1. This, then, was the lot of the children of Juda by their kindreds: From the border of Edom, the desert of Sin southward, and as far as the uttermost part of the southern coast. 2. Its beginning [was] from the top of the most salt sea, and from the bay thereof that looketh to the south. 3. And it goeth out toward the ascent of the Scorpion, and passeth on into Sina; and ascendeth into Cadesbarne, and reacheth into Esron, going up to Addar, and compassing Carcaa; 4. and from thence passing along into Asemona, and reaching the torrent of Egypt: and the bounds thereof shall be the great sea. This shall be the limit of the southern coast. 5. But on the east side the beginning shall be the most salt sea, even to the end of the Jordan; and [the bounds] toward the north [shall be] from the bay of the sea unto the same river Jordan. 6. And the border goeth up into Beth-Hagla, and passeth by the north into Beth-Araba: going up to the stone of Boen the son of Ruben, 7. and tending as far as the borders of Debera, from the valley of Achor, and northward looking toward Galgala, which is over against the ascent of Adommim, on the south side of the torrent; and it passeth the waters that are called the Fountain of the Sun; and the goings-out thereof shall be at the Fountain Rogel. 8. And it goeth up by the valley of the son of Ennom, on the side of the Jebusite toward the south — this is Jerusalem — and thence raising itself to the top of the mountain which is over against Geennom, to the west, in the summit of the valley of Raphaim northward. 9. And it passeth on from the top of the mountain unto the fountain of the water of Nephtoa, and reacheth to the towns of mount Ephron; and it bendeth toward Baala, which is Cariath-iarim, that is to say, the city of the woods. 10. And it compasseth from Baala westward unto mount Seir, and passeth by the side of mount Iarim to the north into Cheslon; and goeth down into Bethsames, and passeth into Thamna; 11. and reacheth northward to a part of Accaron at the side; and bendeth to Sechrona, and passeth mount Baala; and cometh into Iebneel, and is bounded westward with the great sea. 12. These are the borders round about of the children of Juda in their kindreds.
13. But to Caleb the son of Jephone he gave a portion in the midst of the children of Juda, as the Lord had commanded him: Cariath-Arbe, [the city] of the father of Enac, which is Hebron. 14. And Caleb destroyed out of it the three sons of Enac — Sesai, and Ahiman, and Tholmai, of the stock of Enac. 15. And going up from thence, he came to the inhabitants of Dabir, which before was called Cariath-Sepher, that is to say, the city of letters. 16. And Caleb said: He that shall smite Cariath-Sepher, and take it, I will give him Axa my daughter to wife. 17. And Othoniel, the son of Cenez, the younger brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him Axa his daughter to wife. 18. And as they were going together, she was moved by her husband to ask a field of her father; and she sighed as she sat on [her] ass. And Caleb [said] to her: What aileth thee? 19. But she answered: Give me a blessing; thou hast given me a southern and dry land, join to it also a watered [land]. And Caleb gave her the upper and the nether watery ground. 20. This is the possession of the tribe of the children of Juda by their kindreds.
