Josué 15

BLIVRE · Chapter 15/24

¹E foi a sorte da tribo dos filhos de Judá, por suas famílias, junto ao termo de Edom, do deserto de Zim ao sul, ao lado do sul.

²E seu termo da parte do sul foi desde a costa do mar Salgado, desde a baía que está voltada ao sul;

³E saía até o sul à subida de Acrabim, passando até Zim; e subindo pelo sul até Cades-Barneia, passava a Hebrom, e subindo por Adar dava volta a Carca;

⁴De ali passava a Azmom, e saía ao ribeiro do Egito; e sai este termo ao ocidente. Este pois vos será o termo do sul.

⁵O termo do oriente é o mar Salgado até o fim do Jordão. E o termo da parte do norte, desde a baía do mar, desde o fim do Jordão:

⁶E sobe este termo por Bete-Hogla, e passa do norte a Bete-Arabá, e daqui sobe este termo à pedra de Boã, filho de Rúben.

⁷E torna a subir este termo a Debir desde o vale de Acor: e ao norte olha sobre Gilgal, que está diante da subida de Adumim, a qual está ao sul do ribeiro: e passa este termo às águas de En-Semes, e sai à fonte de Rogel:

⁸E sobe este termo pelo vale do filho de Hinom ao lado dos jebuseus ao sul: esta é Jerusalém. Logo sobe este termo pelo cume do monte que está diante do vale de Hinom até o ocidente, o qual está ao fim do vale dos gigantes ao norte;

⁹E rodeia este termo desde o cume do monte até a fonte das águas de Neftoa, e sai às cidades do monte de Efrom, rodeando logo o mesmo termo a Baalá, a qual é Quriate-Jearim.

¹⁰Depois torna este termo desde Baalá até o ocidente ao monte de Seir: e passa ao lado do monte de Jearim até o norte, esta é Quesalom, e desce a Bete-Semes, e passa a Timna.

¹¹Sai logo este termo ao lado de Ecrom até o norte; e rodeia o mesmo termo a Sicrom, e passa pelo monte de Baalá, e sai a Jabneel: e sai este termo ao mar.

¹²O termo do ocidente é o mar grande. Este, pois, é o termo dos filhos de Judá em derredor, por suas famílias.

¹³Mas a Calebe, filho de Jefoné, deu parte entre os filhos de Judá, conforme o mandamento do SENHOR a Josué: isto é, a Quiriate-Arba, do pai de Anaque, que é Hebrom.

¹⁴E Calebe expulsou dali três filhos de Anaque, a Sesai, Aimã, e Talmai, filhos de Anaque.

¹⁵De aqui subiu aos que moravam em Debir: e o nome de Debir era antes Quiriate-Sefer.

¹⁶E disse Calebe: Ao que ferir a Quiriate-Sefer, e a tomar, eu lhe darei a minha filha Acsa por mulher.

¹⁷E tomou-a Otniel, filho de Quenaz, irmão de Calebe; e ele lhe deu por mulher a sua filha Acsa.

¹⁸E aconteceu que quando a levava, ele a persuadiu que pedisse a seu pai terras para lavrar. Ela então desceu do asno. E Calebe lhe disse: Que tens?

¹⁹E ela respondeu: Dá-me bênção; pois me deste terra de secura, dá-me também fontes de águas. Ele então lhe deu as fontes de acima, e as de abaixo.

²⁰Esta, pois é a herança das tribos dos filhos de Judá por suas famílias.

²¹E foram as cidades do termo da tribo dos filhos de Judá até o termo de Edom ao sul: Cabzeel, e Éder, e Jagur,

²²E Quiná, e Dimona, e Adada,

²³E Quedes, e Hazor, e Itnã,

²⁴Zife, e Telém, Bealote,

²⁵E Hazor-Hadata, e Queriote-Hezrom, que é Hazor,

²⁶Amã, e Sema, e Moladá,

²⁷E Hazar-Gada, e Hesmom, e Bete-Pelete,

²⁸E Hazar-Sual, Berseba, e Biziotiá,

²⁹Baalá, e Iim, e Azém,

³⁰E Eltolade, e Quesil, e Hormá,

³¹E Ziclague, e Madmana, Sansana,

³²E Lebaote, Silim, e Aim, e Rimom; em todas vinte e nove cidades com suas aldeias.

