Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 15:19
Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.
19. Give me a blessing ] Comp. the words of Jacob to Esau, Gen 33:11, “Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee;” Jos 14:13, “And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb Hebron for an inheritance;” and the words of Naaman to Elisha, “Now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.” 2Ki 5:15.
a south land ] He had given it to her, inasmuch as he had given her as a wife to the conqueror of Debir. The words are used in a double sense. “The south country” = “the barren and dry land,” “terram australem et torrentem dedisti mihi,” Vulgate; “the south loond and drye,” Wyclif.
springs of water ] The word here used, “gulloth,” = “waves” or “bubblings.” “Underneath the hill on which Debir stood is a deep valley, rich with verdure from a copious rivulet, which, rising at the crest of the glen, falls, with a continuity unusual in the Judan hills, down to its lowest depth. On the possession of these upper and lower ‘bubblings,’ so contiguous to her lover’s prize, Achsah had set her heart. The scene of this incident was first discovered by Dr Rosen, and under his guidance I saw it in 1862.” Stanley’s Lectures, i. 264.
the upper springs, and the nether springs ] Caleb responded to her wish, and gave her the higher and lower fields watered by these springs. Nether adj. = lower. Comp. Exo 19:17, “And Moses brought forth the people and they stood at the nether part of the mount;” Deu 24:6, “No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge;” 1Ki 9:17, “And Solomon built Gezer, and Beth-horon the nether;” Job 41:24, “His heart is as firm as a stone, yea as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.” A. S. nyera, or nyera. Comp. “the Netherlands” = “the Lowlands;” “a foolish hanging of thy nether lip.” Shakespeare, I. Henry IV. ii. 4.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
A south land – This term (negeb) which is often equivalent to a proper name Jos 15:21, importing the well-defined district which formed the south of the promised land (Num 13:17 note), seems here used in its more general sense Psa 126:4, for a dry or barren land. The rendering of this passage adopted by Septuagint, several versions, and Commentators, etc., thou hast given me into a south land, i. e. hast given me in marriage into a south land is forced; the construction of the verb to give, with two accusatives, is natural and common to many languages.
Springs of water – The Hebrew words gullah maym are found only here and in the parallel passage, Jdg 1:15. Hence, some take it as a proper name, Gulloth-maim, which like Beth-horon Jos 16:3, Jos 16:5, was applied to two distinct but adjoining places – distinguished as the upper and the lower. The tract in question was no doubt a mountain slope which had springs both on its higher and lower ground; possibly the modern Kurmul.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 19. Give me a blessing] Do me an act of kindness. Grant me a particular request.
Thou hast given me a south land] Which was probably dry, or very ill, watered.
Give me also springs of water.] Let me have some fields in which there are brooks or wells already digged.
The upper springs, and the nether springs.] He gave her even more than she requested; he gave her a district among the mountains and another in the plains well situated and well watered. There are several difficulties in this account, with which I shall not trouble the reader. What is mentioned above appears to be the sense.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Give me a blessing, i.e. a gift, as that word signifies, Gen 33:11.
A south land, i.e. a dry land, which was much exposed to the south wind, which in those parts was very hot and drying, as coming from the deserts of Arabia.
Springs of water, i.e. a.field, as she desired, Jos 15:18, wherein are springs of water, which in that country were of great price; for it is not probable that he would give her the springs, and give to another the grounds in which the springs were, who could thereby at their pleasure deprive her of the use and benefit of her springs: so she begs a well-moistened field, which also might give some relief to that which was dry and barren.
The upper springs, and the nether springs, i.e. springs both in the higher and in the lower grounds; or two fields, one in high, another in low grounds; or rather, one above, and the other below, that south and dry ground which she complained of, that by this means it might be watered on both sides.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Who answered, give me a blessing,…. By which she meant not a paternal benediction, or that he would wish and pray for a blessing on her; nor food, or a maintenance, as Jarchi, that her husband would provide for her; but rather an inheritance or possession, as the Targum; or a gift, as Abendana, a present, or something over and above what he had already given her; or an addition to her portion, as Kimchi: the word is sometimes used for a fish pool, as well as a blessing, and so glances at what she had in view, pools of water, or a well watered land:
for thou hast given me a south land; a dry land, as the Jewish writers a generally interpret this word, otherwise all the land belonging to the tribe of Judah was south land, and Caleb could give her no other; but Debir, as Hebron was, was in the hill country, was mountainous and so dry, and wanted watering:
give me also springs of water; she means land in which there were springs of water; for unless she was possessed of the land in which they were, she would have no command of the springs, and so have little or no use of them:
and he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs; such as were in the higher grounds, and such as were in the lower ones, that she might have a sufficiency to water all her lands and fields; or as she moved her husband to ask a field, and he put her on doing the same, Caleb gave her a field, in the upper part of which were springs, and also in the lower part; though he seems to have given more than she requested.
