In this chapter are related the boundaries of the lot of the tribe of Judah, Josh. 15:1–12; and the assignment of Hebron to Caleb, from whence he drove out the giants, and of Debir, which was taken by Othniel his brother, to whom, on that account, he gave his daughter in marriage, who made a…

This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families The land of Canaan was divided by lot to the several tribes, and the tribe of Judah had its lot first; of the manner of casting lots, (See Gill on Num.

And their south border was from the shore of the salt sea Sometimes called the dead sea, the sea of Sodom, and the lake Asphaltites, which, as Jarchi observes, was southeast of the land of Israel: from the bay that looketh southward; or the “tongue”, as the Hebrew, which the Targum and Kimchi…

And it went out to the south side of Maalehacrabbim Or the ascent of Akrabbim, as it is called, (See Gill on Num. 34:4): and passed along to Zin, and ascended upon the south side unto Kadeshbarnea; which perfectly agrees with the southern border of the land, as described in ; and passed along to…

From thence it passed towards Azmon, and went out unto the river of Egypt In like manner is this coast described, ; it is called by Jerom [[22]] Asemona, and said to be a city in the desert, to the south of Judah, dividing Egypt, and the lot of the tribe of Judah, leading to the sea: and the…

And the east border was the salt sea, even unto the end of Jordan To the place where Jordan fell into it; so that this border was the whole length of the salt sea, which Josephus says [[23]] was five hundred eighty furlongs; and, according to Pliny [[24]], an hundred miles: and their border in the…

And the border went up to Bethhoglah A place in the tribe of Benjamin, mentioned along with Jericho, and probably near it, ; Jerom [[0]] speaks of a place called Betagla, in his time, which was three miles from Jericho, and two from Jordan, and perhaps is this same place: and passed along by the…

And the border went up towards Debir This was neither the Debir in the tribe of Gad, on the other side Jordan, ; nor that in the tribe of Judah near Hebron, ; but a third city of that name, and was not far from Jericho: from the valley of Achor; where Achan was put to death, and had its name from…

And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom Which belonged to a man of that name formerly; and was near Jerusalem, placed by Jerom [[10]] to the east of it; but Reland [[11]] rather thinks it is to the south.

And the border was drawn from the top of the hill Mount Moriah, and went round in a circuit, so Jarchi and Kimchi: unto the fountain of the water of Nephtoah; which lay at the bottom of it; which, according to the Jewish writers, is the same with the fountain of Etam, from whence a stream flowed to…

And the border compassed from Baalah westward unto Mount Seir Not that in Idumea, so famous for its being the seat of Esau, which lay remote from hence, but a third of that name near Kirjathjearim; and which Adrichomius [[18]] places on the borders of Azotus and Ashkelon: this compass is fetched…

And the border went out unto the side of Ekron northward Which was one of the principalities of the Philistines; and which, though it fell to the lot of Judah, , was not possessed by them: and the border was drawn to Shicron, and passed along to Mount Baalah; of which places we have no account…

And the west border was to the great sea, and the coast thereof The western border of the tribe of Judah went along by the Mediterranean sea, which lay west to the land of Canaan; and this border reached from Jabneel to the river of Egypt, where the southern border ended, ; this is the coast of the…

And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah That is, Joshua gave it to him. This account is inserted before the cities in the lot of the tribe of Judah were enumerated, to show what was to be excepted from them, and which had been given to Caleb previous to the…

And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak Some think this was after the death of Joshua, and is here inserted by some other person divinely inspired, and thoroughly acquainted with this fact, that the gift and the possession of this place might appear in one view; but it rather seems to be done…

And he went up from thence to the inhabitants of Debir Having conquered Hebron, and got possession of that, Caleb marched to Debir, a city not many miles from Hebron, and seems to have been in the country, and part of the land, which was given him; of which (See Gill on Josh.

