Joshua 14 – “Caleb’s Portion of the Land”

06 - Joshua

Minolta DSCHebrew-English Text

I. Summary

Joshua grants Caleb the city of Hebron, just as Moses promised.

II. Photo

Caleb approaches Joshua: “Here I am today, eighty-five years old, I am still as strong today as on the day that Moses sent me; my strength is the same now as it was then, for battle and for activity.” (vv. 10-11)

III. Select Verses

1-2: And these are the allotments of the Israelites in the land of Canaan, that were apportioned to them by the priest Eleazar, by Joshua son of Nun, and by the heads of the ancestral houses of the Israelite tribes, the portions that fell to them by lot, as the LORD had commanded through Moses for the nine and a half tribes.

4:  For whereas the descendants of Joseph constituted two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, the Levites were assigned no share in the land, but only some towns to live in, with the pastures for their livestock and cattle.

6-12:  The Judites approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: “You know what instructions the LORD gave at Kadesh-barnea to Moses, the man of God, concerning you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I gave him a forthright report.  While my companions who went up with me took the heart out of the people, I was loyal to the LORD my God. On that day, Moses promised on oath, ‘The land on which your foot trod shall be a portion for you and your descendants forever, because you were loyal to the LORD my God.’ Now the LORD has preserved me, as He promised. It is forty-five years since the LORD made this promise to Moses, when Israel was journeying through the wilderness; and here I am today, eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as on the day that Moses sent me; my strength is the same now as it was then, for battle and for activity. So assign to me this hill country as the LORD promised on that day. Though you too heard on that day that Anakites are there and great fortified cities, if only the LORD is with me, I will dispossess them, as the LORD promised.”

15: The name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba: Arba was the great man among the Anakites. And the land had rest from war.

IV. Outline

1-5. Introduction

    1-2. Eleazar, Joshua, and the Tribal leaders are in charge of the lots

    3a. The Transjordanian 2 1/2 tribes

    3b-4. The Levites have no portion, but Joseph has two portions

    5. The law of Moses

6-15. Caleb’s portion

    6-12a. Caleb’s claim on the land

    12b. Hope to dispossess the Anakites

    13. Joshua assigns Hebron to Caleb

    14. Summary

    15a. The original name of Hebron

    15b. Rest in the land

V. Comment

No comment today. Stay tuned.

VI. Works Used

(see “Commentaries” page)

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