1 This was the land allotted to the tribe of Judah, by families: it stretched south to the border of Edom, to the wilderness of Zin in the far south. 2 Their boundary began at the end of the Salt Sea—the bay that faces south— 3 and then went south of Scorpion Pass through the wilderness of Zin, then heading south from Kadesh-barnea to Hezron. From there it went up to Addar and then turned towards Karka, 4 passing through Azmon and out to the Wadi of Egypt, ending at the sea. This was their southern border. 5 The eastern border of Judah was the Salt Sea, up to where the Jordan River ends. The northern boundary ran from the northern bay of the sea where the Jordan ends 6 up to the border of Beth-hoglath, and then north of Beth-arabah to the Stone of Bohan (Reuben's son). 7 From there it went to the border of Debir through the valley of Achor, and turned north towards Gilgal, opposite the heights of Adummim to the south of the valley. Then the boundary continued to the waters of En-shemesh and out to En-rogel. 8 The boundary then went through the valley of Ben-hinnom, along the southern slopes of the Jebusites (that is Jerusalem), then on up to the top of the mountain overlooking the valley of Hinnom right up to the northern end of the valley of Rephaim. 9 From there the boundary ran from the top of the mountain to the water spring at Nephtoah and on to the towns on Mount Ephron. Then it bent towards Ballah (Kiriath-jearim). 10 Then the boundary moved around to the west of Baalah to Mount Seir and passed along the northern slope of Mount Jearim to the town of Kesalon, down to Beth Shemesh and on to Timnah. 11 The boundary then ran to the north slope of Ekron, and bent towards Shikkeron, passing Mount Baalah, out to Jabneel, and ending at the sea. 12 The western boundary was the coastline of the Great Sea. These were the boundaries around the tribe of Judah, by families. 13 The Lord had instructed Joshua to allocate some land in Judah's territory to Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and so he was given the town of Kiriath-arba, or Hebron. (Arba was the father of Anak.) 14 Caleb drove out three family groups—Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, descendants of Anak. 15 From there he went to attack the inhabitants of Debir (previously known as Kiriath-sepher). 16 Caleb announced, “Whoever attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him my daughter Acsah to marry.” 17 Othniel, son of Kenaz, brother of Caleb, captured the town so Caleb gave him his daughter Acsah to marry. 18 When she came to him, she encouraged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?” 19 She replied, “Please give me a blessing. Since you have already given me land that's like the desert, please give me springs of water as well.” So he gave her both the upper and the lower springs. 20 This was the land allotted to the tribe of Judah, by families. 21 The towns for the tribe of Judah in the far south on the border with Edom: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (or Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27 Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet, 28 Hazar-shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, 29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon—twenty-nine towns with their associated villages. 33 The towns in the western foothills: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, 34 Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim—fourteen towns with their associated villages. 37 Also: Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpeh, Joktheel, 39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40 Cabbon, Lahmam, Kitlish, 41 Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah—sixteen towns with their associated villages. 42 In addition: Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, 44 Keilah, Aczib, and Mareshah—nine towns with their associated villages. 45 Ekron and its towns and villages, 46 from Ekron to the sea those towns near Ashdod and their associated villages, 47 Ashdod and its towns with its associated villages, and Gaza with its towns and associated villages, as far as the Wadi of Egypt, and along the coastline of the sea. 48 In the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, 49 Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (or Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—eleven towns with their associated villages. 52 Also: Arab, Dumah, Eshan, 53 Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, 54 Humtah, Kiriath-arba (or Hebron), and Zior—nine towns with their associated villages. 55 In addition: Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, 57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—ten towns with their ssociated villages. 58 Also: Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor, 59 Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon—six towns with their associated villages. 60 In addition: Kiriath-baal (or Kiriath-jearim) and Rabbah—two towns with their associated villages. 61 In the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi—six towns with their associated villages. 63 However, the tribe of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live among the tribe of Judah in Jerusalem to this very day.
Joshua 15 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Acsah
Caleb's daughter, given in marriage to Othniel when he captured Kiriath-sepher, who asked her father to add springs of water to the Negev land he had given her.
Cited in the guide: Joshua 15:16; Joshua 15:18–19; Judges 1:12–15
Ahiman
One of three descendants of Anak whom the spies saw living at Hebron.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 13:22; Joshua 15:14; Judges 1:10
Arba
Called the greatest man among the Anakim and the father of Anak, after whom Hebron was formerly named Kiriath-arba.
Cited in the guide: Joshua 14:15; Joshua 15:13; Joshua 21:11
Bohan
Called a son of Reuben, he gave his name to the Stone of Bohan, a landmark on the border between Judah and Benjamin; 'son' may mean descendant.
Cited in the guide: Joshua 15:6; Joshua 18:17
Kenaz
Brother of Caleb (his younger brother, according to Judges) and father of Othniel, the first judge after Joshua.
