Go to Related Reading
About this book

Joshua

About this book
Chapter 15

1 The land allotted to the tribe of Judah by its clans reached to the border of Edom, to the wilderness of Zin in the Negev far to the south. 2 Their southern border started at the southern tip of the Salt Sea, 3 extended south of the Scorpion Ascent, crossed to Zin, went up from the south to Kadesh Barnea, crossed to Hezron, went up to Addar, and turned toward Karka. 4 It then crossed to Azmon, extended to the Stream of Egypt, and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This was their southern border. 5 The eastern border was the Salt Sea to the mouth of the Jordan River. The northern border started north of the Salt Sea at the mouth of the Jordan, 6 went up to Beth Hoglah, crossed north of Beth Arabah, and went up to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. 7 It then went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning northward to Gilgal (which is opposite the Pass of Adummim south of the valley), crossed to the waters of En Shemesh, and extended to En Rogel. 8 It then went up the Valley of Ben Hinnom to the slope of the Jebusites on the south (that is, Jerusalem), going up to the top of the hill opposite the Valley of Ben Hinnom to the west, which is at the end of the Valley of the Rephaites to the north. 9 It then went from the top of the hill to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, extended to the cities of Mount Ephron, and went to Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim). 10 It then turned from Baalah westward to Mount Seir, crossed to the slope of Mount Jearim on the north (that is Kesalon), descended to Beth Shemesh, and crossed to Timnah. 11 It then extended to the slope of Ekron to the north, went toward Shikkeron, crossed to Mount Baalah, extended to Jabneel, and ended at the sea. 12 The western border was the Mediterranean Sea. These were the borders of the tribe of Judah and its clans. 13 Caleb son of Jephunneh was assigned Kiriath Arba (that is Hebron) within the tribe of Judah, according to the Lord’s instructions to Joshua. (Arba was the father of Anak.) 14 Caleb drove out from there three Anakites—Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai,⁠ descendants of Anak. 15 From there he attacked the people of Debir. (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher.) 16 Caleb said, “To the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher I will give my daughter Achsah as a wife.” 17 When Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, captured it, Caleb gave Achsah his daughter to him as a wife. 18 One time Achsah came and charmed her father so that she could ask him for some land. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What would you like?” 19 She answered, “Please give me a special present. Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water.” So he gave her both the upper and lower springs.⁠ 20 This is the land assigned to the tribe of Judah by its clans: 21 These cities were located at the southern extremity of Judah’s tribal land near the border of Edom: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (that is, Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27 Hazar Gaddah, Heshbon, Beth Pelet, 28 Hazar Shual, Beer Sheba, Biziothiah, 29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon—a total of 29 cities and their towns. 33 These cities were in the foothills: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (or Gederothaim)—a total of 14 cities and their towns. 37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, 39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40 Cabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah—a total of 16 cities and their towns. 42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah—a total of nine cities and their towns. 45 Ekron and its surrounding towns and settlements; 46 from Ekron westward, all those in the vicinity of Ashdod and their towns; 47 Ashdod with its surrounding towns and settlements, and Gaza with its surrounding towns and settlements, as far as the Stream of Egypt and the border at the Mediterranean Sea. 48 These cities were in the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, 49 Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (that is, Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—a total of eleven cities and their towns. 52 Arab, Dumah, Eshan, 53 Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior—a total of nine cities and their towns. 55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—a total of 10 cities and their towns. 58 Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon—a total of six cities and their towns. 60 Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim) and Rabbah—a total of two cities and their towns. 61 These cities were in the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi—a total of six cities and their towns. 63 The men of Judah were unable to conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites live with the people of Judah in Jerusalem to this very day.⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare Joshua 15:63 and Judges 1:21

Hebrew Bible

Share:

Summary

Joshua 15 says the men of Judah could not drive the Jebusites out of Jerusalem, who remained to that day. Judges repeats this almost exactly but blames Benjamin instead of Judah, shifting the failure off the leading tribe.

Passages

Joshua 15:63

Hebrew Bible
59 Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon—a total of six cities and their towns. 60 Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim) and Rabbah—a total of two cities and their towns. 61 These cities were in the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi—a total of six cities and their towns. 63 The men of Judah were unable to conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites live with the people of Judah in Jerusalem to this very day.
600–501 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Joshua

Judges 1:21

Hebrew Bible
20 Caleb received Hebron, just as Moses had promised. He drove out the three Anakites. 21 The men of Benjamin, however, did not conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites live with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this very day. 22 When the men of Joseph attacked Bethel, the Lord was with them. 23 When the men of Joseph spied out Bethel (it used to be called Luz), 24 the spies spotted a man leaving the city. They said to him, “If you show us a secret entrance into the city, we will reward you.”
600–501 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Judges

References

... In most cases it is likely that in the noted parallels Judges is dependent on Joshua (Na’aman 2005, 358–359). Precisely where Judges 1 differs from Joshua, it concerns the obvious attempt to put Judah in a more favorable light than it appears in the book of Joshua (this “pro-Judah bias is challenged by Wong 2005, but then again defended by Frolov 2007). This is what has happened in 1:21, where compared to the parallel in Joshua 15:63 the name of the Judahites is replaced by the name of the Benjaminites as the ones who must be blamed for not driving out the Jebusites from Jerusalem. In 1:8 it is told that the Judahites conquered Jerusalem. Because there is no reference in 1:8 of the Jebusites, we can assume that in the eyes of the author it does not contradict 1:21. Conquering and burning a city is one thing, definitively driving away the inhabitants is something else. ...
Klaas Spronk, Judges, ed. Gert T. M. Prinsloo Cornelis Houtman Wilfred G. E. Watson (Leuven: Peeters, 2019), 51.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Your feedback

Joshua 15:63 and Judges 1:21

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library