Femme Friday Acsah

In a time when women were treated as less worthy than sheep or cattle, we find a story about Caleb's daughter. Caleb was one of two spies from Israel that said how blessed and bountiful Jericho was. He and Joshua agreed that though the city was mightily fortified and the people were tall, with God the Israelites could take the city. So Caleb was allowed to go into Canaan-land and bring his family. 

Although the city had been conquered and given to the Israelites, there were many tribes that needed to be obliterated to make the land a holy country. Caleb was a mighty warrior. He and Joshua routed the land of those that had done abhorrent things in their portions of the surrounding area. One particular battle is found in Joshua 15:16,17. Here we see that Acsah was Caleb's only daughter. She was a princess living in her father's tents. There was one enemy tribe that was particularly hard to demolish. Caleb, to incentivize the troops, offers his daughters hand in marriage to whoever can lead the army that will defeat Debir. Marriage to Acsah would be very advantageous to whomever won this battle. 

The lucky man who got to marry Acsah was Othniel. Acsah doesn't get many mentions after her marriage except one more. We see in the recount of Acsah and Othniel's marriage, that Acsah received her dowry, but then also asked for watering holes for the flocks. Already having been given a generous portion, Acsah asks for more. Later scholars have taught this as someone who was greedy or covetous, never content. I would argue that Acsah was practical. 

Acsah knew that there could be drought in the lands she lived in. Also, having been part of the generation that watched their elders slowly pass away during the exodus from Egypt, Acsah was all to aware of how limited life in the desert could be. What could be seen as covetous or greedy actions may have been the forethought of a woman to protect her future. 

Acsah knew her position was limited. She protected her interest. Would the commentaries read differently if Othniel, her husband would have asked for the springs? Maybe. Either way, we know that Caleb said yes to his daughter. In the same way that we are generously provided for by our heavenly Father, so was Acsah blessed by her earthly one.