Matthew Henry’s Modern English CommentaryJoshua 15

Joshua 15:1 – The Lot of Judah This section describes how the land of Canaan was divided for the tribe of Judah. Judah and Joseph were the two main tribes who received their portions first. Judah’s inheritance was in the south, and Joseph’s was in the north. The other tribes received their lands as smaller portions connected to these two main tribal areas. The land was divided carefully according to the size of each family, and each family’s portion was likely chosen by lot. The chapter also explains the exact borders of Judah’s territory, which were later adjusted when some of the land went to the tribes of Simeon and Dan. Judah’s territory had important borders, guarding the nation from enemies and containing special places like Mount Zion.v. 1–4: Judah’s southern border matched the border of the land of Canaan itself, protecting Israel from enemies such as the Edomites (vv. 1–4; Numbers 34:3–5 ).

v. 5: The eastern border was the Salt Sea (the Dead Sea), which is known for being unusually salty because of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (v. 5 ).

v. 6–7: The northern border included places like the stone of Bohan, a leader from Reuben, and the valley of Achor, which reminded Judah of the trouble caused by Achan (vv. 6–7 ).

v. 8: This border came close to Jerusalem, including Mount Zion and Mount Moriah in Judah’s lot, while most of the city itself belonged to Benjamin (v. 8 ).

v. 12: The western border went near the Mediterranean Sea, but later some of this land was given to the tribe of Dan (v. 12 ).

Joshua 15:13 – Caleb’s Inheritance This section highlights the special inheritance given to Caleb because he had faithfully followed God. Caleb receives the region of Hebron as his inheritance, just as God had promised through Moses. The story also tells how Caleb bravely took the land from the giants living there and encouraged others to be courageous as well. Caleb’s family is blessed, and his daughter Achsah receives extra land and springs of water for her portion. The story of Caleb reminds us that God rewards those who trust and obey Him fully.v. 13: Caleb is given the mountain of Hebron for his inheritance, as the Lord

v. 14: Caleb shows his courage by driving out the three sons of Anak—the giants—from Hebron (v. 14 ). God’s promise helped Caleb succeed, and even these strong enemies could not stand against him. This shows that trusting God brings real victory (Psalm 76:12; Job 12:24 ).

v. 15–17: Caleb continues to fight for the good of his tribe by attacking Debir, also called Kirjath-sepher. He offers his daughter Achsah in marriage to whoever captures the city, and his nephew Othniel wins this honor (vv. 15–17 ). Othniel would later become a judge and deliverer for Israel.

v. 18–19: Achsah, Caleb’s daughter, asks her father for more land with water springs after she gets married. Caleb generously gives her both the upper and lower springs (v. 19 ). This shows that it is good for families to work together for what is best, and that parents should be willing to give to their children when it is for their true good (Psalm 104:10–23 ).Lessons from Caleb’s story: We learn that it is right to seek blessings in a fair way, that husbands and wives should agree on what is good for their families, and that parents should be generous when their children are obedient and respectful (1 Chronicles 4:15 ).

Joshua 15:20 – The Lot of Judah This section lists the cities that belonged to the tribe of Judah. Each city is named, so the people of Judah would know what land was theirs and keep it. The purpose was to help them hold on to their inheritance, not lose it through fear or laziness.

v. 21–32: Here, the cities on the border with Edom are listed. There are thirty-eight cities named, but only twenty-nine counted as Judah’s. This is because nine cities were given later to the tribe of Simeon (Joshua 19:2-9 ). Only the cities that stayed with Judah were counted as theirs.

v. 33: The cities in the valley are next. Fourteen are counted, but fifteen are named. It is likely that Gederah and Gederathaim were two parts of the same city or two names for the same place.

v. 37–41: Sixteen cities are named here, but there is no special category given. These cities are simply listed as part of Judah’s land.

v. 42–44: Nine more cities are listed in this group as belonging to Judah.

v. 45–47: These verses mention three Philistine cities: Ekron, Ashdod, and Gaza, which were important cities on Judah’s border.

v. 48–51: Eleven cities in the mountains are listed here, showing that Judah’s land covered both lowlands and highlands.

v. 52–54: Nine more mountain cities are named.

v. 55–57: Ten additional mountain cities are listed.

v. 58–59: Six more cities in the mountains are included here.

v. 60: Two more cities in the mountains are mentioned.

v. 61–62: Six cities in the wilderness are named. This area was less populated than the others.General Notes: Bethlehem, which later became the city of David and the birthplace of Jesus (Micah 5:2 ), is not listed here. At this time, it was still a small village and not considered a city. Jerusalem remained in the hands of the Jebusites (Joshua 15:63 ) because the people of Judah did not try hard enough to conquer it. If they had shown more faith and effort, God would have helped them succeed. Jerusalem would later become the most important city in Israel, but for now, it stayed outside of Judah’s control as a result of their neglect. Among Judah’s 114 cities are Libnah, which later became independent (2 Kings 8:22 ), and Lachish, where king Amaziah died (1 Kings 14:19 ). Lachish also became known for leading Judah into idolatry (Micah 1:13 ). Other cities, like Giloh (Ahithophel’s town), Tekoa (home of the prophet Amos), and Maresha (where king Asa won a battle), are mentioned. Many cities in this tribe are important in the stories about David, such as Adullam, Ziph, Keilah, Maon, Engedi, and Ziklag. These were places where David often hid from Saul. The wilderness of Judah is also important in the New Testament. John the Baptist preached there, and the kingdom of heaven began there (Matthew 3:1 ). The land of Judah was rich, which matches Jacob’s blessing that Judah would “wash his garments in wine” (Genesis 49:11 ). In general, Judah was a tribe that the others would praise, not envy.