In brief
Achsah is the daughter of Caleb, one of the two spies who stayed faithful to the Lord in Moses' time. During the conquest of the land, Caleb promises his daughter to the man who takes Kiriath Sepher. Othniel, son of Kenaz, captures it and marries Achsah. Having received land in the South, she dares to ask her father for springs of water, and Caleb gives her the upper and lower springs. Her husband will become the first judge of Israel.
What does the name Achsah mean?
The name Achsah is generally linked to a Hebrew word for an anklet or ankle ring, a woman's ornament. The Bible does not explain the name and simply presents her as the daughter of Caleb (Joshua 15:16).
The story of Achsah
Caleb's promise
Joshua 15:13-16Caleb receives Hebron as an inheritance, as the Lord had commanded Joshua, and drives out the three sons of Anak. He then goes up against the inhabitants of Debir, formerly called Kiriath Sepher. He declares that he will give his daughter Achsah as a wife to the man who strikes this city and takes it.
Given to Othniel
Joshua 15:17; Judges 1:13Othniel, son of Kenaz, whom the book of Judges presents as Caleb's younger brother, captures the city. Caleb keeps his word and gives him his daughter Achsah as a wife. Achsah's marriage is thus tied to a victory won during the conquest of the promised land.
A bold request
Joshua 15:18-19When she comes to Othniel, Achsah urges him to ask her father for a field. She gets down from her donkey, and Caleb asks her what she wants. She answers that he has given her land in the South and asks for springs of water as well. Caleb gives her the upper springs and the lower springs.
The same account in Judges
Judges 1:11-15The book of Judges repeats this episode almost word for word, as Judah continues the conquest after Joshua's death. The account is thus told twice: Caleb's daughter is not content with dry land, she also asks for the water that will make it fruitful.
The wife of the first judge
Judges 3:9-11Later, when the children of Israel cry out to the Lord, God raises up Othniel, Achsah's husband, as a deliverer. The Spirit of the Lord is on him, he becomes judge in Israel and prevails over Cushan-Rishathaim. The land has rest for forty years. The Bible says nothing more about Achsah herself.
What Achsah teaches us
- God does not reproach his children for asking him for what they need: Achsah dares to ask, and her father gives generously.
- Receiving land is not enough, one also needs the water that makes it fruitful; the believer needs the springs that only God can give.
- Caleb's faithfulness to his word reminds us that promises made must be kept.
- The victories of faith, like Othniel's, often belong to a family that has learned to trust God.
Key verses
“Give me a blessing. Because you have set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water.” Achsah acknowledges what she has already received and asks with confidence for what she lacks.
Caleb ties his daughter's marriage to the capture of a city. His public promise will be kept, and Achsah will marry a brave warrior who will become the first judge of Israel.
Jesus teaches that if a human father knows how to give good gifts to his children, the heavenly Father will give far more good things to those who ask him. Caleb's generosity is a small picture of this.
Othniel, Achsah's husband, is the first deliverer the Lord raises up in the time of the judges. Achsah's household is thus tied to a great deliverance of Israel.
Bible verses to meditate on
Frequently asked questions
Why did Achsah ask for springs of water?
Caleb had given her land in the South, a southern region. Without water, that land risked remaining barely productive. Achsah therefore asks her father for an additional gift, springs of water, and Caleb grants her the upper springs and the lower springs (Joshua 15:19).
What does the name Achsah mean?
The name Achsah is generally linked to a Hebrew word for an anklet worn on the ankle. This meaning remains a proposal, since the Bible does not explain the name. What it retains of Achsah is above all her action: a daughter who dares to ask her father for what she needs.
Where can I find Achsah's story in the Bible?
Achsah's story is told twice, in almost the same terms: in Joshua 15:15-19 and in Judges 1:11-15. She is also named in the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 2:49. Her husband Othniel later becomes the first judge of Israel (Judges 3:9-11).