Person Old Testament
Othniel
Othniel, Caleb's nephew, was the first judge of Israel who delivered the people from Cushan-Rishathaim. Mentioned in 6 verses across 3 books, first at Joshua 15:17.
Why it matters. First judge of Israel, Caleb's nephew
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Othniel
Othniel was the son of Kenaz and the nephew of Caleb, one of the twelve spies sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan (Jos.15.17; Jdg.1.13; 1Ch.4.13). He is described as the first judge of Israel, who delivered the people from the oppression of Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia (Jdg.3.9-10). Othniel's story begins when Caleb offers his daughter Achsah in marriage to whoever captures the city of Debir (also known as Kiriath-Sepher) (Jos.15.16; Jdg.1.12). Othniel successfully takes the city and marries Achsah (Jos.15.17; Jdg.1.13). Later, when the Israelites fall into sin and are oppressed by Cushan-Rishathaim, they cry out to the Lord for help (Jdg.3.8-9). God raises up Othniel as a deliverer, and the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him (Jdg.3.10). Othniel goes to war against Cushan-Rishathaim and prevails, bringing peace to the land for forty years until his death (Jdg.3.10-11). Othniel is also mentioned as the leader of the tribe of Judah during the reign of King David (1Ch.27.15).
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
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Family
Family links from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0). Where the dataset marks an identification as uncertain, the mark is kept. Matthew and Luke give different genealogies for Jesus; see the Lineage page, which never merges them.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 6 verses across 3 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.