And Caleb said, he that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, &c.] Which he ordered to be proclaimed through the army that was under his command; and which was done not so much on the account of the difficulty of taking the place, through the number of the inhabitants of it, and its fortifications,…

And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it, &c.] The relation of Othniel to Caleb is a little intricate, and, as it is understood, occasions objections to the marriage of Caleb’s daughter to him; it seems, at first sight, that he was Caleb’s own brother, a younger brother, and so…

And it came to pass, as she came unto him To her husband, being conducted from her father’s house to his, in order to consummate the marriage, just as we may suppose when she was got to her husband’s house, before she lighted off the beast on which she rode: that she moved him to ask of her father…

Who answered, give me a blessing By which she meant not a paternal benediction, or that he would wish and pray for a blessing on her; nor food, or a maintenance, as Jarchi, that her husband would provide for her; but rather an inheritance or possession, as the Targum; or a gift, as Abendana, a…

This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah, according to their families. ] The general description of which is given in the preceding part of the chapter, as the particular cities belonging to it are enumerated in the following part; the account of the gift of Hebron to Caleb,…

And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah That is, those cities which were the outward part of the tribe of Judah, the southern border of it; for the midland cities are not in this part, of the description reckoned, which reaches from hence to the end of ; toward the coast of…

And Kinah Of this city we read of nowhere else; and Dimonah; the second city is thought to be the same with Dibon, ; and Jerom [[1]] observes, that a place elsewhere was indifferently called in his time Dibon and Dimon; and Adadah; the last of these cities is nowhere met with. 2: Comment.

And Kedesh The first of these cities seems to be Kadeshbarnea, which was to the south of the land, and on the borders of Edom, from whence the spies were sent, ; and Hazor is another city from that which is mentioned, ; and was in the tribe of Naphtali; and Ithnan, which Jerom [[2]] calls Jedna,…

Ziph Ziph was of the tribe of Judah in the south, on the borders of Eleutheropolis, as Jerom says [[3]] and was eight miles from Hebron to the east; and in his time a village was shown, where David was hid; but that Ziph seems to be in another part of this tribe near Carmel, and from whence a…

And Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth, and Hezron, which is Hazor. ] According to the Targum, two cities only are here meant, which reads, “and Hazorhadattah, and Keriothhezron, which is Hazor”; and this reading seems to be right; there were three Hazors in this tribe, one in , and two more here, which…

Amam Of Amam we read nowhere else; and Shema is thought by some to be the same with Sheba, though wrongly, given afterwards to the tribe of Simeon, as was also Moladah, mentioned with it, ; and Moladah; it is also spoken of in , and seems to be the same with Malathi or Malatis, about twenty miles…

And Hazargaddah The first of these, it is probable, is the same, Jerom [[6]] calls Gadda, in the tribe of Judah, which was in his day a village in the extreme borders of Daroma to the east, hanging over the dead sea; and Heshmon is met with nowhere else; and Bethpalet is in , where it is called…

And Hazarshual The first of these seems to have its name from an haunt of foxes here, and was given to the tribe of Simeon, ; and is mentioned as here with Beersheba, ; and Beersheba was a city well known in the extreme border of the land of Canaan southward; hence the phrase “from Dan to…

Baalah Baalah was given to the tribe of Simeon, ; for Baalah is the same with Balah there, as it is with Bilba, ; though according to the Jerusalem Talmud [[8]] it is the same with Baalah, given to the tribe of Dan, ; and was one of those places whose houses were in Judah and their fields in Dan;…

And Eltolad The first of these cities is called Tolad, ; and Chesil seems to be the same with Bethul and Bethuel, ; and here the Greek version calls it Baithel; and Hormah is the same with Zephath, . All these three cities were given to the tribe of Simeon, .

And Ziklag Ziklag was also given to the tribe of Simeon, , it was in the bands of the king of Gath, in the times of David, who gave it to him; it bordered on the Amalekites, and is placed by Jerom [[2]] in Daroma, on the south of the lot of Judah or Simeon.

And Lebaoth Whether Lebaoth is the same with Bethlebaoth, given to the tribe of Simeon, ; is not certain; and Shilhim is nowhere else spoken of; and Ain seems to be the same with that in ; also (See Gill on Num.

