---
title: "Joshua 15 - Study King James Bible with calvins commentary on the bible"
description: "Read Joshua 15 with calvins commentary on the bible commentary. 1 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 utterm"
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url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/calvins-commentary-on-the-bible/joshua/15"
---

[ Read](/kjv/joshua/15)[ Commentary](/study/joshua/15)[ Interlinear](/interlinear/joshua/15) Audio

 1 *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.

 2 And their south border was from the shore of the salt sea, from the bay that looketh southward:*

 3 And it went out to the south side to Maaleh-acrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and ascended up on the south side unto Kadesh-barnea, and passed along to Hezron, and went up to Adar, and fetched a compass to Karkaa:*

 4 *From thence* it passed toward Azmon, and went out unto the river of Egypt; and the goings out of that coast were at the sea: this shall be your south coast.

 5 And the east border *was* the salt sea, *even* unto the end of Jordan. And *their* border in the north quarter *was* from the bay of the sea at the uttermost part of Jordan:

 6 And the border went up to Beth-hogla, and passed along by the north of Beth-arabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben:

 7 And the border went up toward Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that *is* before the going up to Adummim, which *is* on the south side of the river: and the border passed toward the waters of En-shemesh, and the goings out thereof were at En-rogel:

 8 And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same *is* Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that *lieth* before the valley of Hinnom westward, which *is* at the end of the valley of the giants northward:

 9 And the border was drawn from the top of the hill unto the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of mount Ephron; and the border was drawn to Baalah, which *is* Kirjath-jearim:

 10 And the border compassed from Baalah westward unto mount Seir, and passed along unto the side of mount Jearim, which *is* Chesalon, on the north side, and went down to Beth-shemesh, and passed on to Timnah:

 11 And the border went out unto the side of Ekron northward: and the border was drawn to Shicron, and passed along to mount Baalah, and went out unto Jabneel; and the goings out of the border were at the sea.

 12 And the west border *was* to the great sea, and the coast *thereof*. This *is* the coast of the children of Judah round about according to their families.

 13 ¶ And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, *even* the city of Arba the father of Anak, which *city is* Hebron.*

 14 And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.

 15 And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before *was* Kirjath-sepher.

 16 ¶ And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.

 17 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.

 18 And it came to pass, as she came *unto him*, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off *her* ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou?

 19 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.

 20 This *is* the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families.

 21 And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the coast of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur,

 22 And Kinah, and Dimonah, and Adadah,

 23 And Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan,

 24 Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth,

 25 And Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth, *and* Hezron, which *is* Hazor,

 26 Amam, and Shema, and Moladah,

 27 And Hazar-gaddah, and Heshmon, and Beth-palet,

 28 And Hazar-shual, and Beer-sheba, and Bizjothjah,

 29 Baalah, and Iim, and Azem,

 30 And Eltolad, and Chesil, and Hormah,

 31 And Ziklag, and Madmannah, and Sansannah,

 32 And Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities *are* twenty and nine, with their villages:

 33 *And* in the valley, Eshtaol, and Zoreah, and Ashnah,

 34 And Zanoah, and En-gannim, Tappuah, and Enam,

 35 Jarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah,

 36 And Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages:*

 37 Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdal-gad,

 38 And Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel,

 39 Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,

 40 And Cabbon, and Lahmam, and Kithlish,

 41 And Gederoth, Beth-dagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages:

 42 Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan,

 43 And Jiphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib,

 44 And Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages:

 45 Ekron, with her towns and her villages:

 46 From Ekron even unto the sea, all that *lay* near Ashdod, with their villages:*

 47 Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border *thereof:*

 48 ¶ And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh,

 49 And Dannah, and Kirjath-sannah, which *is* Debir,

 50 And Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim,

 51 And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages:

 52 Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean,

 53 And Janum, and Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah,*

 54 And Humtah, and Kirjath-arba, which *is* Hebron, and Zior; nine cities with their villages:

 55 Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,

 56 And Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah,

 57 Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages:

 58 Halhul, Beth-zur, and Gedor,

 59 And Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages:

 60 Kirjath-baal, which *is* Kirjath-jearim, and Rabbah; two cities with their villages:

 61 In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah,

 62 And Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and En-gedi; six cities with their villages.

 63 ¶ As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.
 
