Arab ,.... Arab is the same Jerom F9 De loc. Heb. fol. 91. B. calls Ereb, and was in his time a village in the south, and was called Heromith: and Dumah ; Duma, Jerom says F11 Ibid. fol. 90. K. , was a large village in the south, also on the borders of Eleutheropolis, seventeen miles from it: and Eshean , of which we have no account. 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
Five groups of cities stood in the mountainous hill country of Judah north of the Negev, east of the Shephelah, and west of the wilderness of Judah. This area became home to a large number of Judahites. Eleven towns stood in the southwest section (Joshua 15:48-51) and nine to the north of these (near Hebron, Joshua 15:52-54). Ten more stood to the east of both former groups toward the desert wilderness (Joshua 15:55-57), six to the north of Hebron (Joshua 15:58-59), and two on Judah’s northern... read more
The Lot of Judah1-12. The boundaries of Judah’s lot. There is a valuable descriptive note on this section and on Joshua 15:20-63 in Black’s Commentary on ’Joshua’ in the Smaller Cambridge Bible.2-4. The S. Frontier. This coincides, of course, with the S. Frontier of the whole land as given in Numbers 34:3-5. 4. The river of Egypt] RV ’brook of Egypt,’ not the Nile, but the Wâdy el Arish: cp. Joshua 15:47.5. The E. Frontier, viz. the Dead Sea.5-11. The N. Frontier. Cp. the account in Joshua... read more
CHAPTER XXIV.THE INHERITANCE OF JUDAH.Joshua 15:1-63.JUDAH was the imperial tribe, and it was fitting that he should be planted in a conspicuous territory. Even if the republic had not been destined to give place to the monarchy, some pre-eminence was due to the tribe which had inherited the patriarchal blessing, and from which He was to come in whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed. Judah and the sons of Joseph seem to have obtained their settlements not only before the other... 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