Reference: Judah, Tribe of
Easton
Judah and his three surviving sons went down with Jacob into Egypt (Ge 46:12; Ex 1:2). At the time of the Exodus, when we meet with the family of Judah again, they have increased to the number of 74,000 males (Nu 1:26-27). Its number increased in the wilderness (Nu 26:22). Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, represented the tribe as one of the spies (). This tribe marched at the van on the east of the tabernacle (Nu 2:3-9; 10:14), its standard, as is supposed, being a lion's whelp. Under Caleb, during the wars of conquest, they conquered that portion of the country which was afterwards assigned to them as their inheritance. This was the only case in which any tribe had its inheritance thus determined (Jos 14:6-15; 15:13-19).
The inheritance of the tribe of Judah was at first fully one-third of the whole country west of Jordan, in all about 2,300 square miles (Jos 15). But there was a second distribution, when Simeon received an allotment, about 1,000 square miles, out of the portion of Judah (Jos 19:9). That which remained to Judah was still very large in proportion to the inheritance of the other tribes. The boundaries of the territory are described in Jos 15:20-63.
This territory given to Judah was divided into four sections. (1.) The south (Heb negeb), the undulating pasture-ground between the hills and the desert to the south (Jos 15:21.) This extent of pasture-land became famous as the favourite camping-ground of the old patriarchs. (2.) The "valley" (Jos 15:33) or lowland (Heb shephelah), a broad strip lying between the central highlands and the Mediterranean. This tract was the garden as well as the granary of the tribe. (3.) The "hill-country," or the mountains of Judah, an elevated plateau stretching from below Hebron northward to Jerusalem. "The towns and villages were generally perched on the tops of hills or on rocky slopes. The resources of the soil were great. The country was rich in corn, wine, oil, and fruit; and the daring shepherds were able to lead their flocks far out over the neighbouring plains and through the mountains." The number of towns in this district was thirty-eight (Jos 15:48-60). (4.) The "wilderness," the sunken district next the Dead Sea (Jos 15:61), "averaging 10 miles in breadth, a wild, barren, uninhabitable region, fit only to afford scanty pasturage for sheep and goats, and a secure home for leopards, bears, wild goats, and outlaws" (1Sa 17:34; 22:1; Mr 1:13). It was divided into the "wilderness of En-gedi" (1Sa 24:1), the "wilderness of Judah" (Jg 1:16; Mt 3:1), between the Hebron mountain range and the Dead Sea, the "wilderness of Maon" (1Sa 23:24). It contained only six cities.
Nine of the cities of Judah were assigned to the priests (Jos 21:9-19).
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And the sons of Judah, - Er and Onan and Shelah, and Perez and Zerah, - but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan, and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul;
Of the sons of Judah, in the r pedigrees by their families by their ancestral houses, - in the counting of names, from twenty years old and upwards, every one able to go forth to war; such as were numbered of them as belonging to the tribe of Judah, seventy-four thousand and six hundred.
And they who encamp eastwards towards sunrise, shall he the standard of the camp of Judah by their hosts, - even the prince of the sons of Judah, Nashon, son of Ammi-nadab; and his host, even they who are numbered of them, - seventy-four thousand and six hundred, read more. Then they who encamp by him the tribe of Issachar, - even the prince of the sons of Issachar, Nethanel, son of Zuar; and his host even they who are numbered of them, - fifty-four thousand and four hundred. The tribe of Zebulun, even the prince of the sons of Zebulun, Eliab, son of Helon; and his host, even they who are numbered of him, fifty-seven thousand and four hundred. All they who are num-bered to the camp of Judah. a hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred, by their hosts, shall first set forward.
