Josua 15:1

Afrikaans Bible

En vir die stam van die kinders van Juda, volgens hulle geslagte, het die lot geval: teen die grens van Edom, suidelik na die woestyn Sin toe, tot ver in die suide;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

am 2561, bc 1443, An, Ex, Is, 48

This then was the lot: The geography of the sacred writings presents many difficulties, occasioned by the changes which Canaan has undergone, especially for the last 2,000 years. Many of the ancient towns and villages have had their names so totally changed that their former appellations are no longer discernible; several lie buried under their own ruins, and others have been so long destroyed that not a vestige of them remains. On these accounts it is very difficult to ascertain the precise situation of many places mentioned in these chapters; but this cannot in any measure affect the truth of the narrative. Joshua 14:2, Numbers 26:55, Numbers 26:56

even to the: Numbers 33:36, Numbers 33:37, Numbers 34:3-5, Ezekiel 47:19

Reciprocal: Numbers 13:21 - from the wilderness of Zin Numbers 20:1 - Kadesh Numbers 33:54 - give the less inheritance Numbers 34:17 - are the names Joshua 18:5 - Judah shall Joshua 18:8 - that I may here Joshua 18:11 - between the children Joshua 18:19 - this was the Ezekiel 48:7 - Judah

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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, :-; It seems as if the lot was first cast for the tribes of Judah and Joseph, when the former had the southern, and the latter the northern part of the land for their portion, which was done in Gilgal; after this lots were cast in Shiloh for the other seven tribes, who had the land divided among them, which lay between Judah and Joseph, or between the southern and northern parts of the land, see Joshua 18:1, c. and it seems that not only the land was divided to the tribes by lot, but that the portion of land which belonged to each tribe was divided in the same way to the several families and households belonging thereunto as is here suggested, with respect to the tribe of Judah, whose lot reached

[even] to the border of Edom; or Idumea, which lay to the south of the land of Canaan:

the wilderness of Zin southward [was] the uttermost part of the south coast; the same with Kadesh, and lay upon the borders of Edom; see

Numbers 33:36.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The inheritance of the tribe of Judah is described first by its general boundaries on all four sides Joshua 15:1-12; then reference is again made, for the sake of completeness, to the special inheritance of Caleb which lay within these boundaries Joshua 15:13-20; and lastly a list of the towns is given Joshua 15:21-63. Consult the marginal references.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XV

The lot of the tribe of Judah described, 1.

Their south border, 2-4.

Their east border, 5-11.

Their west border, 12.

Caleb's conquest, 13-15.

Promises his daughter to the person who should take

Kirjath-sepher, 16.

Othniel his kinsman renders himself master of it, and gets

Achsah to wife, 17.

Her request to her father to get a well watered land, which

is granted, 18, 19.

The cities of the tribe of Judah are enumerated, 20-63.

NOTES ON CHAP. XV

Verse Joshua 15:1. This then was the lot of the tribe of - Judah — The geography of the sacred writings presents many difficulties, occasioned by the changes which the civil state of the promised land has undergone, especially for the last two thousand years. Many of the ancient towns and villages have had their names so totally changed, that their former appellations are no longer discernible; several lie buried under their own ruins, and others have been so long destroyed that not one vestige of them remains. On these accounts it is very difficult to ascertain the situation of many of the places mentioned in this and the following chapters. But however this may embarrass the commentator, it cannot affect the truth of the narrative. Some of the principal cities in the universe, cities that were the seats of the most powerful empires, are not only reduced to ruins, but so completely blotted out of the map of the world that their situation cannot be ascertained. Where is Babylon? Where are Nineveh, Carthage, Thebes, Tyre, Baalbec, Palmyra, and the so far-famed and greatly celebrated TROY? Of the former and the latter, so renowned by historians and poets, scarcely a vestige, properly speaking, remains; nor can the learned agree on the spot once occupied by the buildings of those celebrated cities! Should this circumstance invalidate the whole history of the ancient world, in which they made so conspicuous a figure? And can the authenticity of our sacred historian be impaired, because several of the places he mentions no longer exist? Surely no: nor can it be called in question but by the heedless and superficial, or the decidedly profane. Although some of the cities of the holy land are destroyed, and it would be difficult to ascertain the geography of several, yet enough remain, either under their ancient names, or with such decisive characteristics, that through their new names their ancient appellatives are readily discernible.

It is natural to suppose that the division mentioned here was made after an accurate survey of the land, which might have been made by proper persons accompanying the conquering army of the Israelites. Nine tribes and a half were yet to be accommodated, and the land must be divided into nine parts and a half. This was no doubt done with the utmost judgment and discretion, the advantages and disadvantages of each division being carefully balanced. These were the portions which were divided by lot; and it appears that Judah drew the first lot; and, because of the importance and pre-eminence of this tribe, this lot is first described.

By their families — It is supposed that the family divisions were not determined by lot. These were left to the prudence and judgment of Joshua, Eleazar, and the ten princes, who appointed to each family a district in proportion to its number, c., the general division being that alone which was determined by the lot.

To the border of Edom — The tribe of Judah occupied the most southerly part of the land of Canaan. Its limits extended from the extremity of the Dead Sea southward, along Idumea, possibly by the desert of Sin, and proceeding from east to west to the Mediterranean Sea, and the most eastern branch of the river Nile, or to what is called the river of Egypt. Calmet very properly remarks, that Joshua is particular in giving the limits of this tribe, as being the first, the most numerous, most important that which was to furnish the kings of Judea; that in which pure religion was to be preserved, and that from which the Messiah was to spring.