Joshua 15:10-18
Jos 15:10
And 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 Beth-shemesh, and passed on to Timnah:
Mount Seir was located east of the Dead Sea which
was not in the land of Canaan and was given to Esau.
This one was west and was located west of Baalah.
Mount Jearim was located between Baalah and Eshtaol in the town of
Chesalon. Beth-shemesh was about 8
miles (13 KM) southwest of Baalah.
Timnah was about 4 miles (6 KM) northwest of Beth-shemesh.
Jos 15:11
And 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.
Timnah to Ekron was about 4 miles west (6 KM).
Shichron (Shikkeron) was about 7 miles (11 KM) northwest of Ekron.
Mount Baalah was about 3 miles (5 KM) west of Shicron.
Jabneel was about 2 miles (3 KM) northwest of Mount Baalah.
The border was the Great Sea which was about 2 miles (3 KM) west.
Jos 15:12
And 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.
The border was the Mediterranean Sea and the coast went
from Jabneel to the River of Egypt southward.
Judah was also bound on the west by Dan and Simeon by the Mediterranean
Sea. The tribe of Benjamin was to
the north and the wilderness of Paran to the south.
Jos 15:13
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.
The LORD had given instructions to Joshua that Caleb was
to be given a portion of land within the tribe of Judah.
He was given the city of Hebron with some of the surrounding cities.
Arba must have been a great warrior or a great man of position among the
Anakims since the city was named after him.
Jos 15:14
And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai,
and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.
About 45 years previously Caleb was one of the two spies
who stated that they should go into the land and they should not fear the giants
as the other ten spies did. Here in
this verse we read that Caleb drove out the sons of Anak who were the giants in
the land. The names mentioned were
probably not just three individuals but were three family units in which all of
them were routed from Hebron.
And they ascended by the south, and came
unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak,
were. (Now Hebron was built
seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) (Numbers 13:22)
These were the same ones that he saw forty five years earlier.
Jos 15:15
And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and
the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher.
After Caleb was given the city of Hebron, he then took
the city of Debir which was five miles (8 KM) south of Hebron.
The name Kirjath-sepher meant “city of letters of the book.”
It may have been a center for learning or there may have been a library
there. It was possible that this
place held all the records of the Canaanites in that area like a hall of
records.
Jos 15:16
And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and
taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.
Caleb was wise in that he was trying out some of his
soldiers to test their valor. The
town was already subdued by Joshua but Caleb wanted to see who would volunteer
for the mission and to see what leaders he had under him since he was probably
preparing or training the next generation since he knew that he was well up in
years and eventually would die so he wanted to raise up a new set of leaders
that could continue on after he was gone.
Jos 15:17
And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took
it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.
Caleb was the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite and Othniel
was the son of Kenaz.
Achsah was
a cousin of Othniel and because he was able to take Kirjath-sepher, Caleb gave
him Achsah to wife. So literally
Achsah married her uncle. Othniel
was the younger brother of Caleb who was also a Judge.
And when the children of
Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of
Israel, who delivered them, even
Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. (Judges 3:9)
I wonder if Caleb made this proclamation without realizing that a family
member might take him up on his offer.
Jos 15:18
And 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?