³³Nas planícies, Estaol, e Zorá, e Asná,

³⁴E Zanoa, e En-Ganim, Tapua, e Enã,

³⁵Jeremote, e Adulão, Socó, e Azeca,

³⁶E Saaraim, e Aditaim, e Gederá, e Gederotaim; catorze cidades com suas aldeias.

³⁷Zenã, e Hadasa, e Migdal-Gade,

³⁸E Dileã, e Mispá, e Jocteel,

³⁹Laquis, e Bozcate, e Eglom,

⁴⁰E Cabom, e Laamás, e Quitilis,

⁴¹E Gederote, Bete-Dagom, e Naamá, e Maquedá; dezesseis cidades com suas aldeias.

⁴²Libna, e Eter, e Asã,

⁴³E Iftá, e Asná, e Nezibe,

⁴⁴E Queila, e Aczibe, e Maressa; nove cidades com suas aldeias.

⁴⁵Ecrom com suas vilas e suas aldeias:

⁴⁶Desde Ecrom até o mar, todas as que estão à costa de Asdode com suas aldeias.

⁴⁷Asdode com suas vilas e suas aldeias: Gaza com suas vilas e suas aldeias até o rio do Egito, e o grande mar com seus termos.

⁴⁸E nas montanhas, Samir, e Jatir, e Sucote,

⁴⁹E Dana, e Quiriate-Saná, que é Debir,

⁵⁰E Anabe, e Estemo, e Anim,

⁵¹E Gósen, e Holom, e Gilo; onze cidades com suas aldeias.

⁵²Arabe, e Dumá, e Esã,

⁵³E Janim, e Bete-Tapua, e Afeca,

⁵⁴E Hunta, e Quiriate-Arba, que é Hebrom, e Zior; nove cidades com suas aldeias.

⁵⁵Maom, Carmelo, e Zife, e Jutá,

⁵⁶E Jezreel, Jocdeão, e Zanoa,

⁵⁷Caim, Gibeá, e Timna; dez cidades com suas aldeias.

⁵⁸Halul, e Bete-Zur, e Gedor,

⁵⁹E Maarate, e Bete-Anote, e Eltecom; seis cidades com suas aldeias.

⁶⁰Quriate-Baal, que é Quriate-Jearim, e Rabá; duas cidades com suas aldeias.

⁶¹No deserto, Bete-Arabá, Midim, e Secacá,

⁶²E Nibsã, e a cidade do sal, e En-Gedi; seis cidades com suas aldeias.

⁶³Mas aos jebuseus que habitavam em Jerusalém, os filhos de Judá não os puderam desarraigar; antes restaram os jebuseus em Jerusalém com os filhos de Judá, até hoje.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

A detailed description of the territory of Judah, including Caleb's conquest of Hebron and Debir, and the marriage of his daughter Achsah to Othniel.

Explanation

The extensive list of borders and cities of Judah (the largest tribe by territory) documented, with legal precision, the property boundaries between families and clans, preventing future disputes over land. Amid this seemingly dry list, the personal story of Achsah shines through - she asks for and receives extra springs of water from her father Caleb, a small account of initiative and family generosity in the middle of an administrative chapter. The closing verse honestly acknowledges that Judah could not completely drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem, a failure that would repeat itself with other tribes and bring consequences later on.

Fun facts

The city of Jerusalem (called Jebus by its original inhabitants) would only be fully conquered by David centuries later, in 2 Samuel 5.
Othniel, who marries Achsah here, later becomes Israel's first deliverer-judge in Judges 3:9-11.

