Josué 15
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Josué 15
CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS Several items in Joshua point toward a contemporary date (in the day that Joshua lived). The ancient Canaanite names of cities are preserved. Baalah (Kiriath-jearim) ‒ Jos. 15:9 Kiriath-sannah (Debir) ‒ Jos. 15:49 Kiriath-arba (Hebron) ‒ Jos. 15:54 Canaanites were still in control of Gezer ‒ Jos. 16:10 Jebus ‒ Jos. 18:28 Sidon, not Tyre, is listed as the main city of Phoenicia (cf. Jos. 13:4,6)
Josué 15:1-12
15:1 "Now the lot for the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families" The tribe of Simeon was incorporated very early into the tribe of Judah and lost all of its identity (cf. Jos. 19:1-9). ▣ "Edom" This refers to the nation east of the Jordan which came from the descendants of Esau. The basic meaning is "red" (BDB 10). The term "south" (BDB 616) is Teman, which is the same term as the name of one of Edom's major cities. ▣ "wilderness of Zin" This should not be confused with the Wilderness of Sin, which is located in the southern part of the Sinai peninsula. This wilderness is in the northern part of the Sinai peninsula in which Kadesh-barnea is located (cf. Num. 34:2-5). SPECIAL TOPIC: THE WILDERNESSES OF THE EXODUS 15:3 "Akrabbim" This is the name for "scorpions" (BDB 785). The boundaries of the Promised Land are given in Numbers 34 (cf. Num. 34:4). This pass was part of the unconquered Amorite territory in Jdg. 1:36. 15:4 "the brook of Egypt" The term "brook" (BDB 636) is "wadi," which denotes a river bed or channel which is dry part of the year. Today this one is called "Wadi El-arish." Water (i.e., rivers, wadis, lakes, streams, oceans) were often used as boundaries. This one is the most southern boundary of the Promised Land and Egypt (here the southern boundary of Judah, cf. Num. 34:5). Other natural barriers or topological distinctives, like valleys, mountain ranges, plains, were also used as boundary markers. 15:6 "the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben" We know nothing about this young man or why a memorial stone was raised for him. It is surely possible that this was a boundary marker and not a memorial (cf. Jos. 18:17). 15:7 "Gilgal" This (BDB 166) does not refer to the first Israeli campsite (cf. Jos. 4:19). It is possible that it should be translated "Geliloth" (BDB 165, cf. Jos. 18:17), because this location is also related to En-shemesh. ▣ "En-shemesh and. . . En-rogel" These were two springs (BDB 745) which seem to be located on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem. 15:8 "the valley of Ben-hinnom . . . the valley of Hinnom" This is the place where the fertility fire god, Molech, was worshiped. It was just outside the city of Jerusalem (Jebus, cf. Jos. 15:63) to the south. This is the place which later the Jews turned into a garbage dump and which Jesus used as His metaphor to describe Hell (Gehenna). SPECIAL TOPIC: MOLECH SPECIAL TOPIC: WHERE ARE THE DEAD? ▣ "Rephaim" See notes at Jos. 11:21. 15:9 "Baalah" This seems to be the feminine form for the term baal, and it may mean "mistress." It was the older name of Kiriath-jearim. 15:10 "Mount Seir" This means "rough," "hairy," or "shaggy" (BDB 973). There are several different sites by this name. This does not refer to Mt. Seir in Edom, but a hill close to Jerusalem. ▣ "Beth-shemesh" This means "house of the sun" (BDB 112, cf. 1 Sam. 6:9,12,13,15,19,20; 1 Kgs. 4:9; 2 Kgs. 14:13). Many believe that this refers to sun worship. There are several cities by this name. ▣ "Timnah" This was a town which was later associated with the exploits of Samson. 15:11 "Ekron" This was one of the five main Philistine walled cities (cf. Jos. 15:45-47). Apparently Judah never fully captured it or any of the main cities on the plain where chariot forces were used. See NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 568-569. 15:12 "the Great Sea" This refers to the Mediterranean Ocean.
