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).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And the sons of Judah: Er and Onan and Shelah and Pharez and Zarah; and Er will die, and Onan in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez will be Hezron and Hamu.
And for the sons of Judah, their generations according to their families, according to the house of their fathers, according to the number of names, from the son of twenty years and above, all going forth to war. They being reviewed for the tribe of Judah, four and seventy thousand and six hundred.
And they encamping eastward from the sunrising, the flag of the camp Judah for their warfare; and the chief for the sons of Judah, Nashon, son of Amminadab And his army, and they being reviewed, four and seventy thousand and six hundred. read more. And they encamping by him, the tribe of Issachar: and the chief for the sons of Issachar, Nathaneel, son of Zuar. And his army, and they being reviewed, four and fifty thousand and four hundred. The tribe of Zebulon: and the chief for the sons of Zebulon, Eliab, son of Helon. And his army, they being reviewed, seven and fifty thousand and four hundred. All they being reviewed for the camp of Judah, a hundred thousand and eighty thousand and six thousand and four hundred, for their warfare: they shall first remove.
And the flag of the camp of Judah will remove first according to their army: and over his army, Nashon, son of Amminadab.
These the families of Judah according to their reviewing, six and seventy thousand and five hundred.
And the sons of Judah will come near to Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb, son of Jephunneh will say to him, Thou knewest the word which Jehovah spake to Moses the man of God on account of me and on account of thee in Kadesh-Barnea. The son of forty years was I in Moses the servant of Jehovah sending me from Kadesh-Barnea to spy the land; and I will turn back word to him as with my heart read more. And my brethren who went up with me caused the heart of the people to melt: and I filled up after Jehovah my God. And Moses will sware in that day, saying, Shall not the land which thy foot trod upon it be to thee for inheritance, and to thy sons even to forever? for thou didst fill up after Jehovah my God. And now, behold, Jehovah preserved me alive as he spake this forty and five years, from the time Jehovah spake this word to Moses, when Israel went in the desert: and now, behold me this day the son of five and eighty years. Yet I this day strong as in the day Moses sent me; as my strength then and so my strength now, for war, to go out and to come in. And now thou shalt give to me this mountain which Jehovah spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day that the Anakims were there, and the cities great being fortified: if Jehovah be with me, and I drove them out, as Jehovah spake. And Joshua will bless him and will give Hebron to Caleb, son of Jephunneh, for inheritance. For this Hebron was to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizite, for inheritance even to this day, because that he filled up after Jehovah the God of Israel. And the name of Hebron before, the city of Arba; he the great man among the Anakims And the land rested from war.
And to Caleb son of Jephunneh he gave a portion in the midst of the sons of Judah, according to the mouth of Jehovah to Joshua, the city of Arba the father of Anak, this is Hebron. And Caleb drove from thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman and Talmai, children of Anak. read more. And he will go up from thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before, the City of the Book. And Caleb will say, Who will smite the City of the Book and take it, and I gave to him Achsah my daughter for a wife. And Othniel, son of Kenaz will take it, the brother of Caleb, and he will give to him Achsah his daughter for a wife. And it will be in her going forth she will stimulate him to ask from her father a field: and she will descend from the ass, and Caleb will say to her, What to thee? And she will say, Thou wilt give to me a blessing; for a south land thou gavest me, and give to me springs of water: and he will give to her the springs above and the springs beneath. This the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families. And the cities from the extremity to the tribe of the sons of Judah, to the bound of Edom in the south, will be Kabzeel and Eder, and Jagur,
And the cities from the extremity to the tribe of the sons of Judah, to the bound of Edom in the south, will be Kabzeel and Eder, and Jagur, And Kinah and Dinonah and Adadah, read more. And Kedesh and Hazor and Ithnan, Ziph and Telem and Bealoth, And Hazor, Hadattah, and the city of Hezron (this is Hazor), Amam and Shema and Moladah, And Hazor-Gaddah, and Heshmon and the House of Escape, And Hazor-Shual and the Well of the Oath, and Bizjothjah, And Baalah and Iim and Azem, And Eltolad and Chesil and Hormah, And Ziklag and Madmannah, and Sansannah, And Lebaoth and Shilhim and Ain and Rimmon: all the cities twenty and nine and their enclosures: In the plain Eshtaol and Zoreah, and Ashnah,
