The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 305

No oue doubts thr.t-Jeremiah in eh. x.h-ili. Othniel, who no doubt had co'lle to meet is quoting Ian.. XY., although the passages her; or possibly, according to the Inter nrc not Yerbally coinci,lent. We may safely Oriental custom, had escorted her the whole regard this quotation of the Book of Joshua way. A blessing (sec 2 Kings v. 15; nlso in thFtt of Judges, as 1mder all ordinary Gen. nxiii. 11; 1 Sam. xxv. 27). The use laws of criticism an e,idencc that the former of the word in the sense of " gilt" comes book was in existence when the latter was from the fact that to bi ess is to bestow bene- written, just as the quotations of Deuter- fits upon the person blessed (see Dent. xxviii. onomy in Joshua mn:r naturallybetn,ken as 1-6, 11, 12). e,idence thnt the Book of Deuteronomy Ver. 19. - A southland. Hebrew, the was in cxist<>nce "·hen that of J oshue, southlnnd. The word Negeb signifies dry ,ms composed. The son of Jephunneh. (see note on Negeb, eh. x. 40). It must be (sec eh. xiv. 6). A part. Literally, a lot. remembered that it became the word for Among. Rather, i11 the midst of. Our ver- south, because the south of Po.Jestine was sion is obscure here. Arba .the father an arid tract. Therefo1·e Achsah must be of Ana.k, which city is Hebron. (see eh. xiv. understood 11s saying, "Thou· hast given 6-15). Keil thinks that he was the tribe- me a dry country, give me eJso a reser- father. or chief (sheikh, as the Arabs would voir of water." The Vulgate tmnsl11tes call him), of the children of Anak. Negeb twice over," austre.lem et arentem" , er. 14.-The three sons of Ana.le. This (a.rentem only Judg. i. 15), The LXX. also must not be pressed literally. Possibly transl11tes both Negeb e.nd Gulloth as proper thes2 men were three chiefs of the Anakim. names. But in the parallel passage in Judges The children of Ana.k. ''J'',~ ,w;cerulants, Negeb is translated "south," and Gulloth thns supporting the view taken in the last appears e.s )<i,rpwrnv, as if from :,~~ to re- note (see for the word Gen. xiv. 14; xvii. move. Nothing . can more clearly show 12, where it is used of a sle.,e born in the that the LXX. tra.nslation is the work of house). different ha.nds. Springs of water. n~ ~- ,er. 15.-Xirjath-sepher (see note on eh. akin. to our well and the Germ11n que!le, and x. 38). • Yer. 16.-Alld Caleb said (cl. 1 Sam. x:vii. derived from ,,J to roll, from the circular 25; 1 Chron. xi. 6). motion observe.hie in springs, as also from ,er. 17.-The brother of Caleb. The the rolling of waves. The Chaldee renders Hebrew does not inform us whether Othniel the house of irrigation (~:i?r:i l'l';;I). Knobel or Kenaz were Caleb's brother. Bnt the translates reservoirs, The upper springs· fact (see note on eh. xiv. 6) that Caleb was and the lower spr1Ilgs (see note on Debir, the son of J ephunneh leads to the idea that eh. x. 38). the latter is meant. Othniel was a valiant Ver. 20.-This is the IIlherita.nce. The nnd cnpable co=ander, as we learn from territory of Judah is divided into four parts, Judg. iii. 9. in the su=ary which follows: the "south," Yer. 18.-As she ea.me to him. Whether the "valley," the "mountiiins," and the the bridal procession of the later Jews were " wilderness," Tribe. Here i"lijt;) (see note already in existence or not, we have no eh. xiii. 29), • eYidence to show. A field. The ne.rrative Ver. 21.-Coast. Rather, border (see note in .Tuclges has "the field," meaning the ver. 4). Southward. The term here used particular field mentioned in the passage, (see above, ver. 19) for " south " is the one Lighted oft Or, sank down ; spoken of which has the signification of dryness. It graclual motion, as of the nail which, when is, however, occa.siona.Jly used in n less smitten by J ael into Sisera's temples, went strict sense, as in eh. xix. 24. Though the down into the ground. So Knobel. Our south country was in the main a.n arid region, translation renders it " fastened " there, yet its intersection by numerous wadys, wbich is hardly the meaning. This word with their attendant streams, provided fer- has been a difficulty to translators. The tile spots at intervals, where the trttveller LXX. renders if3,;1'Jfjfl' i,c roV Uvov, and the might rest, cattle might be watered, and Yulgate still more stsangely, "Suspiravit, corn a.nd other produce raised. 'l'he only. ut se<lebat in asi1w." The LXX. seems to places of any importance in Scripture ha Ye read j:lVJ: for n.11. The Chaldee, Syriac, history mentioned here are Beersheba (see and Arabic render as our ven,ion. What Gen. xxi. 31), and Horrnah (see Num. xiv. 4/i; wouldest thou? Or, u:hat is the matter 1 xxi. 3; a:od cf. eh. xii. 14; xix. 4; and Judg. Literally, What to thee? Achsah's conduct i. 17). This last pass11ge explains whv the surprised Caleb. It wail probably accom- city is mentioned among the cities of Siweon panied by an imploring gesture, and oc- as well as Judah, and is another iust11nce of: cu1Ted before she had reached the house of the remarkable aceure.cy of our 11uthor.> drl. xv. 1-63.) THE BOOK OF JOSltUA. 251