Josué 15:13-19
15:13-19 This describes the fall of Hebron to Caleb (cf. Jos. 11:21-22; 14:13-15; 15:13-19; Jdg. 1:16-21). 15:14 "Anak" See notes at Jos. 11:21. 15:15 "Kiriath-sepher" This meant "city of scribes" (BDB 900, cf. Jdg. 1:11,12). Apparently it was the location of a school which trained scribes in writing and recording within the Canaanite culture. 15:17 "Othniel" He was Caleb's younger brother. He later became a judge (cf. Jdg. 1:13; 3:9). ▣ "son of Kenaz" (cf. Jos. 14:6,14). 15:18 NASB, NJB "so she alighted from the donkey" NKJV, NRSV, REV, JPSOA "so she dismounted from her donkey" TEV, NET "she got down from her donkey" "as she sat on the ass, she broke wind" "and she cried out from the donkey" "and she alighted from her ass" The VERB'S (BDB 856, KB 1038, cf. Jdg. 1:14) meaning is disputed. In Jdg. 4:21 it is used of Jael driving the tent peg through Sisera's head into the ground. Whatever it meant, it was an idiom for getting someone's attention (i.e., a noise, a gesture). The KB 1038 suggests "clap one's hands." 15:19 This verse describes the bridal gift of Caleb to his daughter (Achsah) and nephew (Othniel). Notice the number of times the VERB "give" (BDB 678, KB 733) is used. Qal IMPERATIVE Qal PERFECT Qal PERFECT Qal IMPERFECT with waw ▣ The Negev (i.e., "south country," BDB 616) is very dry. The daughter knew what she was doing! This account is retold at the beginning of Judges (cf. Jos. 1:11-15).
Josué 15:21-32
15:21-32 This names the cities located in the far south (Negev). 15:25 "Kerioth-hezron" This village is often associated with Judas Iscariot ("man of Kerioth"), but this is only one of several other possible meanings of "Iscariot." Although NASB and RSV (NRSV) translate this as the name of one village, the MT has an accent mark between them, which denotes two cities. This would have reflected the tradition received by the Masoretic scholars. 15:32 "and Ain and Rimmon" The UBS Text Project, p. 38, gives "and En-Rimmon" an A rating. the two cities (NASB) are listed in Jos. 19:7 and 1 Chr. 4:32 "En-Rimmon" is listed in Hen. 11:29
Josué 15:33-36
15:33-47 This names the cities located in the lowlands. verses 33-36 were in the northeastern coastal plain. verses 37-41 in the middle verses 42-44 in the southern verses 45-47 in the Philistine coastal area This section may have a separate source because its form is different from the rest of the lists of cities. These lists seem to reflect a government registry. 15:34 "Tappuah" This term means "apple tree" (BDB 656, cf. Jos. 12:17; 16:8; 17:8).
Josué 15:48-51
15:48-60 This names the cities located in the hill country.
Josué 15:55-57
15:56 "Jezreel" This place name means "God sows" (BDB 283). It is used of two villages. tribal allocation of Judah, Jos. 15:56 tribal allocation of Issachar, Jos. 19:18 15:57 "Gibeah" There seem to be several cities by this name ("hill," BDB 149 II). in the tribal allocation of Judah in the hill country, Jos. 15:57 in the tribal allocation of Benjamin, Jos. 18:28 in the tribal allocation of Ephraim, where Eleazar (Aaron's son) was buried on a hill, Jos. 24:33
Josué 15:58-59
15:59 The Septuagint has an additional list of eleven cities not found in the MT. It is uncertain whether this reflects a manuscript error in the MT or extraneous material added by the translators of the LXX.
Josué 15:61-62
15:61-62 This names the cities located in the wilderness.
Josué 15:63
15:63 "the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not drive them out" The Jebusites (BDB 101) seem to have held on to the fortress of the city of Jebus (cf. Jdg. 1:8) until the time of David. The VERBAL (BDB 439, KB 441) is a Hiphil INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT, cf. Jdg. 1:21,29,30,31,32,33. SPECIAL TOPIC: MORIAH, SALEM, JEBUS, JERUSALEM, ZION ▣ "until this day" This use of the phrase shows that the scribe lived and wrote before David's day. Because Moses grew up and was trained in Egypt, which explains why Jewish scribes felt free to upgrade the literary works of Israel. From archaeology it is obvious that Mesopotamian scribes never changed their national texts whereas Egyptian scribes felt free to upgrade their national/religious texts. See notes at Jos. 7:26.