[Joshua 14](/study/joshua/14) [Joshua 16](/study/joshua/16)

## Commentary

 To verse 1
 
**1.**I have already premised, that I would not be very exact in delineating the site of places, and in discussing names, partly because I admit that I am not well acquainted with topographical or chorographic science, and partly because great labor would produce little fruit to the reader; (144) nay, perhaps the greater part of readers would toil and perplex themselves without receiving any benefit. With regard to the subject in hand, it is to be observed, that the lot of the tribe of Judah not only falls on elevated ground, the very elevation of the territory, indicating the dignity of the future kingdom, but a similar presage is given by its being the first lot that turns up. What had already been obtained by arms, they begin to divide. The names of the ten tribes are cast into the urn. Judah is preferred to all the others. Who does not see that it is raised to the highest rank, in order that the prophecy of Jacob may be fulfilled? Then within the limits here laid down, it is well known that there were rich pastures, and vineyards celebrated for their productiveness and the excellence of their wines. In this way, while the lot corresponds with the prophecy of Jacob, it is perfectly clear that it did not so happen by chance; the holy patriarch had only uttered what was dictated by the Spirit. 

If any are better skilled in places, a more minute investigation will be pleasant and useful to them. But lest those who are less informed feel it irksome to read unknown names, let them consider that they have obtained knowledge of no small value, provided they bear in mind the facts to which I have briefly and summarily adverted — that the tribe of Judah was placed on elevated ground, that it might be more conspicuous than the others, until the scepter should arise from it — and that a region of fruitful vineyards and rich pastures was assigned to his posterity — and, finally, all this was done, in order that the whole people might recognize that there was nothing of the nature of chance in the turning up of a lot, which had been foretold three centuries before. Besides, it is easy for the unlearned to infer from the long circuit described, that the territory thus allocated to one tribe was of great extent. (145) For although some diminution afterwards took place, its dominions always continued to be the largest. 

It is necessary, however, to bear in mind what I formerly observed, that nothing else was determined by the lot than that the boundary of the children of Judah was to be contiguous to the land of Edom and the children of Sin, and that their boundary, in another direction, was to be the river of Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea — that those who had been selected to divide the country proceeded according to the best of their judgment, in proportioning the quantity of territory allotted to the number of their people, without extending their boundaries any farther — and that they followed the same method in other cases, as vicinity or other circumstances demanded. 

Any error into which they fell, did not at all affect the general validity of their decision. For as they were not ashamed partly to recall any partition that might have been made without sufficient consideration, so the people in their turn, while they acknowledged that they had acted in the matter with the strictest good faith and honesty, submitted the more willingly to whatever they determined. Thus, notwithstanding any particular error, their general arrangements received full effect. 

It will be worth while to make one remark on the city Jebus, whose name was afterwards Jerusalem. Although it had been already chosen, by the secret counsel of God, for his sanctuary, and the seat of the future kingdom, it however continued in the possession of the enemy down to the time of David. In this long exclusion from the place on which the sanctity, excellence, and glory of the rest of the land were founded, there was a clear manifestation of the divine curse inflicted to punish the people for their sluggishness: since it was virtually the same as if the land had been deprived of its principal dignity and ornament. But on the other hand, the wonderful goodness of God was conspicuous in this, that the Jebusites who, from the long respite which had been given them, seemed to have struck their roots most deeply, were at length torn up, and driven forth from their secure position. 

(144) French, “Jai desia par ci devant adverti que je ne seroye point curieux a desrire ou peindre la situation des lieux, et a espulcher tous les noms, en partie parce que je confesse franchement que je ne suis pas bien exerce a faire descriptions de lieux ou de regions; en partie d’autant que d’un grand travail qu’il faudroit prendre, il n’en reviendroit que bien peu de fruict aux lecteurs;” “I have already before this intimated that I would not be curious in describing or painting the situation of places, and in expiscating all the names, partly because, I frankly confess, that I am not much experienced in making descriptions of places or countries, partly because from the great labor which it would be necessary to take, very little benefit would redound to the reader.” It may be added that these descriptions of boundaries, how minutely soever they may be detailed, must, from their very nature, leave a very vague impression on the mind of the most careful reader, and are much less adapted for the ear than for the eye, which, by a single glance at a map, furnishes information much more vivid, distinct, and accurate than can be obtained from pages of description. At the same time it ought to be remembered, that accurate and detailed descriptions of the boundaries of the different tribes were absolutely indispensable to the Israelites themselves, to whom they formed a kind of title-deeds, vindicating their right of possession, and securing them against encroachment. — *Ed.* 

(145) As originally laid out, it contained nearly a third of the whole Israelitish territory west of the Jordan. — *Ed.*

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