Joshua 15:13-19
New English Translation
13 Caleb son of Jephunneh was assigned Kiriath Arba (that is Hebron) within the tribe of Judah, according to the Lord’s instructions to Joshua. (Arba was the father of Anak.)[a] 14 Caleb drove out[b] from there three Anakites—Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, descendants of Anak. 15 From there he attacked the people of Debir.[c] (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher.) 16 Caleb said, “To the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher I will give my daughter Achsah as a wife.” 17 When Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother,[d] captured it, Caleb[e] gave Achsah his daughter to him as a wife.
18 One time Achsah[f] came and charmed her father[g] so that she could ask him for some land. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What would you like?” 19 She answered, “Please give me a special present.[h] Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water.” So he gave her both the upper and lower springs.
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- Joshua 15:13 tn Heb “To Caleb son of Jephunneh he gave a portion in the midst of the sons of Judah according to the mouth [i.e., command] of the Lord to Joshua, Kiriath Arba (the father of Anak), it is Hebron.”
- Joshua 15:14 tn Or “dispossessed.”
- Joshua 15:15 tn Heb “he went up against the inhabitants of Debir.”
- Joshua 15:17 tn “Caleb’s brother” may refer either to Othniel or to Kenaz. If Kenaz was the brother of Caleb, Othniel is Caleb’s nephew.
- Joshua 15:17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Caleb) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Joshua 15:18 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Achsah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Joshua 15:18 tn Heb “him.” The referent of the pronoun could be Othniel, in which case the translation would be “she incited him [Othniel] to ask her father for a field.” This is problematic, however, for Achsah, not Othniel, makes the request in v. 19. The LXX has “he [Othniel] urged her to ask her father for a field.” This appears to be an attempt to reconcile the apparent inconsistency and probably does not reflect the original text. If Caleb is understood as the referent of the pronoun, the problem disappears. For a fuller discussion of the issue, see P. G. Mosca, “Who Seduced Whom? A Note on Joshua 15:18//Judges 1:14, ” CBQ 46 (1984): 18-22. This incident is also recorded in Judg 1:14.
- Joshua 15:19 tn Elsewhere this Hebrew word (בְּרָכָה, berakhah) is often translated “blessing,” but here it refers to a gift (as in Gen 33:11; 1 Sam 25:27; 30:26; 2 Kgs 5:15).
Joshua 15:13-19
Expanded Bible
13 The Lord had commanded Joshua to give Caleb son of Jephunneh ·part of the land [a portion] in Judah, so he gave Caleb the town of Kiriath Arba, ·also called [that is,] Hebron [14:13]. (Arba was the father of Anak.) 14 Caleb ·forced [drove] out the three ·Anakite families [L sons of Anak] living in Hebron: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak. 15 Then he left there and went to fight against the people living in Debir. (In the past Debir had been called Kiriath Sepher.) 16 Caleb said, “I will give Acsah, my daughter, as a wife to the man who attacks and captures the city of Kiriath Sepher.” 17 Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, captured the city, so Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to Othniel to be his wife. 18 When Acsah came to ·Othniel [L him; C could be Othniel or Caleb], she ·told him to ask [or asked] her father for a field.
So Acsah went to her father. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?”
19 Acsah answered, “·Do me a special favor [L Give me a blessing]. Since you have given me land in ·southern Canaan [L the Negev], also give me springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
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