Joshua 15 

Joshua 15:1 Now the allotment for the tribe of the descendants of Judah by their clans was in the southernmost region, south to the Wilderness of Zin and over to the border of Edom.

Joshua 15:2 Their southern border began at the tip of the Dead Sea on the south bay

Joshua 15:3 and went south of the Scorpions’ Ascent, proceeded to Zin, ascended to the south of Kadesh-Barnea, passed Hezron, ascended to Addar, and turned to Karka.

Joshua 15:4 It proceeded to Azmon and the Brook of Egypt and so the border ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This is your southern border.

Joshua 15:5 Now, the eastern border was along the Dead Sea to the mouth of the Jordan. The border on the north side was from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan.

Joshua 15:6 It ascended to Beth-hoglah, proceeded north of Beth-Arabah, and ascended to the Stone of Bohan, son of Reuben.

Joshua 15:7 Then the border went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning north to the Gilgal opposite the Ascent of Adummim, which is south of the ravine. The border proceeded to the Waters of Shemesh and ended at Rogel.

Joshua 15:8 From there the border went up Ben Hinnom Valley to the southern Jebusite slope (that is, Jerusalem) and ascended to the top of the hill that faces Hinnom Valley on the west, at the northern end of Rephaim Valley.

Joshua 15:9 From the top of the hill, the border curved to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah, went to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then curved to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).

Joshua 15:10 The border turned westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, went to the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), went down to Beth-shemesh, and proceeded to Timnah.

Joshua 15:11 Then the border reached the slope north of Ekron, curved to Shikkeron, proceeded to Mount Baalah, went to Jabneel, and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.

Joshua 15:12 Now the western border was the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. This was the boundary of the descendants of Judah around their clans.

Joshua 15:13 He gave Caleb, son of Jephunneh the following portion among the descendants of Judah based on Yahveh’s instruction to Joshua: Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron; Arba was the father of Anak).

Joshua 15:14 Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, descendants of Anak.

Joshua 15:15 From there, he marched against the inhabitants of Debir, which used to be called Kiriath-Sepher,

Joshua 15:16 and Caleb said, “Whoever attacks and captures Kiriath-Sepher, I will give my daughter Achsah to him as a wife.”

Joshua 15:17 So Othniel, son of Caleb’s brother, Kenaz, captured it, and Caleb gave his daughter Achsah to him as a wife.

Joshua 15:18 When she arrived, she persuaded Othniel to ask her father for a field. As she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”

Joshua 15:19 She replied, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me the springs also.” So he gave her the upper and lower springs.

Joshua 15:20 This was the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Judah by their clans.

Joshua 15:21 These were the outermost cities of the tribe of the descendants of Judah toward the border of Edom in the Negev: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,

Joshua 15:22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah,

Joshua 15:23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan,

Joshua 15:24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,

Joshua 15:25 Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor),

Joshua 15:26 Amam, Shema, Moladah,

Joshua 15:27 Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet,

Joshua 15:28 Hazar-shual, Beer-sheba, Biziothiah,

Joshua 15:29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem,

Joshua 15:30 Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah,

Joshua 15:31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,

Joshua 15:32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon– twenty-nine cities in all, with their settlements.

Joshua 15:33 In the Judean foothills: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,

Joshua 15:34 Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam,

Joshua 15:35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,

Joshua 15:36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim– fourteen cities, with their settlements;

Joshua 15:37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad,

Joshua 15:38 Dilan, Mizpeh, Jokthe-el,

Joshua 15:39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,

Joshua 15:40 Cabbon, Lahmam, Chitlish,

Joshua 15:41 Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah– sixteen cities, with their settlements;

Joshua 15:42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan,

Joshua 15:43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib,

Joshua 15:44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah– nine cities, with their settlements;

Joshua 15:45 Ekron, with its surrounding villages and settlements;

Joshua 15:46 From Ekron to the sea, all the cities near Ashdod, with their settlements;

Joshua 15:47 Ashdod, with its surrounding towns and settlements; Gaza, with its surrounding villages and settlements, to the Brook of Egypt and the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.

Joshua 15:48 In the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh,

Joshua 15:49 Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir),

Joshua 15:50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim,

Joshua 15:51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh – eleven cities, with their settlements;

Joshua 15:52 Arab, Dumah, Eshan,

Joshua 15:53 Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah,

Joshua 15:54 Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior– nine cities, with their settlements;

Joshua 15:55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,

Joshua 15:56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah,

Joshua 15:57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah– ten cities, with their settlements;

Joshua 15:58 Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor,

Joshua 15:59 Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon– six cities, with their settlements;

Joshua 15:60 Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim) and Rabbah– two cities with their settlements.

Joshua 15:61 In the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah,

Joshua 15:62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi – six cities, with their settlements.

Joshua 15:63 But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem. So, the Jebusites still live in Jerusalem among the descendants of Judah today.

Joshua 15 quotes:

“Allotment of the land of Judah includes a detailed description of its boundaries. The boundary list begins in the south and then moves to the east, north, and west. On the east the boundary is the Salt, or Dead Sea to the mouth of the Jordan, and on the west it is the coastline of the Great Sea, or Mediterranean. Descriptions of the southern and northern boundaries indicate a thorough knowledge of ancient geography. The area is small in comparison with ancient empires, but it is a precious heritage for people who have been landless to this point in their history.”

Harris J. Gordon et al. Joshua Judges Ruth. Hendrickson Publishers ; Paternoster Press 2000. p. 88.

“This chapter gives the limits of the territory assigned to the tribe of Judah (verses 1-12), reports Caleb’s conquest of the cities of Hebron and Debir in the territory of Judah (verses 13-19), and names the cities within Judah’s territory (verses 20-63). Judah’s territory lay in the southern part of the land; only Simeon was farther south, but its precise boundaries were never well defined.”

Bratcher Robert G and Barclay Moon Newman. A Handbook on the Book of Joshua. United Bible Societies 1992. p. 201.

Joshua 15 links:

Achsah’s blessing
hell and the holy city
Judah could not
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Tuesday, June 27, 2023
mission and limits

The JOSHUA shelf in Jeff’s library