21. And the cities, from the uttermost parts of the children of Juda, by the borders of Edom to the south, were: Cabseel, and Eder, and Jagur, 22. and Cina, and Dimona, and Adada, 23. and Cades, and Asor, and Jethnam, 24. Ziph, and Telem, and Baloth, 25. New Asor, and Carioth, Hesron — this is Asor; 26. Amam, Sama, and Molada, 27. and Asergadda, and Hassemon, and Bethphelet, 28. and Hasersual, and Bersabee, and Baziothia, 29. and Baala, and Jim, and Esem, 30. and Eltholad, and Cesil, and Harma, 31. and Siceleg, and Medemena, and Sensenna, 32. Lebaoth, and Selim, and Aen, and Remmon: all the cities twenty-nine, and their villages. 33. But in the plains [champaign]: Estaol, and Sarea, and Asena, 34. and Zanoe, and Aengannim, and Taphua, and Enaim, 35. and Jerimoth, and Adullam, Socho and Azeca, 36. and Saraim, and Adithaim, and Gedera, and Gederothaim: fourteen cities, and their villages. 37. Sanan, and Hadassa, and Magdalgad, 38. Delean, and Masepha, and Jecthel, 39. Lachis, and Bascath, and Eglon, 40. Chebbon, and Leheman, and Cethlis, 41. and Gideroth, and Bethdagon, and Naama, and Maceda: sixteen cities, and their villages. 42. Labana, and Ether, and Asan, 43. and Jephtha, and Esna, and Nesib, 44. and Ceila, and Achzib, and Maresa: nine cities, and their villages. 45. Accaron, with its towns and villages; 46. from Accaron even to the sea, all [places] that lie toward Azotus, and the villages thereof. 47. Azotus, with its towns and villages; Gaza, with its towns and villages, even to
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the torrent of Egypt; and the great sea is its boundary. 48. And in the mountain: Samir, and Jether, and Socoth, 49. and Danna, and Cariath-senna — this is Dabir — 50. Anab, and Istemo, and Anim, 51. Gosen, and Olon, and Gilo: eleven cities, and their villages. 52. Arab, and Ruma, and Esaan, 53. and Janum, and Beth-thaphua, and Apheca, 54. Athmatha, and Cariath-arbe — this is Hebron — and Sior: nine cities, and their villages. 55. Maon, and Carmel, and Ziph, and Jota, 56. Jezrael, and Jucadam, and Zanoe, 57. Accain, Gabaa, and Thamna: ten cities, and their villages. 58. Halhul, and Bessur, and Gedor, 59. Mareth, and Bethanoth, and Eltecon: six cities, and their villages. 60. Cariath-baal — the same is Cariath-iarim, the city of woods — and Arebba: two cities, and their villages. 61. In the desert: Betharaba, Meddin, and Sachacha, 62. and Nebsan, and the city of Salt, and Engaddi: six cities, and their villages. 63. But the children of Juda could not destroy the Jebusite that dwelt in Jerusalem; and the Jebusite dwelt with the children of Juda in Jerusalem, until this present day.
COMMENTARY
The portion, lot, and dominion of the tribe of Juda is here described in two ways. 1. Generally, from the beginning of this chapter to v. 12. Then specially, from v. 20 to the end. But between the two descriptions is inserted, concerning Caleb, by a prolepsis, a History which happened after Joshua’s death, and about which I said [more] was to be said in the foregoing chapter (Judg. 1). And so [there] are three parts of this chapter. In the first, the general description of the Judaic lot. In the second, the proleptic narration concerning Caleb, from v. 12 to v. 20. In the third, the special description of the same lot.
Now that general [description] constitutes the four boundaries of the Judaic dominion. The first is from the South; the second, from the East; the third, from the North; the fourth, from the West. And the first indeed is called (v. 1) “the border of Edom, or Idumaea, the border of the desert of Tsin toward the south; the border of the extremity of Theman” — or, as our [Vulgate] renders, “the uttermost parts of the southern coast.” And this first border is regarded by progressing, and drawing (as it were) a certain cord, from the Eastern part to the Western (vv. 2, 3, 4). The second border (v. 5), progressing from South to North, is the whole salt sea, from its Southern border up to the end or mouth of the Jordan flowing into it. The third is regarded by progressing from East to West (v. 6 to v. 12). The fourth — unless we follow Arias in expounding v. 5, of which below — is gathered from the end of v. 12 of this [chapter], and from v. 4. For since the Northern border is extended up to the great sea (which is otherwise called the Mediterranean), [and] the Southern up to the torrent or river of Egypt, [called] Rhinocolura, it comes about that the Western border of the land of Judaea is that part or shore of the interjected Mediterranean sea which is intercepted between those two borders, the Northern and the Southern.
But the special description (v. 20) recounts the chief cities which flourished at that time, and makes a fourfold distinction of them. For some were Southern, concerning which [vv.] 21 to 33. Others, champaign [of the plain], or situated in low and flat [ground], concerning which [vv.] 33 to 37, and again from v. 37 to 48. Others are mountain [cities], concerning which [vv.] 48 to 61. Others, finally, which [are] in more desert and less-inhabited places, concerning which vv. 61 & 62. And to all these [is] woven a little appendix concerning Jerusalem — as a most celebrated and most renowned city, of which mention had been made (v. 8) — (v. 63): how, namely, the Judaic tribe could not take the whole of it, but in it, together with the tribes of Juda, the old Jebusite colonists still remained.