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 Perez, and Zarah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
Of the children of Judah, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Judah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.
And on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah encamp according to their armies: and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the children of Judah. And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred. read more. And those that do encamp next unto him shall be the tribe of Issachar: and Nethanel the son of Zuar shall be captain of the children of Issachar. And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred. Then the tribe of Zebulun: and Eliab the son of Helon shall be captain of the children of Zebulun. And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred. All that were numbered in the camp of Judah were a hundred and fourscore thousand and six thousand and four hundred, according to their armies. These shall first set forth.
In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies: and over its host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
These are the families of Judah according to those that were numbered of them, three score and sixteen thousand and five hundred.
Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said unto him, You know the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and you in Kadeshbarnea. Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to spy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. read more. Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, Surely the land on which your feet have trodden shall be your inheritance, and your children's forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God. And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spoke this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. Even yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now therefore give me this mountain, of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite unto this day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel. And the name of Hebron before was Kiriatharba; this Arba was a great man among the Anakim. And the land had rest from war.
And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a portion 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. And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. read more. And he went up there to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kiriathsepher. And Caleb said, He that smites Kiriathsepher, and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife. And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she dismounted off her donkey; and Caleb said unto her, What do you wish? She answered, Give me a blessing; for you have given me the South land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the lower springs. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families. And the furthermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the border of Edom in the South were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur,
And the furthermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the border 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 Telem, and Bealoth, And Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth, and Hezron, which is Hazor, Amam, and Shema, and Moladah, And Hazargaddah, and Heshmon, and Bethpelet, And Hazarshual, and Beersheba, and Biziothiah, Baalah, and Iim, and Ezem, And Eltolad, and Chesil, and Hormah, And Ziklag, and Madmannah, and Sansannah, And Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twenty and nine, with their villages: And in the lowland, Eshtaol, and Zorah, and Ashnah,
And in the lowland, Eshtaol, and Zorah, and Ashnah, And Zanoah, and Engannim, 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 Migdalgad, And Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel, Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon, And Cabbon, and Lahmam, and Kitlish, And Gederoth, Bethdagon, 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 its towns and its villages: From Ekron even unto the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages: Ashdod with its towns and its villages, Gaza with its towns and its villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and its coastline: And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh,
And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh, And Dannah, and Kiriathsannah, which is Debir,
And Dannah, and Kiriathsannah, which 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 Dumah, and Eshan,
And Janim, and Bethtappuah, and Aphekah, And Humtah, and Kiriatharba, which is Hebron, and Zior; nine cities with their villages:
And Humtah, and Kiriatharba, which is Hebron, and Zior; nine cities with their villages: Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,
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, Bethzur, and Gedor,
Halhul, Bethzur, and Gedor, And Maarath, and Bethanoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages:
And Maarath, and Bethanoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages: Kiriathbaal, which is Kiriathjearim, and Rabbah; two cities with their villages:
Kiriathbaal, which is Kiriathjearim, and Rabbah; two cities with their villages: In the wilderness, Betharabah, Middin, and Secacah,
In the wilderness, Betharabah, Middin, and Secacah, And Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and Engedi; six cities with their villages. read more. As 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.
Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon: for the portion of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within their inheritance.
And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name, Which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for theirs was the first lot. read more. And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the pasture lands round about it. But the fields of the city, and its villages, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession. Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with its pasture lands, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with its pasture lands, And Jattir with its pasture lands, and Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, And Holon with its pasture lands, and Debir with its pasture lands, And Ain with its pasture lands, and Juttah with its pasture lands, and Bethshemesh with its pasture lands; nine cities out of those two tribes. And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands, Anathoth with its pasture lands, and Almon with its pasture lands; four cities. All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their pasture lands.
And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lies to the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.
And David said unto Saul, Your servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
David therefore departed from there, and escaped to the cave of Adullam: and when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him.
And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.
And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.