Aksah, the daughter of Caleb, was the only girl in her family with three brothers (1 Chron 4:15). I was struck by this Biblical “Oliver Twist” when I first read about her in the Bible. I had never heard of Aksah (or Achsah) until now, even though her father Caleb is known as one of the two positive spies sent out by Moses to scout the promised land. A daughter of a brave man must herself be brave, right? Let’s look at her story.
One day, Caleb invited volunteers from his army to lead and destroy one of Israel’s enemies. As a reward, the victor would marry his daughter Aksah (Josh 15:16). Caleb’s half-brother, Kenaz, had a son named Othniel. Othniel was deeply in love with Aksah. So Othniel fought, conquered the enemy and was united with Aksah in marriage¹. As part of Jewish culture, Caleb gave Aksah a wedding gift or dowry. Her dowry was not the usual money or jewelry, but rather of a piece of land. Not many fathers of that day would give such a treasure to their daughter because Jewish culture usually gave land to men. Women’s gifts were exclusively either jewelry and/or money so Aksah’s gift was a huge deal².
There was however one problem with the gift. The land Caleb had given to her had no source of water which was crucial for productivity in their desert area. Aksah might have had plans to grow some crops or gardens there, and maybe even raise some livestock, which would need a good supply of water². She therefore encouraged Othniel to make a further request, but reading between the lines of the story, it seems as if he felt it would be ungracious to ask for more³, so he ignored her request.
The Bible renders the exchange and what follows simply as:
When she arrived, she persuaded Othniel to ask her father for a field. As she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?” She replied, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me the springs of water also.” So he gave her the upper and lower springs.(Josh 15:18,19 HCSB)
One author gives a more descriptive scene to depict the context. As Aksah’s entourage drew close, she caught sight of Caleb and quickly dismounted from her donkey, a sign of her enduring respect for her father. After the proper greetings, he listened as Aksah spoke, laying out the reason for her visit and presenting their request. “Father, you gave me a parcel of land, and for that we are grateful,” she began respectfully. “But there is no water. Please give me one blessing more — springs of water.” She was asking for an additional gift, and she carefully avoided any perception of making improper demands on the family land allotment². After all, she was a daughter and really didn’t have any claim to her family’s land because those would be inherited by her brothers.
It seems that Caleb understood the landscape of the gift he had given to Aksah and the nature of the dry land. So, instead of challenging her request or viewing it as a violation of the laws of inheritance, Caleb gave her another land close by which contained both upper springs and lower springs. He responded positively to her request by giving her far more than what she asked for. Caleb gave her a multitude of water sources; all the sources from the north and all the sources from the south, “the upper and the lower springs” to nourish her land².
Aksah must have been elated with this, and she probably returned to her new home feeling much more secure. She now had assurance that her household would be fed, that her potential for using the land profitable had improved, and that her husband’s worth would also increase — all because she dared to ask for more².
Aksah’s story represents the goodness of God in our requests, our prayers, our petitions and our divine blessings. We receive from God heavenly blessings (upper springs) and earthly ones, the material for our human needs (lower springs). Christians sometimes forget our acquired rights of asking God for any and everything. He answers our requests faithfully and exceedingly, so we must believe Jesus’s words to “Ask and you will receive” (Mt 7:7; Jn 16:24).
Another perspective sees Aksah as an unsatisfied or greedy daughter, a demanding and ungrateful woman towards her father Caleb. She is also described as “The Discontented Bride”³ by another. In this view, Aksah’s request for an addition to the generous dowry she had already received shows an element of covetousness in her disposition. So Aksah’s request, “Give me also” showed that she was not content with what she had.
I do not agree with this view. Aksah’s request seemed more of a reasonable request, considering that the lands her father gave her were arid and likely not productive unless there was a constant supply of water. Caleb had chosen to give this gift instead of the usual jewelry or money for females; she did not ask for it. So to assume that she was discontent does not apply here. Rather, she considered carefully the implications of the gift and the land’s potential, to recognize that it lacked a basic necessity that would make it thrive-water.
As heirs of God’s promise, we can humbly and confidently ask and expect great blessings from His generous hand. Both upper, or heavenly provision, and lower, or earthly necessities come from Him (Ps 81:10; 84:11; Isa 33:16; Jn 4:13–14; 7:37–39; Eph 3:20; 1 Jn 3:22). At times it seems as if the “lower springs” dry up, as Job experienced, but the “upper springs” never run dry. “The river of water of life flowing out of the throne of God and of the Lamb…Whose streams delight the city of God,” (Rev 22:1, Ps 46:4) cannot fail. When the waters of earth fail, we have a reservoir above, never impoverished by drought³.
Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matt 7:9–11(NIV)
References
- Paquette, P. (n.d.). Caleb and his daughter or “Prayer” (if you prefer). okchrist.com. Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://okchrist.com/caleb-beloved-daughter/
- Womenfromthebook. (2013, May 6). Achsah: The Daughter Who Asked for More, Part 3. womenfromthebook.com. Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://womenfromthebook.com/2013/05/06/achsah-the-daughter-who-asked-for-more-part-3/
- Zondervan. (1988). Achsah. Bible Gateway. Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-women-bible/Achsah
