And Caleb said, He that smites Kirjath-sepher and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife.
Caleb already held Hebron. Now he offers his own daughter to the man who can take one more city — and the offer raises three questions: what kind of man does faith produce, what does this city stand for, and why does a marriage belong beside a battle?
This offer shows the man as clearly as any battle did.
Here again we may notice that the distinguishing marks of Caleb showed in his private and family life as much as in public. Having no sons, he decides that whoever marries his daughter must prove himself worthy of her and of Hebron. And Othniel proved himself to be just that.
The challenge did more than find an heir. Caleb's faith took hold in his own family.
Caleb was especially blessed in his family circle, since they followed him in his path of faith... The nephew steps worthily into the footprints of the uncle. The object of such priceless value in his eyes is Caleb's daughter, and, set on having her, he enters the conflict. And we — are we set on having Christ at all cost? In Judges 3 Othniel becomes the first judge in Israel. An overcomer for himself, he is raised up to deliver others, and in this new character he perseveres to the end.
One writer reads the two city names together, and turns them into a task for the reader.
If the people of God are to go on winning their triumphs, they must gain more and more knowledge of the Word of God... Hebron means communion, and Kiriath-sepher, the city closely connected with it, means the city of the book. It brings to mind at once this precious book, the Bible, which we hold in our hands. And it is the Bible that we are to conquer. You say, "Conquer the Bible?" Yes — take possession of it, take it out of the hands of its enemies, make it for ourselves a book of delight, a book that speaks to us of God.
The city got a new name when it fell.
Debir had, like Hebron, a Canaanite name: it was Kiriath-sepher, the "city of the book." How striking that in Caleb's hands the city of the book becomes the place of a divine oracle! A written word alone gives way to a living Voice — the voice of Him who delights to draw near and speak to the heart of the worshipper, when the heart is right with Him... For the Christian, of course, the "oracle" is not separated from the "book." It neither displaces nor overrides it.
Commentators differ on what the book pictures. One reads the city as man's own wisdom, piled up against God:
It could be suggested that this city represents all the wisdom and knowledge that man has gathered through all the ages of his culture — all the things he boasts in, all the things he has piled up against God. The libraries are full of it today. But there is nothing there to help the soul, nothing to lead us to God.
Othniel's name carries the secret of his victory.
Othniel means the lion of God — the power of God, not the power of man. He is the one who takes this book, which we believe to be the inspired Scriptures, and makes it in practice the word of God. The man who judges Israel stands for the principle that brings God's people to self-judgment: the principle that recognises that in this precious book we have God's word, which searches and tries our hearts.
Why does Scripture record a marriage beside a siege? One writer answers that the two belong together.
Scripture is not afraid of a repetition that shows God's delight in what His people achieve. Achsah's request for the water springs stands beside Othniel's capture of Debir... Othniel, the "lion of God," pictures the heroism of faith. Like the son of Kenaz, that faith finds its strength in Another. It finds its partner in the simplicity that claims and receives the fullness of the Spirit, to make good its portion in the land. These two must come together in the one who lives in Canaan even now... And the rule is still, "Conquer, and work the land." But today there are few Othniels, fewer Achsahs, and fewest of all those in whom the two are united.
- Challenge. Caleb had no sons. He made the capture of a city the test of who deserved his daughter. His standard at home matched his courage in the field.
- City. Kiriath-sepher means "city of the book." Hebron, beside it, means communion. God's people keep their victories only by growing in knowledge of His word.
- Conqueror. Othniel means "lion of God" — strength drawn from Another, not from man. That same courage later made him Israel's first judge and deliverer.
- Change. When the city fell, its name became Debir, "oracle." A written word gave way to a living Voice — and the oracle never displaces the book.
- Consequence. The prize was a marriage, not a monument. Conquer and work the land — and the rarest person of all is the one who does both.
And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife.
A city falls, a young warrior wins a bride, and a single verse records both. Commentators return to three questions here. Who was Othniel? Why did this city matter? And why is so small an episode told twice?
Was he Caleb's brother or his nephew? The commentators leave the question open.
Caleb himself does not take Debir. Othniel does — either his nephew, or a much younger brother. As promised, he gets Achsah, Caleb's daughter, as his wife. Achsah seems to mean "anklet," just as Othniel is said to be "lion of God."
Othniel's name carried a meaning, and his life matched it.
His name means "lion of God," or "force of God." Whichever meaning you take, we can see that there was strength and power with this man. And as we look at the few details we have of his life, the meaning of his name is fully proved out. First of all, we can see what a favoured young man he was. He belonged to the royal tribe of Judah, the tribe our Lord Jesus Christ came from. Here was a man who was ready to fight to overcome the enemy. He was ready to fight to win a wife for himself.
The city carried two names, and both point to God's word.
They went on to Debir, meaning "oracle." Before that it was called Kirjath Sepher, meaning "city of the book."... Caleb then offers his daughter to the man who would conquer Kirjath Sepher. Caleb's younger brother Othniel accepted the challenge and conquered the city. His courage matched his name. What a lovely picture this is of someone who takes the Word of God as his own possession and profits greatly from it.
Winning ground is one thing. Keeping it is another.
From the ninth verse to the fifteenth you see faith shining brightly in Caleb, Othniel and Achsah. This puts God's word above everything, and truth above everything. If Judah is to gain and keep his victories, it must be by the truth. And if the people of God are to go on winning their triumphs, it must be by gaining more and more knowledge of the Word of God.
Perseverance in one person does not stop there.
Perseverance produces perseverance, or purpose of heart, in others. Caleb was blessed in this way in his own family, for they followed him in his path of faith... The nephew steps worthily in his uncle's footsteps. The prize he values so highly is Caleb's daughter, and, set on winning her, he enters the conflict. And we, are we set upon having Christ at all cost? In Judges 3 Othniel becomes the first judge in Israel. He overcame for himself, and then was raised up to deliver others, and in this new role he perseveres to the end.
The reward came after the fight, not before it.
This is the whole point of this passage here, that conflict is worthwhile. It is easy to give up when there is a problem in our life, some spiritual matter we need to take up with God in conflict. If we are not finding the blessing, if we are not finding the victory, then it is so easy to say, "What is the use?"... But Othniel said, "I am going to win. I am determined to win"; and he did.
Why give so small an episode this much space?
The place and the repetition of this seemingly small episode make me think it was designed as a picture. Othniel ("Lion of God," of Judah, Christ the Deliverer) captures Kirjath-Sepher, "the city of the book," and wins Achsah, the Bride. She receives from the Father those hidden spiritual blessings, both heavenly and earthly, upper and lower. Without them, every other gift of God's provision is barren and worthless.
- Challenge — Caleb offered his daughter to whoever would take Kirjath-sepher. One man's faith stirred faith in a younger one.
- Courage — Othniel's actions proved his name, "lion of God." Commentators differ on whether he was Caleb's brother or his nephew.
- Conquest — the city of the book became Debir, the oracle: a picture of taking God's Word as your own possession.
- Continuance — truth both wins victories and keeps them. The people of God go forward by knowing His Word more and more.
- Consequence — the conflict was worth it. The man who overcame for himself was later raised up to deliver others. The whole scene is a picture of Christ winning His bride.