Cited in the guide: Joshua 15:17; Judges 1:13; Judges 3:9
Othniel
Son of Caleb's brother Kenaz who captured Kiriath-sepher and so won Caleb's daughter Acsah as his wife, and later, with the Spirit of the LORD upon him, judged Israel and defeated…
Cited in the guide: Joshua 15:17; Judges 1:13; Judges 3:9–11
Sheshai
One of three descendants of Anak whom the spies saw living at Hebron.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 13:22; Joshua 15:14; Judges 1:10
Talmai
One of three descendants of Anak whom the spies saw living at Hebron.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 13:22; Joshua 15:14; Judges 1:10
Cross references (54)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Numbers 26:55–56; Ezekiel 47:19; Numbers 34:3–5; Numbers 33:36–37; Joshua 14:2
- 2 Isaiah 11:15; Ezekiel 47:8; Genesis 14:3; Ezekiel 47:18; Numbers 34:3
- 3 Numbers 34:4; Judges 1:36; Genesis 14:7; Numbers 20:1; Numbers 32:8
- 4 Numbers 34:5; Joshua 13:3; Exodus 23:31; Genesis 15:18
- 5 Numbers 34:12; Joshua 18:15–19; Numbers 34:10
- 6 Joshua 18:17; Joshua 18:19–21
- 7 2 Samuel 17:17; 1 Kings 1:9; Joshua 7:26; Joshua 4:19; Hosea 2:5
- 8 Joshua 18:16; Joshua 15:63; Joshua 18:28; Judges 19:10; 2 Kings 23:10
- 9 1 Chronicles 13:6; Joshua 18:15; Judges 18:12; Joshua 9:17; 2 Samuel 6:2
- 10 Judges 14:1; Joshua 15:57; Genesis 38:12–13; 1 Samuel 6:12–21; Judges 14:5
- 11 2 Kings 1:2–3; 1 Samuel 7:14; 2 Kings 1:16; Joshua 15:45; Joshua 19:43–44
- 12 Ezekiel 47:20; Joshua 15:47; Numbers 34:6–7; Deuteronomy 11:24
- 13 Deuteronomy 1:34–36; Numbers 13:30; Joshua 14:6–15; Numbers 14:23–24
- 14 Judges 1:10; Judges 1:20; Joshua 11:21; Numbers 13:22–23; Joshua 10:36–37
- 15 Joshua 10:38; Joshua 10:3; Judges 1:11–13
- 16 Judges 1:12–13; Judges 1:6
- 17 Judges 3:9; Judges 1:13; Joshua 14:6; Judges 3:11; 1 Chronicles 2:49
- 18 Genesis 24:64; 1 Samuel 25:23
- 19 Judges 1:14–15; 2 Corinthians 9:5; Deuteronomy 33:7; 1 Samuel 25:27; Genesis 33:11
- 20 Deuteronomy 33:7; Genesis 49:8–12
- 21 Genesis 35:21; Nehemiah 11:25
- 23 Deuteronomy 1:19; Joshua 12:22; Numbers 33:37
- 24 1 Samuel 23:14; 1 Samuel 23:24; 1 Samuel 23:19; Psalm 54:1; 1 Samuel 15:4
- 26 1 Chronicles 4:28
- 27 Nehemiah 11:26
- 28 Genesis 26:33; Genesis 21:14; 1 Chronicles 4:28; Genesis 21:31–33; Joshua 19:2–3
- 29 Joshua 19:3; 1 Chronicles 4:29; Joshua 15:9–11
- 30 Joshua 19:4; Deuteronomy 1:44; Numbers 14:45; Judges 1:17
- 31 1 Samuel 27:6; 1 Samuel 30:1; 1 Chronicles 12:1; Joshua 19:5
- 32 Numbers 34:11; Nehemiah 11:29
- 33 Judges 13:25; Judges 16:31; Numbers 13:23; Joshua 19:41
- 34 Joshua 15:53; Joshua 12:17
- 35 1 Samuel 22:1; 1 Samuel 17:1; Joshua 10:3; Joshua 10:10; Joshua 12:15
- 36 1 Samuel 17:52
- 38 2 Kings 14:7; 1 Samuel 7:16; 1 Samuel 7:5–6; Genesis 31:48–49; 1 Samuel 10:17
- 39 Joshua 10:3; Joshua 10:31–32; 2 Kings 22:1; 2 Kings 19:8; 2 Kings 18:17
- 41 Joshua 10:21; Joshua 12:16; Joshua 10:28; Joshua 10:10
- 42 Joshua 10:29; Joshua 19:7; 2 Kings 8:22; Joshua 12:15
- 44 Micah 1:14–15; Genesis 38:5; 1 Samuel 23:1–14
- 45 Joshua 13:3; 1 Samuel 6:17; Zechariah 9:5–7; Amos 1:8; Zephaniah 2:4
- 46 Isaiah 20:1; 2 Chronicles 26:6; Nehemiah 13:23–24; 1 Samuel 5:6; 1 Samuel 5:1
- 47 Joshua 15:4; Numbers 34:5–6; Exodus 23:31; Amos 1:6–7; Zephaniah 2:4
- 48 Joshua 21:14
- 49 Joshua 15:15; Judges 1:11
- 51 Joshua 10:41; Joshua 11:16; 2 Samuel 15:12
- 52 Isaiah 21:11
- 54 Joshua 15:13; Genesis 23:2; Joshua 14:15
- 55 1 Samuel 23:25; Joshua 15:24; 1 Samuel 25:2; Isaiah 35:2; 1 Samuel 25:7
- 57 Joshua 15:10; Genesis 38:12; Jeremiah 14:1
- 58 1 Chronicles 4:39
- 60 Joshua 18:14; 1 Samuel 7:1
- 61 Joshua 15:6; Joshua 18:18
- 62 1 Samuel 23:29; 2 Chronicles 20:2
- 63 Judges 1:21; Judges 1:8; 2 Samuel 5:6–9; 1 Chronicles 11:4–8
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences