Joshua 15:1
in Joshua 15Now the allotment for the clans of the tribe of Judah extended to the border of Edom, to the Wilderness of Zin at the extreme southern boundary:
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the lot for the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families was unto the border of Edom, even to the wilderness of Zin southward, at the uttermost part of the south.
KJV
This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; even to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward was the uttermost part of the south coast.
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This verse in Joshua 15
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah--In what manner the lot was drawn on this occasion the sacred historian does not say; but it is probable that the method adopted was similar to that described in Jos 18:10.
This site's exposition
the allotment for the clans of the tribe of Judah
on Joshua 15:1-12
Judah is given first and given most, before the tabernacle tribe and before Joseph, which matches the scepter of Genesis 49:10 rather than birth order. The lot is literal, as Numbers 26:55 and Joshua 14:2 both say, so nobody could steer these borders. The frame runs from the Salt Sea at verse 2 to the Great Sea at verse 12, drawing the whole before naming anything inside.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"The boundaries of Judah," it says, "were made according to their people from the borders of Edom and from the wilderness of Zin to the west." Therefore, the borders of Judah are next to the borders of Edom. But Edom, as we have already often said, means "earthly things." Therefore, the regions of Judah come just after earthly things. But it also says, "from the wilderness of Zin." Zin means "temptations." Therefore, the regions of the inheritance of Judah come after temptations.
Moreover, "from the boundaries of Edom" is the wilderness of Zin. We said a little before that the wilderness of Zin signified "temptations," and therefore it was necessary for us to pass through the desert of temptations to attain to the inheritance of the sons of Judah.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Our Lord therefore, who sprang out of Judah, and whose the kingdom is, shall judge the mount of Esau, Obad. The northern border divided it from the lot of Benjamin. In this, mention is made of the stone of Bohan a Reubenite (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
That casting lots was transacted with great seriousness and solemnity, in God's presence, with prayer and appeal to him for the decision of the matter.
This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
This then was the lot of the tribe of - Judah - The geography of the sacred writings presents many difficulties, occasioned by the changes which the civil state of the promised land has undergone, especially for the last two thousand years. Many of the ancient towns and villages have had their names so totally changed, that their former appellations are no longer discernible; several lie buried under their own ruins, and others have been so long destroyed that not one vestige of them remains. On these accounts it is very difficult to ascertain the situation of many of the places mentioned in this and the following chapters. But however this may embarrass the commentator, it cannot affect the truth of the narrative. Some of the principal cities in the universe, cities that were the seats of the most powerful empires, are not only reduced to ruins, but so completely blotted out of the map of the world that their situation cannot be ascertained. Where is Babylon? Where are Nineveh, Carthage, Thebes, Tyre, Baalbec, Palmyra, and the so far-famed and greatly celebrated Troy? Of the former and the latter, so renowned by historians and poets, scarcely a vestige, properly speaking, remains; nor can the learned agree on the spot once occupied by the buildings of those celebrated cities! Should this circumstance invalidate the whole history of the ancient world, in which they made so conspicuous a figure? And can the authenticity of our sacred historian be impaired, because several of the places he mentions no longer exist? Surely no: nor can it be called in question but by the heedless and superficial, or the decidedly profane. […]
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The inheritance of the tribe of Judah is described first by its general boundaries on all four sides Jos 15:1-12; then reference is again made, for the sake of completeness, to the special inheritance of Caleb which lay within these boundaries Jos 15:13-20; and lastly a list of the towns is given Josh. 15:21-63. Consult the marginal references.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֣י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַגּוֹרָ֗ל | hagoral | the lot | H1486 → | 78 times |
| לְמַטֵּ֛ה | lemateh | of [the] tribe of | H4294 → | 252 times |
| בְּנֵ֥י | benei | [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יְהוּדָ֖ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם | lemishpechotam | to clans their | H4940 → | 303 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| גְּב֨וּל | gevul | [the] border of | H1366 → | 240 times |
| אֱד֧וֹם | ʾedom | Edom | H123 → | |
| מִדְבַּר־ | midbar- | [the] wilderness of | H4057 → | 270 times |
| צִ֛ן | tzin | Zin | H6790 → | |
| נֶ֖גְבָּה | negbah | [the] south towards | H5045 → | 112 times |
| מִקְצֵ֥ה | miktzeh | from [the] end of | H7097 → | 97 times |
| תֵימָֽן׃ | teiman | [the] south | H8486 → | 23 times |
וַיְהִ֣יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
הַגּוֹרָ֗לthe lot
hagoralH1486 →78 times
לְמַטֵּ֛הof [the] tribe of
lematehH4294 →252 times
בְּנֵ֥י[the] descendants of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יְהוּדָ֖הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑םto clans their
lemishpechotamH4940 →303 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
גְּב֨וּל[the] border of
gevulH1366 →240 times
אֱד֧וֹםEdom
ʾedomH123 →
מִדְבַּר־[the] wilderness of
midbar-H4057 →270 times
צִ֛ןZin
tzinH6790 →
נֶ֖גְבָּה[the] south towards
negbahH5045 →112 times
מִקְצֵ֥הfrom [the] end of
miktzehH7097 →97 times
תֵימָֽן׃[the] south
teimanH8486 →23 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Joshua 14:2Their inheritance was assigned by lot for the nine and a half tribes, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.
it leads to
- Numbers 34:13
So Moses commanded the Israelites, “Apportion this land by lot as an inheritance. The LORD has commanded that it be given to the nine and a half tribes.
- Numbers 33:54
And you are to divide the land by lot according to your clans. Give a larger inheritance to a larger clan and a smaller inheritance to a smaller one. Whatever falls to each one…
- Numbers 26:55–56
Indeed, the land must be divided by lot; they shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.
- Proverbs 16:33
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
- Numbers 34:13
Through
Ezekiel 47:19On the south side it will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, and along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. This will be the southern boundary.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:51
For at the waters of Meribah-kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you broke faith with Me among the Israelites by failing to treat Me as holy in their presence.
- Ezekiel 48:28
The southern border of Gad will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then along the Brook of Egypt and out to the Great Sea.
- Numbers 34:5
where it will turn from Azmon, join the Brook of Egypt, and end at the Sea.
- Numbers 20:13
These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD, and He showed His holiness among them.
- Deuteronomy 32:51
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Joshua
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PlaceTransjordanEdomThe highland nation descended from Esau that refused Israel passage on the King's Highway, and whose pride the prophets answered.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 19.2 and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 19.3.