דברי הימים א, פרק ב׳, פסוק מ״ט

The genealogical record concludes the list of Caleb’s descendants born to his concubine, detailing the founders of various cities in the region of Judah before taking a surprising turn to mention his daughter. Among the additional sons born to this concubine are Shaaph and Sheva [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

In this account, certain individuals are given the title of "father" in relation to the cities of Madmannah, Machbenah, and Gibea. This title does not imply standard biological fatherhood. Instead, it indicates that these men served as the officials and rulers over these locations, or alternatively, that the populations of these cities were made up of their descendants [מצודת דוד]. Specifically, the latter two cities were under the direct ownership of Sheva [רש"י].

The record then shifts back to the head of the dynasty with the specific mention of Caleb’s daughter, Achsah. She receives special recognition due to her historical significance as the wife of Othniel, as recorded in the Book of Joshua [רש"י]. However, her inclusion raises a significant question regarding her father's identity. Elsewhere, Achsah is known as the daughter of Caleb the son of Jephunneh, whereas the current genealogy focuses on Caleb the son of Hezron, or possibly the son of Hur.

To resolve this, commentators offer two primary perspectives [רלב"ג]. One approach maintains that these are indeed the same person. In this view, Caleb the son of Jephunneh is either Caleb the son of Hur, suggesting his father went by two different names, or he is Caleb the son of Hezron. Identifying him as the son of Hezron relies on a rabbinic tradition that in earlier generations, people had children at a very young age. This neatly resolves the chronological gaps between Caleb’s age during the era of the spies and the age of Bezalel, the builder of the Tabernacle. A contrasting perspective suggests there is no need to merge these historical figures. It is entirely possible that they were two completely distinct individuals who simply both happened to have a daughter named Achsah.