Joshua 15:19
in Joshua 15“Give me a blessing,” she answered. “Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs of water as well.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And she said, Give me a blessing; for that thou hast set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.
KJV
Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.
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This verse in Joshua 15
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
A south land - This term (“negeb”) which is often equivalent to a proper name Jos 15:21, importing the well-defined district which formed the south of the promised land (Num 13:17 note), seems here used in its more general sense Psa 126:4, for a dry or barren land. The rendering of this passage adopted by Septuagint, several versions, and Commentators, etc., “thou hast given me into a south land,” i. e. “hast given me in marriage into a south land” is forced; the construction of the verb “to give,” with two accusatives, is natural and common to many languages.
This site's exposition
the man who strikes down Kiriath-sepher
on Joshua 15:16-19
Judges 1:12-15 tells this story again almost word for word, and the man who takes the town is Othniel, the first judge of Israel at Judges 3:9. Acsah is the only person in the chapter's sixty-three verses who asks for anything, and she asks for water, since land in the Negev without springs cannot be worked. Her father gives her "both the upper and lower springs".
This site's exposition
Give me a blessing
Wesley reads blessing here as a gift, the sense it has at Genesis 33:11, where Jacob presses his present on Esau. The Negev was dry country, and Clarke takes the upper and lower springs as one district in the hills and another in the plain. Caleb gives more than was named.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
A blessing - That is, a gift, as that word signifies, Gen. xxxiii, 11. A south land - That is, a dry land, much exposed to the south wind, which in those parts was very hot and drying, as coming from the deserts of Arabia.
Who answered, give me a blessing,....
She thought her husband had the best interest in her father, who, no doubt, was extremely pleased with his late glorious achievement, but he thought it was more proper for her to ask, and she would be more likely to prevail; accordingly she did, submitting to her husband's judgment, though contrary to her own; and she managed the undertaking with great address.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher--This offer was made as an incentive to youthful bravery (see on 1Sa 17:25); and the prize was won by Othniel, Caleb's younger brother (Jud 1:13; This was the occasion of drawing out the latent energies of him who was destined to be the first judge in Israel.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Give me a blessing - Do me an act of kindness. Grant me a particular request. Thou hast given me a south land - Which was probably dry, or very ill, watered. Give me also springs of water - Let me have some fields in which there are brooks or wells already digged. The upper springs, and the nether springs - He gave her even more than she requested; he gave her a district among the mountains and another in the plains well situated and well watered. There are several difficulties in this account, with which I shall not trouble the reader. What is mentioned above appears to be the sense.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּ֜אמֶר | vatomer | and she said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| תְּנָה־ | tenah- | give ! | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לִּ֣י | li | to <the> me | ||
| בְרָכָ֗ה | verakhah | a blessing | H1293 → | |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֶ֤רֶץ | ʾeretz | [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| הַנֶּ֙גֶב֙ | hanegev | the Negev | H5045 → | 112 times |
| נְתַתָּ֔נִי | netatani | you have given to me | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| וְנָתַתָּ֥ה | venatatah | and you will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לִ֖י | li | to <the> me | ||
| גֻּלֹּ֣ת | gulot | springs of | H1543 → | 15 times |
| מָ֑יִם | mayim | water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| וַיִּתֶּן־ | vaiyiten- | and he gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָ֗הּ | lah | to <the> her | ||
| אֵ֚ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| גֻּלֹּ֣ת | gulot | springs | H1543 → | 15 times |
| עִלִּיּ֔וֹת | iliyot | upper | H5942 → | |
| וְאֵ֖ת | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| גֻּלֹּ֥ת | gulot | springs | H1543 → | 15 times |
| תַּחְתִּיּֽוֹת׃ פ | tachtiyot | lower | H8482 → |
וַתֹּ֜אמֶרand she said
vatomerH559 →5305 times
תְּנָה־give !
tenah-H5414 →2011 times
לִּ֣יto <the> me
li
בְרָכָ֗הa blessing
verakhahH1293 →
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
אֶ֤רֶץ[the] land of
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
הַנֶּ֙גֶב֙the Negev
hanegevH5045 →112 times
נְתַתָּ֔נִיyou have given to me
netataniH5414 →2011 times
וְנָתַתָּ֥הand you will give
venatatahH5414 →2011 times
לִ֖יto <the> me
li
גֻּלֹּ֣תsprings of
gulotH1543 →15 times
מָ֑יִםwater
mayimH4325 →581 times
וַיִּתֶּן־and he gave
vaiyiten-H5414 →2011 times
לָ֗הּto <the> her
lah
אֵ֚ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
גֻּלֹּ֣תsprings
gulotH1543 →15 times
עִלִּיּ֔וֹתupper
iliyotH5942 →
וְאֵ֖תand <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
גֻּלֹּ֥תsprings
gulotH1543 →15 times
תַּחְתִּיּֽוֹת׃ פlower
tachtiyotH8482 →
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
Genesis 33:11Please accept my gift that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” So Jacob pressed him until he accepted.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 25:27
Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Philippians 4:18
I have all I need and more, now that I have received your gifts from Epaphroditus. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
- Genesis 30:43
Thus Jacob became exceedingly prosperous. He owned large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.
- 1 Samuel 25:27
Through
1 Samuel 25:27Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you.
it leads to
- Genesis 33:11
Please accept my gift that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” So Jacob pressed him until he accepted.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 30:26
When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the LORD’s enemies.”
- Genesis 33:11
Through
Deuteronomy 33:7And concerning Judah he said: “O LORD, hear the cry of Judah and bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause, but may You be a help against his…
it leads to
- Genesis 49:8–12
Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.
- Psalms 21:8
Your hand will apprehend all Your enemies; Your right hand will seize those who hate You.
- Isaiah 9:17
Therefore the Lord takes no pleasure in their young men; He has no compassion on their fatherless and widows. For every one of them is godless and wicked, and every mouth speaks folly. Despite…
- Genesis 49:8–12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Joshua
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
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 and The Berean Standard Bible, Joshua 15, with the verses cited in the note.