and Shema, and Moladah,

27 And Hazar-Gaddah, and Heshmon, and Beth-palet,

28 And Hazarshual, and Beersheba, and Biziothiah,

29 Baalah, and Iim, and Azem,

30 And Eltolad, and Chesil, and Hormah,

31 And Ziklag, and Madmannah, and Sansannah,

32 And Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twentie and nine, with their villages.

33 And in the valley, Esthaol, and Zoreah, and Ashnah,

34 And Zanoah, and Engannim, Tappuah, and Enam,

35 Iarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah,

36 And Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim: fourteene cities with their villages.

37 Zenam, and Hadashah, & Migdalgad,

38 And Dileam, and Mizpeh, and Ioktheel,

39 Lachish, and Bozkath, & Eglon,

40 And Cabbon, and Lahmam, and Kithlish,

41 And Gederoth, Beth-dagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah: sixteene cities with their villages.

42 Lebnah, and Ether, and Ashan,

43 And Iiphta, and Ashnah, and Nezib,

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

45 Ekron with her townes, and her villages.

46 From Ekron euen vnto the sea, all that lay neere Ashdod, with their villages.

47 Ashdod with her townes and her villages, Gaza with her townes and her villages, vnto the riuer of Egypt, and the great sea and the border thereof.

48 ¶ And in the mountaines, Shamir, and Iattir, and Socoh,

49 And Dannah, & Kiriath-Sannath, which is Debir,

50 And Anab, and Ashtemoh, and Anim,

51 And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh: eleuen cities with their villages.

52 Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean,

53 And Ianum, and Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah,

54 And Humtah, and Kiriatharba (which is Hebron) and Zior, nine cities with their villages.

55 Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Iuttah,

56 Ind Iezreel, and Iokdeam, and Zanoah,

57 Cain, Gibbeah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages.

58 Halhul, Beth-zur, and Gedor,

59 And Maarah, and Bethanoth, & Eltekon: six cities with their villages.

60 Kiriath-baal, which is Kiriathiearim, and Rabbah: two cities with their villages.

61 ¶ In the wildernesse, Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah,

62 And Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and Engedi: sixe cities with their villages.

63 As for the Iebusites the inhabitants of Ierusalem, the children of Iudah could not driue them out: but the Iebusites dwell with the children of Iudah at Ierusalem vnto this day.

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Commentary for Joshua 15

The borders of the lot of Judah. (1-12) Caleb's portion, His daughter's blessing. (13-19) The cities of Judah. (20-63)1-12 Joshua allotted to Judah, Ephraim, and the half of Manasseh, their inheritances before they left Gilgal. Afterwards removing to Shiloh, another survey was made, and the other tribes had their portion assigned. In due time all God's people are settled.

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.

20-63 Here is a list of the cities of Judah. But we do not here find Bethlehem, afterwards the city of David, and ennobled by the birth of our Lord Jesus in it. That city, which, at the best, was but little among the thousands of Judah, #Mic 5:2|, except that it was thus honoured, was now so little as not to be accounted one of the cities.

Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.

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