Reference: Judah, Tribe of
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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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The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. (Er and Onan died in Canaan.) The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
The roster of families and households for the descendants of Judah listed the men by name that were at least twenty years old and eligible for military duty. The total for the tribe of Judah was seventy-four thousand six hundred.
On the east side, facing the rising sun, the armies led by Judah will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Judah is Nahshon, son of Amminadab. The total number of men in his army is seventy-four thousand six hundred. read more. Next to them will be the tribe of Issachar. The leader for the people of Issachar is Nethanel, son of Zuar. The total number of men in his army is fifty-four thousand four hundred. Then will be the tribe of Zebulun. The leader for the people of Zebulun is Eliab, son of Helon. The total number of men in his army is fifty-seven thousand four hundred. The grand total of all the troops in Judah's camp is one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred. They will be the first group to move out.
They were in the same order each time they moved. Those under the banner of the division led by the tribe of Judah started out first, company by company, with Nahshon son of Amminadab in command.
These were the families of Judah. The total number of men was seventy-six thousand five hundred.
Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said to him: You know what Jehovah said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh-barnea. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of Jehovah sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land. I brought him word again as it was in my heart. read more. Nevertheless my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people dissolve. But I wholly followed Jehovah my God. Moses swore on that day, saying: 'Surely the land where your feet have trodden shall be your inheritance, and your children's from generation to generation, because you have completely followed Jehovah my God. Jehovah has kept me alive, as he said, these forty-five years, even since Jehovah spoke this word to Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness. Now I am this day eighty-five years old. So far 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 is now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now therefore give me this mountain. This is where Jehovah spoke that day. You heard about the Anakims that day. Their cities were large and fortified and Jehovah helped me drive them out just as Jehovah said. Joshua blessed Caleb the son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron for an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite to this day, because that he wholly followed Jehovah the God of Israel. Hebron was previously named Kirjath-arba. Arba was a great man among the Anakims. The land (and its people) had rest from war.
To Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of Jehovah to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron. From Hebron Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai. read more. He went to the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir previously was Kirjath-sepher. Caleb said: I will give Achsah my daughter in marriage to the man who captures it and kills Kirjath-sepher. Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. She came to him and convinced him to ask of her father for a field. She dismounted her donkey and Caleb said to her: What do you wish? She answered: Give me a blessing. For you have given me a land in the south which includes springs of water. 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. The cities at the limits of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the border of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur,
The cities at the limits of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the border of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur, Kinah, and Dimonah, and Adadah, read more. Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan, Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth, Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth, and Hezron, which is Hazor, Amam, and Shema, and Moladah, Hazar-gaddah, and Heshmon, and Beth-palet, Hazarshual, and Beer-sheba, and Bizjothjah, Baalah, and Iim, and Azem, Eltolad, and Chesil, and Hormah, Ziklag, and Madmannah, and Sansannah, Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twenty- nine, with their villages: In the valley, Eshtaol, and Zoreah, and Ashnah,
In the valley, Eshtaol, and Zoreah, and Ashnah, Zanoah, and En-gannim, Tappuah, and Enam, read more. Jarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah, Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages: Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdal-gad, Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel, Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon, Cabbon, and Lahmam, and Kithlish, Gederoth, Beth-dagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages: Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan, Jiphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib, Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages: Ekron, with her towns and her villages: From Ekron even to the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages: Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, to the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border there. In the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh,
In the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh, Dannah, and Kirjath-sannah, which is Debir,
Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim, Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages:
Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages: Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean,
Janum, and Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah, Humtah, and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, and Zior; nine cities with their villages:
Humtah, and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, and Zior; nine cities with their villages: Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,
Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah, Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages:
Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages: Halhul, Beth-zur, and Gedor,
Halhul, Beth-zur, and Gedor, Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages:
Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages: Kirjath-baal, which is Kirjath-jearim, and Rabbah; two cities with their villages:
Kirjath-baal, which is Kirjath-jearim, and Rabbah; two cities with their villages: In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah,
In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah, Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and En-gedi; six cities with their villages. read more. As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out. The Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.
Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon: for the part of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within their inheritance.
These are the names of the cities from the territories of Judah and Simeon. These were given to the descendants of Aaron who were of the clan of Kohath and who were descended from Levi. Their assignment was the first to be made. read more. They were given the city of Arba. Arba was Anak's father. Arba is now called Hebron. It is in the hill country of Judah, along with the pastureland surrounding it. The fields that were in the city and its towns had already been given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession. In addition to Hebron, one of the cities of refuge, the following cities were assigned to the descendants of Aaron the priest: Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, with their pasturelands: nine cities from the tribes of Judah and Simeon. From the territory of Benjamin they were given four cities: Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth, and Almon, with their pasturelands. Thirteen cities in all, with pasturelands, were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.
The children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah to the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the south of Arad to live with the people.
David replied to Saul: I am a shepherd for my father's sheep. When a lion or a bear comes and carries off a sheep from the flock,
David escaped from the town of Gath and he went to Adullam Cave. Once they found out where he was his brothers and the rest of his family followed him there.
So they left and returned to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon. They were in a desolate valley in the southern part of the Judean wilderness.
Saul returned from fighting the Philistines. He declared: I have heard that David is in the desert around En-Gedi.
John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming:
Satan tempted Jesus. This lasted forty days. The angels took care of Jesus.