Judges 1:15

“Give me a blessing,” she answered. “Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs of water as well.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Acsah speaks to her father Caleb immediately after dismounting her donkey and following Othniel’s advice to request a favor. This exchange occurs at the precise moment Caleb asks her what she desires following the initial allocation of land in the Negev.

The words — The request centers on בְרָכָה (berakhah), literally “a blessing,” and the verb נְתַתָּ֔/נִי (netatani), meaning “you have given to me.” These terms frame the land grant not as a closed transaction but as a plea for additional provision.

The thread — The theme of land receiving water appears in Hebrews 6:7, while the call to respond with blessing rather than retaliation echoes 1 Peter 3:9. The concept of a gift reflecting divine grace parallels the exchange in Genesis 33:11.

Why it lands — The text records a daughter securing agricultural viability through direct petition, requiring Caleb to provide springs for the Negev plot. It asks the reader to recognize that material inheritance often depends on specific, practical requests for sustenance.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַתֹּ֨אמֶרva./To.merand/ she saidל֜וֹl/oto <the>/ himהָֽבָה־ha.va/h-give/ !לִּ֣יl/ito <the>/ meבְרָכָ֗הve.ra.Khaha blessing כִּ֣יkifor אֶ֤רֶץ'E.retz[the] land of הַנֶּ֙גֶב֙ha./Ne.gevthe/ Negev נְתַתָּ֔נִיne.ta.Ta./niyou have given to/ me וְנָתַתָּ֥הve./na.ta.Tahand/ you will giveלִ֖יl/ito <the>/ meגֻּלֹּ֣תgu.Lotsprings of מָ֑יִםMa.yimwater וַיִּתֶּן־va/i.yi.ten-and/ he gaveלָ֣הּla/hto <the>/ herכָּלֵ֗בka.LevCaleb אֵ֚ת'et<obj.>גֻּלֹּ֣תgu.Lotsprings עִלִּ֔ית'i.Litupper וְאֵ֖תve./'Etand/ <obj.>גֻּלֹּ֥תgu.Lotsprings תַּחְתִּֽית׃ פtach.Titlower

King James Version

And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.

Cross-references

Hebrews 6:7 For land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is tended receives the blessing of God.
1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
Genesis 33:11 Please accept my gift that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” So Jacob pressed him until he accepted.
1 Samuel 25:18 Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five butchered sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs. She loaded them on donkeys
1 Samuel 25:27 Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you.
2 Corinthians 9:5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you beforehand and make arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. This way, your gift will be prepared generously and not begrudgingly.