Othniel

OTHNIEL, or Othoniel, Son of Kenaz, of the Tribe of Judah. The Scripture says, that Othniel was Brother to Caleb. Othoniel filius Cenez, frater Caleb junior But from hence arise some Difficulties. First if Caleb and Othniel had been Brothers, Othniel could not have married his Niece Achsah the Daughter of Caleb. Secondly, the Scripture never assigns to Caleb and Othniel the same Father: It always names Kenaz as Father to Othniel, and Jephunneh as the Father of Caleb. Lastly, Caleb must be much older than Othniel, since he gave Othniel his Daughter Achsah in Marriage. Thus it seems much better to suppose Kenaz and Jephunneh to be two Brothers, and that Othniel and Caleb were Cousin-Germans, and in this Sense to be nearly related, or Brothers, according to the Language of Scripture. Thus Achsah being but second Cousin in respect of Othniel, he might marry her without doing any thing contrary to the Letter of the Law.

Caleb having received his Portion in the Mountains of Judah¹, in the midst of a Country that was possessed by Giants of the Race of Anak, after he had taken the City of Hebron, he advances towards Debir, otherwise called Kirjath-sepher, and declares; I will give my Daughter Achsah in Marriage to him that shall take Kirjath-sepher. Othniel took it, and had Achsah to Wife. But at the time that the Bride was brought home to her Husband with the usual Solemnity, Othniel moved his Wife Achsah to ask of her Father Caleb a Piece of watry Land, that was near and above another dry Field that Caleb had given him. By the Hebrew Text it should seem, that it was Achsah that desired Othniel to ask this of Caleb, However this be, it is plain, that Achsah made the Request, which was granted by Caleb.

After the Death of Joshua the Israelites not giving themselves the Trouble to exterminate the Canaanites, that were then in the Land, and not having continued in their Fidelity to the Lord, he delivered them over to Chushan-Rishathaim King of Mesopotamiab, to whom they continued in Subjection for eight Years. Then they cry’d to the Lord, who raised them up a Deliverer in the Person of Othniel the Son of Kenaz, who was fill’d with the Spirit of God, and judged Israel. He came into the Field, and gave Battle to Chushan- Rishathaim, beat him,and deliver’d Israel²; and the Country was at Rest for forty Years³. After this Othniel dy’d, but the precise Year of his Death is unknown.

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