And in the valley In are enumerated the several cities belonging to the tribe of Judah which lay in the valley. Jerom [[5]] says, that now all the plain and champaign country near Eleutheropolis, which verges to the north and west, is called “Sephela”, or the valley: Eshtaol; the two first of these…

And Zanoah The first of these, Jerom says [[8]], is in the borders of Eleutheropolis, as you go to Aelia (or Jerusalem); there is at this day a village called Zanua; and Engannim, which signifies a fountain of gardens, is now (according to the same writer [[9]]) a village near Bethel; and Tappuah…

Jarmuth, and Adullam The two first of these were royal cities, of which see ; Socoh; Jerom says [[11]] there were two little villages in his day of the name of Socho, as you go to Aelia (or Jerusalem), from Eleutheropolis, in the ninth mile on the public way, one in the mountain, and the other in…

And Sharaim Sharaim seems to be the Saara of Jerom, which he describes as a village on the borders of Eleutheropolis, to the north as you go to Nicopolis (or Emmaus), about ten miles from it in the tribe of Dan or Judah [[13]]; there was a place called Bethshaaraim, where the sanhedrim sometimes…

Zenan Here begins another list or catalogue of the cities in the valley or plain. Zenan perhaps is the same with Zaanan, ; and Hadashah was so small a city in Judea in the times of the Misnic doctors, that they say [[18]] it had but fifty dwellings in it; and Jerom speaks [[19]] of a place called…

And Dilean Of the first of these nothing is to be said; and Mizpeh, of which name there were cities in other tribes; this in the tribe of Judah was in the times of Jerom [[21]] called Mapha, on the borders of Eleutheropolis to the south, as you go to Aelia, or Jerusalem; and Joktheel, of which…

Lachish Lachish and Eglon were royal cities, of which see ; and Bozkath, is called Boscath, of which place was the mother of King Josiah, ; some take it to be the same with Bascana, as in the Apocrypha: “And when he came near to Bascama he slew Jonathan, who was buried there.” (1 Maccabees 13:23)…

And Cabbon, and Lahmam, and Kithlish. ] Cities of which we can give no account, not being mentioned elsewhere.

And Gederoth Gederoth is reckoned among the cities of the low country, and south of Judah, ; and Bethdagon; in it very probably was a temple of Dagon, which was a principal deity of the Philistines, ; Jerom says [[22]] in his time was shown a large village called Capherdagon, between Diospolis and…

Libnah Here begins another division or list of the cities of Judah, in the valley or plain. Libnah is the same with Libnah, a royal city; see ; and Ether was given to the tribe of Simeon, ; and under Ether of the lot of Simeon, Jerom writes [[23]], there is now a very large village called Jethira,…

And Jiphtah Jiphtah is nowhere else mentioned; and Ashnah; there was another Ashnah of this tribe, and which was in the vale also, met with already in ; and Nezib was in Jerom’s [[0]] times called Nasib, seven miles from Eleutheropolis, as you go to Hebron. 1: De loc. Heb. fol. 93. I.

And Keilah The first of these is a well known city, which David saved from the hands of the Philistines, In Jerom’s time it was a little village to the east of Eleutheropolis, about eight miles from it, as you go to Hebron; in which was shown the sepulchre of the Prophet Habakkuk [[1]].

Ekron, with her towns and her villages. ] One of the five principalities of the Philistines, which with two more next mentioned, though they fell to the lot of the tribe of Judah, were never possessed by them; for which reason perhaps Gath and Ascalon are not mentioned, and these are put for the…

From Ekron even unto the sea The Mediterranean sea, or the west, as the Targum: all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages; this is the Azotus of the New Testament, , another of the principalities of the Philistines, of which and Ekron (See Gill on Amos 1:8) and (See Gill on Zeph. 2:4).

Ashdod with her towns and, her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages Gaza was another of the principalities of the Philistines, of which (See Gill on Amos 1:7); (See Gill on Zeph.

And in the mountains The hill country of Judea, as it is called (Luke 1:39, Luke 1:65) , in which were the following cities: Shamir: the Alexandrian copy of the Greek version reads Sophir as the name, of the first of these cities; and Jerom says [[3]] there was a village of this name in the…

And Dannah Dannah is not mentioned elsewhere, and Kirjathsannah, which is Debir; Kirjathsannah had three names, this and Debir, and Kirjathsepher; (See Gill on Josh.