Verse-by-verse explanation

Josué 15:1Judah's borders are marked by natural landmarks — a valley, a rock, a spring — that made sense to the people who lived there but now require archaeologists to pinpoint. It worked like an ancient land deed, using natural markers instead of coordinates or street signs.
Josué 15:2This describes Judah's southern border, starting at the tip of the Salt Sea and following the natural line that separated the territory from its neighbors to the south.
Josué 15:3The southern border keeps going down to the ascent of Akrabbim and climbs back up to Kadesh-barnea, the same place the spies had set out from years earlier.
Josué 15:4The southern limit ends at the river of Egypt, which empties into the Mediterranean — this whole line marks Judah's southern border.
Josué 15:5On the east side, Judah's border is the Salt Sea; on the north, it begins where the Jordan flows into that sea.
Josué 15:6The northern border climbs through Beth-hogla and Beth-arabah, passing by a stone marker linked to one of Reuben's sons.
Josué 15:7The line continues to Debir, passing near Gilgal and the ascent of Adummim, until it reaches the waters of En-shemesh.
Josué 15:8The border runs through the Valley of Hinnom, at the height of Jerusalem — a Jebusite city at the time — and climbs to the top of the mountain overlooking that valley.
Josué 15:9From there the line goes to the spring of Nephtoah, passes by the cities of Mount Ephron, and reaches Baalah, also called Kirjath-jearim.
Josué 15:10The border curves west, passes through the hill country of Seir, and goes down to Beth-shemesh and Timnah.
Josué 15:11It continues near Ekron, passes by Shicron and Mount Baalah, and ends at Jabneel, close to the sea.
Josué 15:12The western border is simply the Mediterranean Sea — this completes the whole outline of Judah's territory.
Josué 15:13Fulfilling the promise made to Joshua, Caleb receives a portion within Judah's territory: the city of Hebron, also called Kirjath-arba.
Josué 15:14Caleb drives out the three sons of Anak from there, recalling the same giant people who had terrified the spies decades earlier.
Josué 15:15From Hebron, Caleb advances to Debir, which had formerly been called Kirjath-sepher.
Josué 15:16Caleb promises his own daughter, Achsah, in marriage to whoever conquers Kirjath-sepher — a common incentive at the time to motivate a difficult attack.
Josué 15:17Othniel, Caleb's nephew, captures the city and receives Achsah as his wife, fulfilling the promise.
Josué 15:18Already married, Achsah urges her husband to ask her father for more land; she herself gets down from the donkey to negotiate directly with Caleb.
Josué 15:19Achsah asks her father for springs of water beyond the dry field she received, and the request is granted; in a land where rain was scarce, access to springs mattered as much as the size of the land itself. It's a small detail that shows what truly mattered in a land inheritance in that region.
Josué 15:20This closes out the section on borders and stories, opening the way for the detailed list of Judah's inherited cities.
Josué 15:21The list of cities in Judah's far south begins, near the border with Edom.
Josué 15:22Three more cities from this southern region follow next in the list.
Josué 15:23The list of southern cities continues, including Kedesh, distinct from the Kadesh-barnea mentioned earlier.
Josué 15:24Three more city names complete this part of the far-south list of Judah.
Josué 15:25Two versions of Hazor appear here, showing how names repeated among different cities in the region.
Josué 15:26The list continues with more cities in southern Judah, including Moladah.
Josué 15:27These cities lie in the Negev, the dry strip in Judah's far south toward the border with Edom — a list that adds up to twenty-nine cities and their villages.
Josué 15:28Beer-sheba, one of the most remembered places from the patriarchs' story, appears here as part of Judah's territory.
Josué 15:29More cities from the same stretch of the Negev, in southern Judah — names that appear only here, within a list of twenty-nine cities that closes out this region.
Josué 15:30Hormah, a city tied to Israel's earlier defeats in the wilderness, now appears as part of the conquered territory.
Josué 15:31Ziklag, a city that will later appear in the story of David fleeing from Saul, already shows up here in Judah's list.
Josué 15:32The list of the far south closes with a total of twenty-nine cities, each with its surrounding villages.