So the standard of the camp of the sons of Judah set forward first, by their hosts, and over his own host, was Nahshon, son of Amminadab;
These, are the families of Judah, as to them who were numbered of them, - seventy-six thousand, and five hundred,
Then came near the sons of Judah unto Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, said unto him, - Thou, knowest the word which Yahweh spake unto Moses the man of God in my behalf and in thine in Kadesh-barnea. Forty years old, was I when Moses the servant of Yahweh sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, - so I brought him back word, as was in my heart. read more. But, my brethren who had been up with me, made the heart of the people melt, - whereas, I, wholly followed Yahweh my God. So then Moses sware on that day saying, Surely, the land on which thy foot hath trodden, unto thee, shall belong, for an inheritance, and unto thy sons, unto times age-abiding, - because thou hast wholly followed Yahweh my God. Now, therefore lo! Yahweh hath kept me alive as he spake these forty and five years from the time Yahweh spake this word unto Moses, while Israel journeyed in the desert. Now, therefore lo! I - to-day, am eighty and five years old: I remain, to-day, as courageous as on the day when Moses sent me, as my strength was then, so also my strength is now, - for war, both to go out and to come in. Now, therefore, give me this mountain, whereof Yahweh spake, on that day, - for, thou thyself, didst hear, on that day, that, Anakim, were there, and great cities fortified, if so be Yahweh be with me, then shall I dispossess them, as spake Yahweh. So Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron unto Caleb son of Jephunneh, for an inheritance. For this cause, hath Hebron belonged unto Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenezzite, for an inheritance, unto this day, - because he wholly followed Yahweh, God of Israel. Now, the name of Hebron, was formerly, City of Arba, the greatest man among the Anakim, was he. And, the land, had rest from war.
And, to Caleb, son of Jephunneh, gave he a portion, in the midst of the sons of Judah, at the bidding of Yahweh, by Joshua, - even the City of Arba, father of Anak, the same, is Hebron. And Caleb dispossessed from thence, the three sons of Anak, - Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak. read more. And he went up from thence, against the inhabitants of Debir, - now, the name of Debir, formerly, was Kiriath-sepher. Then said Caleb, He that smiteth Kiriath-sepher, and captureth it, I will give unto him Achsah, my daughter, to wife. And Othniel son of Kenaz, brother of Caleb, captured it, - so he gave unto him Achsah, his daughter, to wife. And it came to pass, when she came, that she moved him to ask of her father a field, and, when she alighted from off the ass, Caleb said unto her - What aileth thee? And she said - Give me a present, for, dry land, hast thou given me, therefore must thou give me, pools of water. So he gave her upper pools and lower pools. This, is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah, by their families. And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the sons of Judah, towards the boundary of Edom in the south, were, - Kabzeel and Eder, and Jagur,
And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the sons of Judah, towards the boundary of Edom in the south, were, - Kabzeel and Eder, and Jagur, and Kinah and Dimonah, and Adadah, - read more. and Kedesh and Hazor, and Ithnan, Ziph and Talem, and Bealoth, and Hazor-hadattah and Kerioth-hezron, the same, is Hazor; Amam and Shema, and Moladah, and Hazar-gaddah and Heshmon, and Beth-pelet. and Hazarshual and Beer-sheba, with the hamlets thereof, Baalah and Iyyim, and Ezem, and Eltolad and Chesil, and Hormah, and Ziklag and Madmannah, and Sansannah, and Lebaoth and Shilhim, and En-rimmon, - all the cities are twenty-nine, with their villages. In the lowland, - Eshtaol and Zorah, and Ashnah,
In the lowland, - Eshtaol and Zorah, and Ashnah, and Zanoah and En-gannim, Tappuah, and Enam; read more. Jarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah; and Shaaraim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim, - fourteen cities, with their villages. Zenan and Hadashah, and Migdal-gad, and Dilan and Mizpeh, and Joktheel, Lachish and Bozkath, and Eglon, and Cabbon and Lahmas, and Chithlish, and Gederoth, Beth-dagon and Naamah, and Makkedah, - sixteen cities, with their villages. Libnah and Ether, and Ashan, and Iphtah and Ashnah, and Nezib, and Keilah and Achzib, and Mareshah, - nine cities, with their villages. Ekron with her towns, and her villages. From Ekron, even unto the sea, - all that were by the side of Ashdod with their villages. Ashdod, her towns and her villages. Gaza, her towns and her villages, as far as the ravine of Egypt, - and the great sea and coast. And in the hill-country, - Shamir and Jattir, and Socoh,
And in the hill-country, - Shamir and Jattir, and Socoh, and Dannah and Kiriath-sannah, the same, is Debir,
and Dannah and Kiriath-sannah, the same, is Debir, and Anab and Eshtemoh, and Anim,
and Anab and Eshtemoh, and Anim, and Goshen and Holon, and Giloh, - eleven cities, with their villages.
