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. But Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez: Hezron and Hamul.
Of the sons of Judah, by their generations, according to their families, by their fathers' house, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all able to go forth to war: those numbered of them, of the tribe of Judah, were seventy-four thousand, six hundred.
And those who pitch on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall be those of the banner of the camp of Judah, throughout their armies. And Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the sons of Judah. And his army, and those that were numbered of them, were seventy-four thousand, six hundred. read more. And those that pitch next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar. And Nethaneel the son of Zuar shall be captain of the sons of Issachar. And his army, and those that were numbered of them were fifty-four thousand, and four hundred. And the tribe of Zebulun; the ruler of the sons of Zebulun shall be Eliab the son of Helon. And his army, and those numbered of them were fifty-seven thousand and four hundred. All that were numbered of the camp of Judah were a hundred and eighty-six thousand and four hundred, by their armies. They shall set forth first.
And at the front the sons of Judah pulled up the standard of the camp by their armies. And over his army was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
these are the families of Judah by their numbered ones, seventy-six thousand and five hundred.
Then the sons of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, said to him, You know the thing that Jehovah said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea regarding you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of Jehovah sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land. And I brought him word again as it was in my heart. read more. But my brothers that went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I fully followed Jehovah my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, Surely the land on which your feet have trodden shall be your inheritance, and your sons' forever because you have fully followed Jehovah my God. And now, behold, Jehovah has kept me alive these forty-five years as He said, even since Jehovah spoke this word to Moses, while Israel wandered in the wilderness. And now, lo, I am eighty-five years old today. As yet I am as strong today 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. And now give me this mountain of which Jehovah spoke on that day. For you heard in that day how the giants were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. If Jehovah will be with me, then I will be able to drive them out, as Jehovah said. And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. And Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, to this day, because he fully followed Jehovah, the God of Israel. And the name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba; that one was a great man among the giants. And the land had rest from war.
And he gave a part among the sons of Judah to Caleb the son of Jephunneh, according to the command of Jehovah to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak; it is Hebron. And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the sons of Anak. read more. And he went up from there to those who lived in Debir. And the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher. And Caleb said, He who smites Kirjath-sepher, and takes it, I will give my daughter Achsah to him for a wife. And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife. And it happened as she came, she moved him to ask a field from her father. And she dismounted from the ass. And Caleb said to her, What do you desire? She answered, Give me a blessing, for you have given me a 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 sons of Judah according to their families. And the furthest cities of the tribe of the sons of Judah toward the coast of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur,
And the furthest cities of the tribe of the sons of Judah toward the coast of Edom southward 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-Hezron, which is Hazor, Amam, and Shema, and Moladah, and Hazar-gaddah, and Heshmon, and Beth-palet, and Hazar-shual, and Beer-sheba, and Bizjothjah, 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 are twenty-nine, with their villages. In the low country were Eshtaol, and Zoreah, and Ashnah,
In the low country were 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 with their villages; 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, Beth-dagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages; Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan, and Jiphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib, and Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities and their villages; Ekron with its town and its villages; from Ekron even to the Sea, all that were at hand by Ashdod, and their villages; Ashdod with its towns and its villages; Gaza with its towns and its villages, to the river of Egypt, and the Great Sea, and its coast. And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh,
And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh, and Dannah, and Kirjath-sannah (which is Debir);
and Dannah, and Kirjath-sannah (which is Debir); and Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim,
and Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim, and Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities and their villages;
and Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities and their villages; Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean,
and Janum, and Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah, and Humtah, and Kirjath-arba; it is Hebron; and Zior; nine cities and their villages;
and Humtah, and Kirjath-arba; it is Hebron; and Zior; nine cities and their villages; Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,
and Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah, Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities and their villages;
Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities and their villages; Halhul, Beth-zur, and Gedor,
Halhul, Beth-zur, and Gedor, and Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities and their villages;
and Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities and their villages; Kirjath-baal; it is Kirjath-jearim; and Rabbah; two cities and their villages.
Kirjath-baal; it is Kirjath-jearim; and Rabbah; two cities and their villages. In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah,
In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah, and Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and En-gedi; six cities and their villages. read more. As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not drive them out. But the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.
The inheritance of the sons of Simeon was out of the portion of the sons of Judah. For the part of the sons of Judah was too much for them; therefore the sons of Simeon had their inheritance within their inheritance.
And 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 called by name, which the sons of Aaron had, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the sons of Levi, for theirs was the first lot. read more. And they gave them the city of Arba, the father of Anak (it is Hebron) in the hills of Judah, with its open lands around it. But the fields of the city of Arba and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his own. And to the sons of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron and its open lands as a city of refuge for the manslayer, and Libnah and its open lands, and Jattir and its open lands, and Eshtemoa and its open lands, and Holon and its open lands, and Debir and its open lands, and Ain and its open lands, and Juttah and its open lands, and Beth-shemesh and its open lands; nine cities from these two tribes. And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon and its open lands, Geba and its open lands, Anathoth and its open lands, and Almon and its open lands; four cities and their open lands. And all the cities of the sons of Aaron the priest were thirteen cities.
And the sons of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the sons of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the south of Arad. And they went and lived among the people.
And David said to Saul, Your servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock.
And David left there and escaped to the cave Adullam. And his brothers and all his father's house heard, and went down to him there.
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 the desert.
And it happened when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, they told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan. And He was with the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to Him.