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 F23 De loc. Heb. fol. 93. D. called Mapha, on the borders of Eleutheropolis to the south, as you go to Aelia, or Jerusalem: and Joktheel , of which nothing is to be said. read more
Lachish ,.... Lachish and Eglon were royal cities, of which see Joshua 10:3 , and Bozkath , is called Boscath, of which place was the mother of King Josiah, 2 Kings 21:1 ; 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 Eglon also was a royal city, of which see Joshua 10:3 . read more
Lachish - and Eglon - See on Joshua 10:3 ; (note). read more
The inheritance of Judah. This chapter does not suggest much matter for homiletic treatment. The chief points to be noticed are HOMILIES BY J. WAITE read more
List of the towns of the tribe of Judah. These are arranged in four divisions, according to the natural features of the district; namely,, those of the Negeb or south country Joshua 15:21-32; of “the valley,” or “the plain” (“Shephelah”, Joshua 15:33-47); of “the mountains” Joshua 15:48-60; and of “the wilderness” Joshua 15:61-62. Many of the identifications are still conjectural only.Joshua 15:21-32. The Negeb was for the most part rocky and arid, and cannot have been at any time very thickly... read more
The tribe of Judah (14:6-15:63)By far the largest portions of Canaan went to the chief tribes, those of Judah and Joseph (cf. Genesis 49:8-12,Genesis 49:22-26). Judah received almost the whole of southern Canaan, and Joseph received almost the whole of central Canaan.Caleb received his special inheritance within the area given to his tribe, Judah. Here he proved that his expression of faith made forty-five years earlier was not mere words. At that time he and Joshua alone in Israel believed... read more
3. Judah’s inheritance ch. 15The tribe of Judah probably received first consideration in the text, because it was this tribe that had received Jacob’s special patriarchal blessing. It was also the largest tribe.Ancient Near Easterners used natural landmarks (rivers, mountains, deserts, towns, etc.) to construct borders as well as artificial boundaries that they made by drawing lines between sites. Virtually all nations have used these methods, and they are still common today.Judah was the... read more
The towns in Judah 15:21-62The writer grouped the towns in Judah according to that tribe’s four districts. This part of Canaan contained four distinct regions: the southern Negev, the lowland plain (Shephelah), the mountains (hill country), and the desert. read more
The Shephelah (lowland) was the area between the Coastal Plain to the west and the hill country of Judah to the east. The Negev lay to its south. The writer grouped the towns in this area also. He named 14 towns in the northern part of the Shephelah (Joshua 15:33-36): 16 in the northwest (Joshua 15:37-41), nine in the south (Joshua 15:42-44), and three in the southwest (Joshua 15:45-47). read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 15:20-63
We have here a list of the several cities that fell within the lot of the tribe of Judah, which are mentioned by name, that they might know their own, and both keep it and keep to it, and might neither through cowardice nor sloth lose the possession of what was their own. I. The cities are here named, and numbered in several classes, which they then could account for the reason of better than we can now. Here are, 1. Some that are said to be the uttermost cities towards the coast of Edom,... read more