Josué 15:33The list of lowland cities now begins, a different region from the southern lands.
Josué 15:34More lowland cities join the list, including En-gannim, in this section of Judah's territory.
Josué 15:35Jarmuth and Adullam, cities tied to kings defeated by Joshua in earlier chapters, appear here as Judah's territory.
Josué 15:36This group of lowland cities closes with a total of fourteen cities and their villages.
Josué 15:37A new group of lowland cities begins, including Migdal-gad, continuing the list of the Shephelah.
Josué 15:38These cities lie in the Shephelah, the lowland between the hill country of Judah and the Philistine coast — a stretch that adds up to sixteen cities in all.
Josué 15:39Lachish, one of the important cities Joshua conquered in chapter 10, is among the cities in this group.
Josué 15:40Three more towns in Judah's lowland, the Shephelah — good, disputed land, a natural corridor between the hill country of Judah and the Philistine coast.
Josué 15:41This second lowland group closes with sixteen cities in total.
Josué 15:42Libnah is the same city Joshua conquered during the southern campaign, recounted in chapter 10 — here it opens a new group of nine cities in Judah's lowland.
Josué 15:43Three more cities complete, with Libnah, the group of nine that closes this lowland list of Judah — all in the Shephelah, near the border with the Philistines.
Josué 15:44This group of nine cities — which includes Keilah, a city David later rescues from a Philistine attack — closes another section of Judah's lowland (1 Samuel 23).
Josué 15:45Ekron, one of the five Philistine cities, appears as part of the territory assigned to Judah, even though it wasn't fully under Israelite control.
Josué 15:46The area around Ekron, near Ashdod, also enters Judah's list.
Josué 15:47Ashdod and Gaza, other Philistine cities, complete this coastal strip listed as part of Judah's territory, all the way to the border with Egypt.
Josué 15:48The list of Judah's hill country cities, up in the highlands around Hebron, now begins.
Josué 15:49Debir appears again here, under its alternate name Kirjath-sannah.
Josué 15:50These cities lie in Judah's hill country, around Hebron — part of a group of eleven cities that also includes Debir, formerly Kirjath-sepher.
Josué 15:51This group of hill country cities closes with eleven cities in total.
Josué 15:52Another group of hill country cities begins, close to the region of Hebron.
Josué 15:53More cities from Judah's hill country, in a group of nine that also includes Hebron, given by Joshua to Caleb as a reward for his faith among the twelve spies.
Josué 15:54Hebron appears again, confirming its place within Judah's territory even though it had already been given to Caleb; this group closes with nine cities.
Josué 15:55A new group begins, including Carmel and Ziph, the region where David will later hide from Saul.
Josué 15:56These cities lie in Judah's hill country, among them Jezreel — sharing a name with the more famous city of the same name in the territory of Issachar.
Josué 15:57This group of ten cities closes another section of Judah's hill country — note that there is a Gibeah here, different from the more famous Gibeah of Benjamin, King Saul's hometown.
Josué 15:58Another small group of hill country cities begins, including Beth-zur.
Josué 15:59This group of six cities closes another section of Judah's hill country, between Hebron and Bethlehem — names that don't appear anywhere else in the Bible.
Josué 15:60A very small group closes this section: Kirjath-jearim and Rabbah, just two cities.
Josué 15:61The list of cities in the wilderness of Judah begins, the arid strip running down to the Salt Sea — the same region where, centuries later, the Dead Sea Scrolls would be found.
Josué 15:62The list ends with En-gedi, on the shore of the Salt Sea, closing with six cities in total — and so all of Judah's inheritance is complete.
Josué 15:63Even after the land was officially assigned to Judah by lot, the text admits that the Jebusites kept living in Jerusalem, never driven out. The division on paper and the actual control on the ground didn't always match, and the book doesn't hide that difference.

Chapters

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Our apps

Our apps →

Bible in Stories

The Bible told as a story, with audio and videos.

📱 Get the app

World in Stories

True stories of humanity that sound made up.

App Store Google Play

Feito! Pequenas Vitórias

A light daily routine for people who lose track of the day.

App Store Google Play