Chapter Text
The Territory of Judah
This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; even to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward was the uttermost part of the south coast.
2And their south border was from the shore of the salt sea, from the bay that looketh southward:
3And it went out to the south side to Maalehacrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and ascended up on the south side unto Kadeshbarnea, and passed along to Hezron, and went up to Adar, and fetched a compass to Karkaa:
4From thence it passed toward Azmon, and went out unto the river of Egypt; and the goings out of that coast were at the sea: this shall be your south coast.
5And the east border was the salt sea, even unto the end of Jordan. And their border in the north quarter was from the bay of the sea at the uttermost part of Jordan:
6And the border went up to Bethhogla, and passed along by the north of Betharabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben:
7And 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 Enshemesh, and the goings out thereof were at Enrogel:
8And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward:
9And the border was drawn from the top of the hill unto 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 Kirjathjearim:
10And the border compassed from Baalah westward unto mount Seir, and passed along unto the side of mount Jearim, which is Chesalon, on the north side, and went down to Bethshemesh, and passed on to Timnah:
11And the border went out unto the side of Ekron northward: and the border was drawn to Shicron, and passed along to mount Baalah, and went out unto Jabneel; and the goings out of the border were at the sea.
12And the west border was to the great sea, and the coast thereof. This is the coast of the children of Judah round about according to their families.
13And unto 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.
14And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.
15And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher.
16And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.
17And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.
18And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou?
19Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.
20This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families.
21And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the coast of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur,
22And Kinah, and Dimonah, and Adadah,
23And Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan,
24Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth,
25And Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth, and Hezron, which is Hazor,
26Amam, and Shema, and Moladah,
27And Hazargaddah, and Heshmon, and Bethpalet,
28And Hazarshual, and Beersheba, and Bizjothjah,
29Baalah, and Iim, and Azem,
30And Eltolad, and Chesil, and Hormah,
31And Ziklag, and Madmannah, and Sansannah,
32And Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twenty and nine, with their villages:
33And in the valley, Eshtaol, and Zoreah, and Ashnah,
34And Zanoah, and Engannim, Tappuah, and Enam,
35Jarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah,
36And Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages:
37Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdalgad,
38And Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel,
39Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,
40And Cabbon, and Lahmam, and Kithlish,
41And Gederoth, Bethdagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages:
42Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan,
43And Jiphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib,
44And Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages:
45Ekron, with her towns and her villages:
46From Ekron even unto the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages:
47Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border thereof:
48And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh,
49And Dannah, and Kirjathsannah, which is Debir,
50And Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim,
51And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages:
52Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean,
53And Janum, and Bethtappuah, and Aphekah,
54And Humtah, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, and Zior; nine cities with their villages:
55Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,
56And Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah,
57Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages:
58Halhul, Bethzur, and Gedor,
59And Maarath, and Bethanoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages:
60Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, and Rabbah; two cities with their villages:
61In the wilderness, Betharabah, Middin, and Secacah,
62And Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and Engedi; six cities with their villages.
63As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.
Summary
Caleb, now eighty-five years old, approaches Joshua at Gilgal and reminds him of the promise Moses made forty-five years earlier at Kadesh-barnea. Caleb requests the hill country of Hebron, where the fearsome Anakim dwell, declaring he is still strong for war. Joshua blesses Caleb and gives him Hebron as his inheritance.
Meaning
Caleb's unwavering faith over forty-five years stands as one of Scripture's greatest examples of perseverance. He did not ask for an easy inheritance but chose the most challenging territory, trusting that God would grant victory.
His declaration 'wholly followed the Lord' reveals the key to enduring faith: complete, unreserved devotion to God through every season of life.
Background
Caleb was one of only two spies who gave a faithful report at Kadesh-barnea. He and Joshua alone survived the wilderness wandering of their generation.
