Joshua 14

The second half of the Book of Joshua describes the division of the conquered land among the tribes. Joshua 13 surveyed the land that remained unconquered and the territory Moses had allotted east of the Jordan. This chapter serves as the introduction to the distribution of the land west of the Jordan, and it presents the account of Caleb receiving his inheritance as the first episode of that distribution.

Outline

• Verses 1–5 Eleazar the priest, Joshua, and the heads of the tribal families cast lots to distribute the inheritance (land passed down as a family's portion from generation to generation) among the nine tribes and the half tribe. Two tribes and the half tribe had already received land from Moses on the other side of the Jordan. Because the descendants of Joseph had become two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, the number of portions for the twelve tribes of Israel was preserved. The Levites received no land, only cities to dwell in and pasturelands for their livestock.
• Verses 6–12 The children of Judah come to Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh speaks. At the age of forty, Caleb had spied out the land and brought back a faithful report at Kadesh-barnea. He recalls that although the brethren who went up with him discouraged the people, he wholly followed the LORD. He then reminds Joshua of the promise Moses swore at that time. Now, forty-five years later and eighty-five years old, he declares that he is still strong and asks for the hill country where the Anakim lived in great fortified cities.
• Verses 13–15 Joshua blesses Caleb and gives him Hebron as his inheritance. The text explains that this was because he wholly followed the LORD. Hebron was formerly called Kirjath-arba, and Arba had been the greatest man among the Anakim. The chapter closes with the words "And the land had rest from war."

Key Verses

• Joshua 14:8 "I wholly followed the LORD my God." This expression sums up Caleb's faith and is repeated in verses 9 and 14.
• Joshua 14:12 "Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day." This verse is widely quoted as an example of faith that holds fast to God's promise despite age and difficulty.

People and Places

• Eleazar: The son of Aaron and the high priest at the time.
• Joshua: The leader who succeeded Moses.
• Caleb: The son of Jephunneh the Kenezite. He appears together with the tribe of Judah.
• Moses: Remembered as the leader who promised Caleb the land.
• Gilgal: The place where Israel encamped after crossing the Jordan.
• Kadesh-barnea: The place in the wilderness from which the twelve spies were sent.
• Hebron: A city in the hill country of Judah, formerly called Kirjath-arba.
• Anakim: Inhabitants of Canaan described as being of great stature.

Points for Reflection

• Moses' oath refers to the promise recorded in Numbers 14 and Deuteronomy 1.
• Because Caleb was forty at the time of the spying mission and is now eighty-five, interpreters commonly calculate that the conquest of Canaan lasted roughly seven years. This is an estimate rather than something the text states directly.
• Interpretations differ regarding the term "Kenezite." Some hold that Caleb's family originally came from outside Israel and was incorporated into Judah, while others regard Kenaz as the name of a clan within Judah.
• The account of Caleb actually driving out the sons of Anak continues in Joshua 15. In Joshua 21, the city of Hebron is given to the priests, while its fields and villages remain Caleb's possession.
• The theme of the land's "rest" is sometimes read in connection with Hebrews 4, which speaks of a rest greater than the one Joshua gave.

In the Korean Church

"Give me this mountain" is frequently used as a sermon title and as a motto for New Year's and church anniversary observances. The testimony of the eighty-five-year-old Caleb is often cited in sermons on faith in old age and on devotion that remains steadfast to the end.