a So Jarchi and Kimchi in loc. R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 34. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
19. A blessing A special favour, a gift.
Springs of water As her portion was a field having a southern exposure to blazing suns and sultry winds, she argues the eminent propriety of supplementing the gift by adding a well-watered adjoining tract. He gave her the upper springs and the nether, a tract of hill and dale abounding in water.
The cities of Judah are grouped in four divisions corresponding to the physical geography of Judah’s lot: the NEGEB, or south country, Jos 15:21-32; the SHEPHELAH, or valley, Jos 15:33-47; the MOUNTAIN, Jos 15:48-60; and the WILDERNESS, Jos 15:61-62. The cities of the Shephelah and the Mountain are enumerated by groups. These cities are nearly all unknown. For an elaborate attempt to identify them, see Wilton’s Negeb, Part III, page 70. In the following notes nothing is said on the names of those places of which no modern trace has been certainly discovered.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“Handfuls of Purpose”
For All Gleaners
“Give me also.” Jos 15:19
This was the petition of Achsah, the daughter of Caleb. The father had given his daughter a portion already in the form of a south land, and now she asks him for something more, namely, “springs of water.” The emphasis of this text would seem to be on the word “also,” if we accommodate it to the temper and desire of our own times. Achsah was not content with the south land; she wanted an addition. Who ever is content with what he has? Does not one possession suggest another? This suggestion may be base and selfish. It may indicate a spirit of greed or covetousness which can never be satisfied. We have a proverb which says “much wants more.” Where such a spirit is manifested the possession already in hand is unworthily held. Here is the secret of the amazing disparity between class and class, and the explanation of some of the grossest tyrannies of history. Men should watch their desires in this direction. All getting should be accompanied by corresponding giving. Where there is no outlet there will soon be stagnation. This desire, however, may be one of the noblest aspirations of the human mind. There is a discontentment which is to be religiously encouraged. Say, for example, in the realm of knowledge: we go on from one advancement to another, earnestly desiring the completion of our study: say, for example, in the region of Christian donation; Paul counted himself not to have apprehended, but he resolved his whole life into one action expressed by the attitude of pressing towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus: he urged the Christians of Corinth to “covet earnestly the best gifts:” there is, then, a covetousness which is equivalent to prayer; a desire for more which is a holy aspiration. It is often difficult to distinguish between the legitimate and the illegitimate in human desire. As a broad rule it may be said that all desire for more material possession or personal gratification is wrong; and all desire for more light, clearer insight into truth, and fuller realisation of duty, is right. Every man must determine this for himself. There must be no shrinking from the most penetrating inquiry. When the soul is really anxious to know what its own desires are in the sight of God, there cannot be the slightest difficulty in obtaining the information.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
Jos 15:19 Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.
Ver. 19. Give me also springs of water, ] i.e., Other lands well watered, whence we may derive water to the rest.
And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
a blessing = a present. Compare Jdg 1:15. 1Sa 25:27.
springs of water. Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), i.e. land containing them (App-6).
he. Some codices, with four early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read “Caleb”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Give me: Jdg 1:14, Jdg 1:15
a blessing: Gen 33:11, Deu 33:7, 1Sa 25:27, 2Co 9:5, *marg.
Reciprocal: Job 42:15 – gave
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jos 15:19. A blessing That is, a gift, as that word signifies, Gen 33:11. A south land That is, a dry land, which was much exposed to the south wind, which, in those parts, was very hot and drying, as coming from the deserts of Arabia. Springs of water That is, a field wherein are springs of water, which in that country were of great price. Upper and nether springs Of two fields, one above and the other below that south and dry ground which she complained of, that by this means it might be watered on both sides.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
15:19 Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; {g} give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.
(g) Because her country was barren, she wanted a field that had springs from her father. Jud 1:14-15.