Hebron was associated with Abraham and held deep patriarchal significance. The Anakim were a race of giants whose presence had terrified the other spies.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-12The boundaries of Judah's territory
- vv. 13-19Caleb's inheritance and Othniel's conquest
- vv. 20-32Cities of the southern district (Negev)
- vv. 33-47Cities of the western lowland (Shephelah)
- vv. 48-60Cities of the hill country
- vv. 61-62Cities of the wilderness
- vv. 63The Jebusites remain in Jerusalem
Key Verses
“And unto 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.”— 15:13
Caleb's special inheritance fulfills God's promise made in Numbers 14:24 and Deuteronomy 1:36, rewarding his wholehearted faithfulness during the wilderness years.
“Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.”— 15:19
Achsah's bold request models the principle of asking God for provision beyond mere sufficiency. Her petition for springs of water in an arid land reflects spiritual longing for abundance.
“As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.”— 15:63
This sobering admission of incomplete conquest foreshadows ongoing conflict and stands as a theological marker—Jerusalem would not be fully taken until David's reign (2 Samuel 5:6-7).
People & Places
People
- Caleb — Son of Jephunneh, faithful spy who received Hebron as his inheritance for his wholehearted devotion to the LORD.
- Othniel — Son of Kenaz and Caleb's brother (or nephew), who captured Kirjathsepher and later became Israel's first judge (Judges 3:9).
- Achsah — Caleb's daughter, given in marriage to Othniel as a reward for conquering Debir, known for her bold request for springs of water.
- Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai — The three sons of Anak—giants whom Caleb drove out of Hebron in fulfillment of his long-held confidence in God's promise.
- Bohan — Son of Reuben, after whom a boundary stone marking Judah's northern border was named.
Places
- Hebron — Ancient city in the hill country, also called Kirjatharba, given to Caleb as his inheritance and formerly home to the Anakim giants.
- Debir (Kirjathsepher) — A Canaanite city in the hill country conquered by Othniel, formerly known as 'city of the book.'
- Jerusalem — Called here the city of the Jebusites, situated on Judah's northern border; the Jebusites remained unconquered there.
- Kadeshbarnea — Landmark on Judah's southern border, historically significant as the site from which the twelve spies were sent into Canaan.
- Salt Sea (Dead Sea) — Judah's eastern boundary, the terminal lake of the Jordan River.
- Valley of Hinnom — Valley on the south side of Jerusalem forming part of Judah's northern boundary, later associated with idolatrous practices.
- Beersheba — City in Judah's southern district, traditionally marking the southernmost extent of Israelite settlement.
- Ekron — One of the five principal Philistine cities, listed on the western edge of Judah's territory.
- Gaza — Major Philistine coastal city included within Judah's allotted territory, though Philistine control persisted.
- Engedi — Oasis city in Judah's wilderness district along the western shore of the Dead Sea.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
Caleb's inheritance of Hebron (v. 13) directly fulfills the LORD's promise spoken through Moses in Numbers 14:24 and Joshua 14:9, that Caleb would possess the land he had faithfully surveyed. The mention of Judah's vast territory—stretching from the wilderness to the Mediterranean—anticipates Judah's preeminence among the tribes, from which the royal Davidic line and ultimately the Messiah would arise (Genesis 49:8-10). The Jebusites' persistence in Jerusalem (v. 63) sets the stage for David's later conquest, establishing the city that would become the spiritual center of Israel and the site of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.
Devotional
Caleb's story reminds us that God honors faithfulness across the long arc of life. Decades after spying out the land, Caleb still had the courage to claim what God had promised—even when giants occupied it. He did not shrink from difficulty but moved toward it in faith.
Achsah's request for springs of water teaches us to ask boldly for what we truly need. She was not content with dry land when life-giving water was available. In our own walk with God, we are invited to seek not just survival but flourishing.
Yet verse 63 offers a sober reminder: incomplete obedience leads to lingering compromise. The enemies we tolerate today become the struggles of tomorrow.
Literary Style
This chapter is primarily geographic survey and administrative catalog—a formal land-allotment document listing boundaries, cities, and regional districts. The boundary descriptions (vv. 1-12) follow a systematic directional pattern (south, east, north, west). The narrative of Caleb and Achsah (vv. 13-19) provides a vivid human story within the otherwise technical listing, using dialogue to break the catalogic rhythm.