In the plain Eshtaol and Zoreah, and Ashnah, And Zanoah and En-Gannim, Tappuah and Enam. read more. Jarmuth and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah, And Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities and their enclosures: Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdal-Gad, And Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel, Lachish and Bozkath and Eglon, And Cabbon and Lahmam and Kithlish, And Gederoth, the House of Dagon, and Naamath and Makedah; sixteen cities and their enclosures: Libnah and Ether and Ashen, And Jiphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib, And Keilah, and Achzib and Mareshah; nine cities and their enclosures: Ekron and her daughters and her enclosures: From Ekron and the sea, all which was upon the hand of Ashdod, and their enclosures: Ashdod, her daughters and her enclosures: Gaza, her daughters and her enclosures, even to the torrent of Egypt, and the great sea and the bound: And in the mountain Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh,
And in the mountain Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh, And Dannah, and Kirjath-Sannah (this is Debir),
And Dannah, and Kirjath-Sannah (this is Debir), And Anab and Eshtemoh and Anim,
And Anab and Eshtemoh and Anim, And Goshen and Holon and Giloh; eleven cities and their enclosures:
And Goshen and Holon and Giloh; eleven cities and their enclosures: Arab, and Dumah and Eshean,
Arab, and Dumah and Eshean, And Janum, and the House of Tappuah, and Aphekah,
And Janum, and the House of Tappuah, and Aphekah, And Humtah, and the Fourth City (this is Hebron), and Zior; nine cities and their enclosures:
And Humtah, and the Fourth City (this is Hebron), and Zior; nine cities and their enclosures: Maon, Carmel, and Ziph and Juttah
And Jezreel and Jokdeam, and Zanoah, Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities and their enclosures:
Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities and their enclosures: Halhnl, the House of Zur, and Gedor,
Halhnl, the House of Zur, and Gedor, And Maarath and the House of Anoth, and Eltekon; six cities and their enclosures:
And Maarath and the House of Anoth, and Eltekon; six cities and their enclosures: The city of Baal, (this the City of Forests) and Rabbah; two cities and their enclosures:
The city of Baal, (this the City of Forests) and Rabbah; two cities and their enclosures: In the desert, the House of Arabah, Middin, and Secacah,
In the desert, the House of Arabah, Middin, and Secacah, And Nibshan, and the City of Salt, and the Fountain of Engedi; six cities and their enclosures. read more. And the Jebusites dwelling in Jerusalem, the sons of Judah will not be able to drive them out: and the Jebusites dwelt with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem even to this day.
Out of the portion of the sons of Judah was the inheritance of the sons of Simeon: for the portion of the sons of Judah was great above theirs: and the sons of Simeon will inherit in the midst of their inheritance.
And they will give from the tribe of the sons of Judah and from the tribe of the sons of Simeon, these cities which he will call them by name, And it will be to the sons of Aaron from the families of the Kohathites, from the sons of Levi: for to them was the first lot. read more. And they will give to them the fourth city, the father of Anak (it is Hebron) in mount Judah, and the area round about it And the field of the city and its enclosure they gave to Caleb, son of Jephunneh, for his possession. And to the sons of Aaron the priest they gave the city of refuge of the slayer, Hebron and its areas, and Libnah and her areas, And Jattir and her area, and Eshtemoa and her area, And Holon and her area, and Debir and her area, And Ain and her area, and Juttah and her area, and the House of the Sun and her area: nine cities from these two tribes. And from the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon and her area, and Geba and her area, Anathoth and her area, and Almon and her area: four cities. All the cities of the sons of Aaron the priests, thirteen cities and their areas.
And the sons of the Kenite, father-in-law of Moses, went up from the city of palm-trees with the sons of Judah to the desert of Judah, which is in the south of Arad; and he went up and dwelt with the people:
And David will say to Saul, Thy servant was feeding for his father among the sheep, and there came the lion and with the bear, and lifted up a sheep from the flock.
And David will go from thence and he will escape to the cave Adullam: and his brethren and all the house of his father will hear, and they will go down to him there.
And they will rise and go to Ziph before Saul: and David and his men in the desert of Maon, in the sterile region to the right of Jeshimon.
And it will be when Saul turned back from after the rovers, and they will announce to him, saying, Behold, David in the desert of Engedi.
In these days John the Baptist is present, proclaiming in the desert of Judea;
And he was there in the desert forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with wild beasts; and messengers were serving him.