Joshua 15:1-63
Q.1. What were the main boundaries of the land given to Judah? Were they able to drive out all the Jebusites? Did they possess Jerusalem? – (Josh.15:1-12, 20-63 c.f. Josh.18:28)
Judah’s territory reached – Southward to the wilderness (Josh.15:1-4), and Eastward to the Salt Sea, and the mouth of the Jordan River (Josh.15:5). Northward, it came to the slopes of southern Jerusalem, and flanked the borders of the tribal lands of Benjamin and Dan (Josh.15:6-11). Westward was the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea, including what became the region of the Philistines (Josh.15:12). Joshua recorded – Now as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not drive them out; so the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah at Jerusalem until this day (Josh.15:63). This state of affairs continued until the Jebusite stronghold of Jerusalem was conquered by Joab for King David (2 Sam.5:6-10; 1 Chron.11:1-9).
Q.2. What was so special about Caleb’s removing the sons of Anak? How was Othniel rewarded? What do we learn about Caleb’s daughter Achsah? (Josh.15:13-19 c.f. Num.13:33)
Caleb had laid claim to the land that God had promised him in the time of Moses (Num.14:24,30; 34:16-19; Josh.14:12-15). The sons of Anak were descendants of the giant Nephilim, who caused the spies to see themselves as grasshoppers in their sight (Num.13:28 & 33). Caleb had responded then, that with God on Israel’s side, they would prevail (Num.13:30; 14:8). In the succeeding forty years, Caleb still had complete confidence that God would defeat the giants. He drove them out, and offered his daughter Achsah in marriage to whoever captured the strategic city of Kiriath-sepher (i.e. Debir – Jdgs.1:11). His brother Othniel won the bride. She had a special bond with her father, and blessed Othniel by persuading Caleb to give them a watered area – Then she said, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me the land of the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So, he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs (Josh.15:19). Achsah had the same enterprising spirit as her father. She advocated for the best outcome for her family.