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Joshua Chapter 15

Territory of Judah Allotted The borders of the lot of Judah

15 1 Num 34:3; Num 33:36 T1This 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.

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

3And it went out to the south side to Maalehacrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and ascended up on the south side unto Kadeshbarnea, and passed along to Hezron, and went up to Adar, and fetched a compass to Karkaa:

4 Num 34:5; Gen 15:18; 1 Kin 8:65 4From 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.

5And 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 Jos 18:17 6And the border went up to Bethhogla, and passed along by the north of Betharabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben:

7 Hos 2:15; Isa 65:10; Jos 7:26 7And 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 Enshemesh, and the goings out thereof were at Enrogel:

8 Jos 18:16; Jdg 19:10; Jdg 1:21; Jos 18:28; Jer 19:6; Jer 19:2; 2 Kin 23:10 8And 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 Jdg 18:12; 1 Chr 13:6 9And 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 Kirjathjearim:

10 Gen 38:13 10And 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 Bethshemesh, and passed on to Timnah:

11 Jos 19:43 11And 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 Deu 11:24; Eze 47:20 12And 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. Caleb's portion and conquest

13 Jos 14:13 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 Jdg 1:10; Num 13:22 14And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.

15 Jos 10:38 15And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher. Othniel, for his valour, marries Achsah, Caleb's daughter

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

17 Jdg 3:9; Jos 14:6 17And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. She obtains a blessing of her father

18 Jdg 1:14; Gen 24:64; 1 Sam 25:23 18And 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 Gen 33:11 19Who 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 Gen 49:8-12 20¶This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families. The cities of Judah

21 Gen 35:21 21And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the coast of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur,

22And Kinah, and Dimonah, and Adadah,

23And Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan,

24 1 Sam 15:4 24Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth,

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

26Amam, and Shema, and Moladah,

27And Hazargaddah, and Heshmon, and Bethpalet,

28And Hazarshual, and Beersheba, and Bizjothjah,

29Baalah, and Iim, and Azem,

30And Eltolad, and Chesil, and Hormah,

31 Jos 19:5; 1 Sam 27:6 31And Ziklag, and Madmannah, and Sansannah,

32 Neh 11 32And Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twenty and nine, with their villages:

33 Jos 19:41 33And in the valley, Eshtaol, and Zoreah, and Ashnah,

34And Zanoah, and Engannim, Tappuah, and Enam,

35 Jos 10:10; 1 Sam 17:1 35Jarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah,

36 1 Sam 17:52 36And Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages:

37Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdalgad,

38 2 Kin 14:7 38And Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel,

39 Jos 10:3; 2 Kin 18:14 39Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,

40And Cabbon, and Lahmam, and Kithlish,

41And Gederoth, Bethdagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages:

42Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan,

43And Jiphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib,

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

45Ekron, with her towns and her villages:

46 Jos 13:3 46From Ekron even unto the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages:

47 Gen 15:18; Num 34:6 47Ashdod 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:

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

49And Dannah, and Kirjathsannah, which is Debir,

50And Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim,

51 Jos 10:41; Jos 11:16 51And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages:

52Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean,

53And Janum, and Bethtappuah, and Aphekah,

54 Gen 23:2; Jos 14:15 54And Humtah, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, and Zior; nine cities with their villages:

55Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,

56And Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah,

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

58Halhul, Bethzur, and Gedor,

59And Maarath, and Bethanoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages:

60 1 Chr 13:6; 1 Sam 7:1-2 60Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, and Rabbah; two cities with their villages:

61In the wilderness, Betharabah, Middin, and Secacah,

62 1 Sam 23:29 62And Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and Engedi; six cities with their villages. The Jebusites unconquered

63 Jdg 1:8; Jdg 1:21; Jdg 1:21; 2 Sam 24:16,18 63As 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.

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Introduction to Joshua
by John MacArthur

Title

This is the first of the 12 historical books, and it gained its name from the exploits of Joshua, the understudy whom Moses prayed for and commissioned as a leader in Israel (Num 27:12-23). “Joshua” means “Jehovah saves,” or “the LORD is salvation,” and corresponds to the NT name “Jesus.” God delivered Israel in Joshua’s day when He was personally present as the saving Commander who fought on Israel’s behalf (Jos 5:14-6:2; 10:42; 23:3, 5; Acts 7:45).

Author and Date

Although the author is not named, the most probable candidate is Joshua, who was the key eyewitness to the events recorded (cf. 18:9; 24:26). An assistant whom Joshua groomed could have finished the book by attaching such comments as those concerning Joshua’s death (Jos 24:29-33). Some have even suggested that this section was written by the High-Priest Eleazar, or his son, Phinehas. Rahab was still living at the time Josh 6:25 was penned. The book was completed before David’s reign (Jos 15:63; cf. 2 Sam 5:5-9). The most likely writing period is ca. 1405-1385 B.C.

Joshua was born in Egyptian slavery, trained under Moses, and by God’s choice rose to his key position of leading Israel into Canaan. distinguishing features of his life include: 1) service (Ex 17:10; 24:13; 33:11; Num 11:28); 2) soldiering (Ex 17:9-13); 3) scouting (Num 13, 14); 4) supplication by Moses (Num 27:15-17); 5) the sovereignty of God (Num 27:18ff.); 6) the Spirit’s presence (Num 27:18; Deut 34:9); 7) separation by Moses (Num 27:18-23; Deut 31:7, 8, 13-15); and 8) selflessness in wholly following the Lord (Num 32:12).