And Anab Of Anab, (See Gill on Josh. 11:21); and Eshtemoh Jerom calls [[7]] Astemech, a village in the tribe of Judah, and belongs to the Jews in Daroma, and is to the north of a place called Anem, perhaps the same with Anim here; and Anim Jerom says is the village Anea, near another of the same…

And Goshen Of Goshen in the land of Canaan, (See Gill on Josh. 10:41); and Holon, of which there is no other mention; and Giloh was the city of Ahitophel, ; eleven cities with their villages; the number agrees; this is the first division of cities in the mountains; a second follows.

Arab Arab is the same Jerom [[8]] calls Ereb, and was in his time a village in the south, and was called Heromith; and Dumah; Duma, Jerom says [[9]], was a large village in the south, also on the borders of Eleutheropolis, seventeen miles from it; and Eshean, of which we have no account. 9: De loc.

And Janum Under the word “Janum”, Jerom writes [[10]], there is a village called Janua, three miles from Legion to the south, but seems not to be what is written; and Bethtappuah is by Jerom called Bethaphu [[11]], and said to be a village in the tribe of Judah, fourteen miles beyond Raphia, as you…

And Humtah Of Humtah we nowhere else read; and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron; of Kirjatharba we read frequently; (See Gill on Josh. 14:15); and Zior; Jerom says [[13]], that in his time there was a village shown by the name of Sihor, between Aelia (or Jerusalem) and Eleutheropolis, in the tribe of…

Maon, Carmel Maon was the dwelling place of Nabal the Carmelite, whose possessions were in Carmel, and were not far from one another, . It gave name to a wilderness near where David hid himself from Saul, ; Jerom [[14]] places it to the east of Daroma, who also informs [[15]] us, that there was in…

And Jezreel This Jezreel in the tribe of Judah is different from that which was once a royal seat of some of the kings of Israel, and from whence the famous valley of Jezreel or Esdraelon had its name: of this we have no other account elsewhere; and Jokdeam; of which we have no other mention; and…

Cain Cain, or Hakain, “that Cain”, we nowhere else read of; whether the name was given it by the old Canaanites, in memory of Cain, the son of Adam, is not certain: Gibeah; there were other places that went by the name of Gibeah; there was a Gibeah in Benjamin, (Judg. 20:4, Judg. 20:10) (1 Sam.

Halhul Here begins a fourth division, or list, of the cities in the mountains. Halhul Jerom calls Ehul, and says [[21]] there was in his time in the country belonging to Aelia (or Jerusalem) a village by the name of Ahula, near Hebron; and Bethzur, Jerom says [[22]], was then called Bethseron, a…

And Maarath, and Bethanoth, and Eltekon Of these cities we have no account elsewhere; only mention is made of Eltekeh, in the tribe of Dan, ; six cities with their villages; these were all in the mountainous part of Judea, as were the two following.

Kirjathbaal, (which is Kirjathjearim,) Of Kirjathbaal, and its several names, (See Gill on Josh. 15:9); and Rabbah, of which we nowhere else read; for this is a very different city from the Rabbah of the children of Ammon, ; two cities with their villages; why these are reckoned by themselves is…

In the wilderness The wilderness of Judea, which was not a desert and uninhabited but had many cities and villages in it, those that follow: Betharabah; the first of these seems to be in the borders of Judah and Benjamin, and so is ascribed to both; see ; Middin, and Secacah; of the two last we…

And Nibshan Of Nibshan no mention is made elsewhere; and the city of Salt some take to be Zoar, so called because near the salt sea, or where Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt, (Gen. 19:22, Gen. 19:26) ; but rather this city might be so called, because salt was made here.

As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem From whom the city was called Jebus, . The Jews say, that these Jebusites were not those of the seven nations; but there was a man whose name was Jebus, and he was of the Philistines, of the seed of Abimelech, and the place was called by his name…