and Goshen and Holon, and Giloh, - eleven cities, with their villages. Arab and Rumah and Eshan,
and Janim and Beth-tappuah and Aphekah, and Humtah, and Kiriath-arba, the same, is Hebron, and Zior, - nine cities, with their villages.
and Humtah, and Kiriath-arba, the same, is Hebron, and Zior, - nine cities, with their villages. Maon, Carmel, and Ziph and Jutah,
and Jezreel and Jokdeam, and Zanoah, Kain, Gibeah and Timnah, - ten cities, with their villages.
Kain, Gibeah and Timnah, - ten cities, with their villages. Halhul, Beth-zur, and Gedor,
Halhul, Beth-zur, and Gedor, and Maarath and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon, - six cities, with their villages.
and Maarath and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon, - six cities, with their villages. Kiriath-baal, the same, is Kiriath-jearim, and Rabbah, - two cities, with their villages.
Kiriath-baal, the same, is Kiriath-jearim, and Rabbah, - two cities, with their villages. In the desert, - Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah,
In the desert, - Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah, and Nibshan and the City of Salt, and En-gedi, - six cities, with their villages. read more. But, as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not dispossess them, - so the Jebusites have dwelt with the sons of Judah, in Jerusalem, until this day.
Out of the portion of the sons of Judah, is the inheritance of the sons of Simeon, - for it came to pass that what was allotted to the sons of Judah, was too much for them, therefore did the sons of Simeon receive an inheritance in the midst of their inheritance.
Thus then they gave - out of the tribe of the sons of Judah and out of the tribe of the sons of Simeon - these cities which are mentioned by name. And the sons of Aaron, from among the sons of Kohath, from among the sons of Levi, had them, - because, theirs, was the first lot; read more. yea there was given unto them, the city of Arba, the father of Anak, the same, is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, - with the pasture land thereof, round about it; whereas, the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they unto Caleb son of Jephunneh, as his possession. But, unto the sons of Aaron the priest, gave they the city of refuge for the manslayer, even Hebron, with the pasture lands thereof, - Libnah also, with her pasture lands; and Jattir with her pasture land, and Eshtemoa with her pasture land; and Holon, with her pasture land, and Debir, with her pasture land; and Ain, with her pasture land, and Juttah, with her pasture land, Beth-shemesh, with her pasture land, - nine cities, out of these two tribes. And, out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon, with her pasture land, - Geba, with her pasture land; Anathoth, with her pasture land, and Almon, with her pasture land, - four cities. All the cities of the sons of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities, with their pasture lands.
Now, the sons of the Kenite, father-in-law of Moses, had come up from the city of palm-trees, with the sons of Judah, into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the south of Arad, - so they went and dwelt with the people.
Then said David unto Saul, Thy servant used to tend his father's sheep, - and there would come a lion, or a bear, and carry off a lamb out of the flock;
David therefore departed thence, and escaped, into the cave of Adullam, - and, when his brethren and all the household of his father heard it, they went down unto him, thither.
So they arose and departed to Ziph, before Saul, - but, David and his men, were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah, to the right of Jeshimon.
And it came to pass, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying: Lo! David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.
Now, in those days, came John the Immerser, proclaiming in the wilderness of Judaea;
and he was in the wilderness, forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts, - and, the messengers, were ministering unto him.