Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
had already found there (Num 13:22). Instead of Caleb, we find the sons of Judah
(Judaeans) generally mentioned in Judg 1:10 as the persons who drove out the
Anakites, according to the plan of the history in that book, to describe the conflicts in
which the several tribes engaged with the Canaanites. But the one does not preclude
the other. Caleb did not take Hebron as an individual, but as the head of a family of
Judaeans, and with their assistance. Nor is there any discrepancy between this
account and the fact stated in Josh 11:21-22, that Joshua had already conquered
Hebron, Debir, and all the towns of that neighbourhood, and had driven out the
Anakites from the mountains of Judah, and forced them back into the towns of the
Philistines, as Knobel fancies. For that expulsion did not preclude the possibility of
the Anakites and Canaanites returning to their former abodes, and taking possession
of the towns again, when the Israelitish army had withdrawn and was engaged in the
war with the Canaanites of the north; so that when the different tribes were about to
settle in the towns and districts allotted to them, they were obliged to proceed once
more to drive out or exterminate the Anakites and Canaanites who had forced their
way in again (see the remarks on Josh 10:38-39, p. 86, note).
Verse 15-16. From Hebron Caleb went against the Inhabitants of Debir , to the south
of Hebron. This town, which has not yet been discovered (see at Josh 10:38), must
have been very strong and hard to conquer; for Caleb offered a prize to the conqueror,
promising to give his daughter Achzah for a wife to any one that should take it, just
as Saul afterwards promised to give his daughter to the conqueror of Goliath (1 Sam
17:25; 18:17).
Verse 17. Othniel took the town and received the promised prize. Othniel , according
to Judg 3:9 the first judge of the Israelites after Joshua's death, is called kaaleeb
(OT:3612) 'achiy (OT:251) qªnaz (OT:7073) ben (OT:1121),
i.e., either "the son of Kenaz (and) brother of Caleb," or "the son of Kenaz the brother
of Caleb." The second rendering is quite admissible (comp. 2 Sam 13:3,32, with 1
Chron 2:13), but the former is the more usual; and for this the Masorites have
decided, since they have separated achi Caleb from ben-Kenaz by a tiphchah. And
this is the correct one, as "the son of Kenaz" is equivalent to "the Kenizzite" (Josh
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