Joshua 15:17

Jos 15:17 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.

Ver. 17. The son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb.] So that Othniel and Achsah were brothers’ children. Hence some infer the lawfulness of such marriages now.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15:17 Othniel, Caleb’s nephew, became Israel’s first judge (Judg 3:9-11).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, cousins.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

17. Othniel the son of Kenaz] The younger brother of Caleb (comp. Jdg_1:13; Jdg_3:9; 1Ch_4:13). But it is not certain from these passages whether Kenaz was his father, or, as some think, the more remote ancestor and head of the tribe, whose descendants were called “sons of Kenaz” (Num_32:12). If Jephunneh was the father of Caleb, he was probably the father of Othniel also. The next mention of him is in Jdg_3:9, where we find him the first Judge of Israel after the death of Joshua (for his genealogy see 1Ch_4:13-14), delivering the Israelites from the tyranny of the Mesopotamian king, Chushanrishathaim.

the brother of Caleb] There is a doubt here whether Othniel was “filius Kenasi, frater Calebi,” or “filius Kenasi fratris Calebi.” For the second explanation comp. 2Sa_13:3; 2Sa_13:32, “Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother; for the first, 1Sa_26:6, “Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, and brother to Joab;” this is adopted by the Maronites, the LXX., and the Vulgate.

and he gave him Achsah] She had probably remained with her father at Hebron.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it,.... The relation of Othniel to Caleb is a little intricate, and, as it is understood, occasions objections to the marriage of Caleb's daughter to him; it seems, at first sight, that he was Caleb's own brother, a younger brother, and so uncle to his daughter, and such marriages were forbidden, Lev 18:14. Jarchi thinks he was the brother of Caleb by his mother's side; Kimchi, both by father and mother's side; but not to observe, that besides the word "brother" sometimes signifies only a kinsman, or near relation, and not precisely a brother; it is not Othniel that is called the brother of Caleb, but Kenaz, who was the father of Othniel; so that Caleb was Othniel's uncle, and Achsah and Othniel were brothers' children, or first cousins, between whom marriage was allowed of:

and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife; according to the tenor of his proclamation, and the promise he made.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Othniel was probably Caleb’s younger brother; the expression “son of Kenaz” being only an equivalent for the “Kenezite” Jos 14:6.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Brother. It is not clear in the original whether this relates to Cenez or to Othoniel, (Haydock) as younger is not found in [the] Hebrew but it is in the Syriac, Septuagint, and Judges i. 13. Many think that Cenez was the brother of Caleb. If Othoniel had been brother of the latter, they say he could not have legally married his niece. (Calmet) --- But though Moses forbids a nephew to marry his aunt, it does not follow that uncles could not take their nieces to wife, as they would be still the head; (Worthington) whereas there would be a sort of indecency for a nephew to command his aunt. The Jews allow these marriages, while the Samaritans condemn them, Leviticus xviii. 14. In confirmation of the Vulgate, we may remark, that Cenez is never (Calmet) clearly (Haydock) represented as the brother of Caleb; and there is no inconvenience in asserting that Othoniel was the brother of the latter, whether we take this word to denote a near relation, or strictly. In the former supposition, Othoniel might marry his cousin, Axa, the daughter of Caleb, while he himself was descended from Cenez, the brother of Jephone. (Calmet) --- But if we take the word strictly, as the remark of his being younger brother, both here and Judges i. 13., may seem to imply, we must then allow that Othoniel followed the custom of his nation, (Haydock) in marrying his niece. (Menochius) --- Septuagint here make him "the younger son of Cenez, who was brother of Caleb;" and in the Book of Judges, they say, "Gothoniel, the son of Cenez, (and) the younger brother of Caleb, first made himself master of it, under him;" as if Othoniel and Caleb had been born of the same mother, but of a different father, unless we suppose that they were only nearly related, and the former much less advanced in years; so that he might will marry the daughter of Caleb and afterwards become a judge and deliverer of Israel, Judges iii. 9. See Masius; Bonfrere. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Object. This marriage was unlawful.

Answ. No; for it was not Othniel, but Kenaz, who was Caleb’s brother; and besides, the word brother is commonly used for any kinsman; and that Caleb was not properly Othniel’s brother sufficiently appears, because Caleb is constantly called the son of Jephunneh; and Othniel, the son of Kenaz here, and 1Ch 4:13.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

17. Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb — The Septuagint, by mistake, here makes Othniel to be the brother of Caleb, thus making him marry his own brother’s daughter, his niece; a marriage if not unlawful, yet questionable. But the Septuagint corrects itself at Jdg_1:13, where all versions agree that Kenaz was Caleb’s brother, and Othniel Kenaz’s son. Othniel therefore married his own cousin.

Gave him Achsah — In being offered as a prize to the warriors it is probable that, in accordance with the spirit of the times, Achsah found a gratification to her feminine pride. The onset of battle was to be made all the more bravely for her beauty, rank, and dower. Of course, all the probabilities of winning lay within the circle of a few well-known heroes, and she would have the assurance of marrying the bravest man of Caleb’s princedom. And her best ambition was gratified, since Providence and Othniel’s bravery gave her the man of her probable choice — certainly the man who raised her from the rank of daughter of the sheikh to that of wife of the ruler of all the united tribes. Jdg_3:9.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The brother of Caleb. The Hebrew does not inform us whether Othniel or Kenaz were Caleb"s brother. But the fact (see note on Jos_14:6) that Caleb was the son of Jephunneh leads to the idea that the latter is meant. Othniel was a valiant and capable commander, as we learn from Jud_1:3:9.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He [Osniel] was the brother of Caleiv. He was his brother from his mother.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.