Background and Setting

When Moses passed the baton of leadership on to Joshua before he died (Deut 34), Israel was at the end of its 40 year wilderness wandering period ca. 1405 B.C. Joshua was approaching 90 years of age when he became Israel’s leader. He later died at the age of 110 (Jos 24:29), having led Israel to drive out most of the Canaanites and having divided the Land among the 12 tribes. Poised on the plains of Moab, E of the Jordan River and the Land which God had promised (Gen 12:7; 15:18-21), the Israelites awaited God’s direction to conquer the Land. They faced peoples on the western side of the Jordan who had become so steeped in iniquity that God would cause the Land, so to speak, to spew out these inhabitants (Lev 18:24, 25). He would give Israel the Land by conquest, primarily to fulfill the covenant He had pledged to Abraham and his descendants, but also to pass just judgment on the sinful inhabitants (cf. Gen 15:16). Long possession of different parts of the Land by various peoples had pre-dated even Abraham’s day (Gen 10:15-19; 12:6; 13:7). Its inhabitants had continued on a moral decline in the worship of many gods up to Joshua’s time.

Historical and Theological Themes

A keynote feature is God’s faithfulness to fulfill His promise of giving the Land to Abraham’s descendants (Gen 12:7; 15:18-21; 17:8). By His leading (cf. 5:14-6:2), they inhabited the territories E and W of the Jordan, and so the word “possess” appears nearly 20 times.

Related to this theme is Israel’s failure to press their conquest to every part of the Land (Jos 13:1). Judges 1-2 later describes the tragic results from this sin. Key verses focus on: 1) God’s promise of possession of the Land (Jos 1:3, 6); 2) meditation on God’s law, which was strategic for His people (Jos 1:8); and 3) Israel’s actual possession of the Land in part (Jos 11:23; 21:45; 22:4).

Specific allotment of distinct portions in the Land was Joshua’s task, as recorded in chaps. 13-22. Levites were placed strategically in 48 towns so that God’s spiritual services through them would be reasonably within reach of the Israelites, wherever they lived.

God wanted His people to possess the Land: 1) to keep His promise (Gen 12:7); 2) to set the stage for later developments in His kingdom plan (cf. Gen 17:8; 49:8-12), e.g., positioning Israel for events in the periods of the kings and prophets; 3) to punish peoples that were an affront to Him because of extreme sinfulness (Lev 18:25); and 4) to be a testimony to other peoples (Josh 2:9-11), as God’s covenant heart reached out to all nations (Gen 12:1-3).

Interpretive Challenges

Miracles always challenge readers either to believe that the God who created heaven and earth (Gen 1:1) can do other mighty works, too, or to explain them away. As in Moses’ day, miracles in this book were a part of God’s purpose, such as: 1) His holding back the Jordan’s waters (Josh 3:7-17); 2) the fall of Jericho’s walls (Josh 6:1-27); 3) the hailstones (Josh 10:1-11); and 4) the long day (Josh 10:12-15).

Other challenges include: 1) How did God’s blessing on the harlot Rahab, who responded to Him in faith, relate to her telling a lie (Josh 2)? 2) Why were Achan’s family members executed with him (Josh 7)? 3) Why was Ai, with fewer men than Israel, hard to conquer (Josh 7-8)? 4) What does God’s “sending the hornet” before Israel mean (Josh 24:12)? These questions will be addressed in the notes.

Outline of Joshua
by John MacArthur

I. Entering the Promised Land (Jos 1:1-5:15)

II. Conquering the Promised Land (Jos 6:1-12:24)

A. The Central Campaign (Jos 6:1-8:35)
B. The Southern Campaign (Jos 9:1-10:43)
C. The Northern Campaign (Jos 11:1-15)
D. The Summary of Conquests (Jos 11:16-12:24)

III. Distributing Portions in the Promised Land (Jos 13:1-22:34)

A. Summary of Instructions (Jos 13:1-33)
B. West of the Jordan (Jos 14:1-19:51)
C. Cities of Refuge (Jos 20:1-9)
D. Cities of the Levites (Jos 21:1-45)
E. East of the Jordan (Jos 22:1-34)

IV. Retaining the Promised Land (Jos 23:1-24:28)

A. The First Speech by Joshua (Jos 23:1-16)
B. The Second Speech by Joshua (Jos 24:1-28)

Introduction to Joshua
by John MacArthur

Title

Author and Date

Background and Setting

Historical and Theological Themes

Interpretive Challenges

Outline of Joshua
by John MacArthur

I. Entering the Promised Land (Jos 1:1-5:15)

II. Conquering the Promised Land (Jos 6:1-12:24)

III. Distributing Portions in the Promised Land (Jos 13:1-22:34)

IV. Retaining the Promised Land (Jos 23:1-24:28)

V. Postscript (Jos 24:29-33)

The 1440 Agenda

Remembering Marcy

Study Bible

Introduction to Joshuaby John MacArthur

Title

Author and Date

Background and Setting

Historical and Theological Themes

Interpretive Challenges

Outline of Joshuaby John MacArthur

I. Entering the Promised Land (Jos 1:1-5:15)

II. Conquering the Promised Land (Jos 6:1-12:24)

III. Distributing Portions in the Promised Land (Jos 13:1-22:34)

IV. Retaining the Promised Land (Jos 23:1-24:28)

V. Postscript (Jos 24:29-33)

Books of the Bible

Chapters in Joshua

The 1440 Agenda

Introduction to Joshua
by John MacArthur

Outline of Joshua
by John MacArthur