Joshua 15:21

“And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah, etc.] That is, those cities which were the outward part of the tribe of Judah, the southern border of it; for the midland cities are not in this part, of the description reckoned, which reaches from hence to the end of (<061532>Joshua 15:32); toward the coast of Edom southward: it begins about the dead sea, and goes on in that part of the land of Canaan which bordered on Idumea, and so proceeds on westward towards Gaza, and the Mediterranean sea: the cities in this part of the tribe were Kabzeel, called Jekabzeel, (<161125>Nehemiah 11:25); and was the native place of Benaiah, one of David’s mighty men, (<102320>2 Samuel 23:20);…”

“CITIES OF JUDAH. (Jos. 15:21-63) the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah--There is given a list of cities within the tribal territory of Judah, arranged in four divisions, corresponding to the districts of which it consisted--the cities in the southern part (Jos 15:21-32), those in the lowlands (Jos 15:33-47), those in the highlands (Jos 15:48-60), and those in the desert (Jos 15:61-62). One gets the best idea of the relative situation of these cities by looking at the map. Next: Joshua Chapter 16”

“List of the towns of the tribe of Judah. These are arranged in four divisions, according to the natural features of the district; namely,, those of the Negeb or south country Joshua 15:21-32; of “the valley,” or “the plain” (“Shephelah”, Joshua 15:33-47); of “the mountains” Joshua 15:48-60; and of “the wilderness” Joshua 15:61-62. Many of the identifications are still conjectural only. Joshua 15:21-32. The Negeb was for the most part rocky and arid, and cannot have been at any time very thickly populated. Joshua 15:21 Kabzeel was the native place of Benaiah 2 Samuel 23:20, who was famous as a slayer of lions. The Negeb was a principal haunt of these beasts. Joshua 15:24 Telem may be the…”

“15:21 in the extreme south: Or in the Negev (see study note on 1:4). The Hebrew word negeb can refer either to the general direction (“south”) or the desert region named “Negev.” • The location of Eder is otherwise unknown. Some propose translating this word as “Arad” because Arad should be about here in the list and was too important to have been left out. This translation would simply reverse two Hebrew letters that are very similar in shape.”

“Kabzeel: Neh 11:25 Eder: Gen 35:21 Joshua 15:23”

“In vv. 21-63 there follows a list of the towns of the tribe of Judah, arranged in the four districts into which the land was divided, according to the nature of the soil, viz., the south-land (negeb), the lowland (shephelah) on the Mediterranean Sea, the mountains, and the desert of Judah. Jos 15:21-32 The towns in the south land. - Negeb (south-land) was the name given to the southernmost district of Canaan in its full extent, from the Arabah, at the southern end of the Dead Sea, right across to the coast of the Mediterranean, and from the southern border of Canaan, as described in Jos 15:2-4, as far north as Wady Sheriah, below Gaza, on the western side, and up to the mountains and desert…”