JOSHUA 13:1-14:15
"So Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.'" –Joshua 14:9Caleb, like Joshua, was a man who lived and breathed the promises of God. Here in 14:6-14, we see the amazing results of God's faithfulness to Caleb's faith in God's promises. Forty-five years earlier, Caleb had been chosen, along with 11 others, to represent the 12 tribes of Israel and to go into the Promised Land to scout it out before entering as a nation to take the land God had promised him. After seeing how glorious the land was, it was only Joshua and Caleb who in faith boldly proclaimed that God would give them the victory in spite of the land's massive cities and warriors. Enabled by a heart full of faith and believing God would fulfill His promises, Caleb was completely ready to take the Promised Land as their own. This was even in the face of the other ten spies, along with all the Israelites who rebelled against God by turning their backs on Him and refusing to go in and take the Promised Land.
Forty-five years had passed since Israel had refused to take the Promised Land by faith. What is amazing is that Caleb still had the fighting abilities of a young warrior. God had honored his faith so that he would be able to still act on his faith after waiting for so many years. For his inheritance, Caleb chose to conquer a mountain in the Land of Promise where giant warriors lived and mighty walled cities were built.
Do you know the promises God has given to you as a child of God? If not, take the time to begin to search for them in God's word as a priceless treasure chest. Then memorize them so that when you find the multitudes around you walk away in fearful unbelief in God's promises, you can stand with faith in God's integrity to keep His promises. Our world, our churches, and our families desperately need people such as Caleb to stand up and be counted. Be a Caleb and discover all that awaits a person who has been embraced by the promises of God.
Remaining Land to Be Conquered1 Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the LORD said to him: "You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed. 2 This is the land that yet remains: all the territory of the Philistines and all that of the Geshurites, 3 from Sihor, which is east of Egypt, as far as the border of Ekron northward (which is counted as Canaanite); the five lords of the Philistines—the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites; 4 from the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorites; 5 the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath; 6 all the inhabitants of the mountains from Lebanon as far as the Brook Misrephoth, and all the Sidonians—them I will drive out from before the children of Israel; only divide it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you. 7 Now therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh."
v. 1 advanced in years – Joshua was between 90 and 100 years old at this time. land yet to be possessed – From here through chapter 21 is a detailed description of all the land not yet conquered within the "Promised Land." Joshua did not live to see the entirety of the Promised Land secured. But the Lord nevertheless encouraged and instructed Joshua in this chapter as to how this land was to be divided among the tribes of Israel. v. 2 territory of the Philistines – This territory lay against the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in southwest Canaan. Geshurites – There were several places named "Geshuri" in this area. The territory described here was most likely the region on the south of Canaan, toward Arabia or toward Egypt. v. 3 Sihor – a branch of the Nile River east of Egypt Ekron – the northern district of the Philistines, 34 miles west of Jerusalem five lords – The next five people groups listed (Gazites, Ashdodites, Ashkelonites, Gittites, and Ekronites) were under the jurisdiction of these five Philistine lords. Philistines – The Philistines were not descended from Canaan but from Mizraim, the son of Ham. | Avites – These were the original inhabitants of this land who were eventually dispossessed by the Philistines (Deut. 2:23, Gen. 10:13-14). Some Avites still remained in that region at that time. v. 4 Mearah – meaning "cave," a cave region in Lebanon Amorites – a very strong and numerous people with scattered strongholds throughout Canaan v. 5 Gebalites – inhabitants of the ancient city of Gebal, just north of modern day Beirut Hamath – the principal city of upper Syria in the valley of the Orontes; means "fortress" v. 6 Misrephoth – a brook in the north near Sidon I will drive out – The Lord promised that He would drive these peoples out. Although the Hebrew people were to obey and fight, God's promise was that they would triumph by His strength. v. 7 nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh – Only nine and a half tribes of Israel would inhabit the designated Promised Land west of the river Jordan because the tribes of Rueben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh had made a covenant with Moses to stay on the east of Jordan (Num. 32:33-42; Deut 3:12-17; Josh. 4:12, 22:4). |
The Land Divided East of the Jordan
8 With the other half-tribe the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses had given them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the LORD had given them: 9 from Aroer which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the town that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the plain of Medeba as far as Dibon; 10 all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the children of Ammon; 11 Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salcah; 12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants; for Moses had defeated and cast out these.
13 Nevertheless the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites, but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.
14 Only to the tribe of Levi he had given no inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as He said to them.
v. 8 Moses had given them – Moses had promised the tribes of Gad, Rueben, and half the tribe of Manasseh land on the east side of Jordon conditioned upon their sending their fighting men into the land of Canaan to assist in the conquest of the actual Promised Land (Num. 32:1-5, 32:20-23). v. 9 Aroer – a town on the Arnon River belonging to Moab Medeba – A town in Moab assigned to Reuben and located four miles southwest of Heshbon that still exists today, its name means "water of rest." Dibon – Another town on the east of Jordan, its name means "wasting." v. 10 Sihon – the warrior king of the Amorites Heshbon – The capitol city where King Sihon reigned on the border of the territories that were promised to the tribes of Reuben and Gad children of Ammon – a people dwelling on the east bank of the Jordon river descended from Ben-ammi through Lot's incestuous relationship with his daughters (Gen. 19:35-38) | v. 11 Gilead – a rocky region of the kingdom of Og, half of which was given to the tribe of Reuben, and the other half to the tribe of Gad Mount Hermon – a mountain on the northeastern border of Israel and Lebanon overlooking the border city of Dan Salcah – a town 56 miles east of the Jordan River at the southern boundary of the Hauran mountain range which is the southwestern region of modern-day Syria v. 12 Og in Bashan – the Amorite king who ruled over the last remnant of the people known as "giants" v. 13 Israel did not drive out – In spite of the command of God, the Children of Israel failed to complete their assigned conquest God had promised. v. 14 no inheritance – The tribe of Levi had no official land allocated to them. Their inheritance was to receive the sacrifices that the Children of Israel made by fire unto the Lord. For description of these sacrifices and their proper distribution and use for the Levites, see Deuteronomy 18:1-8. |
The Land of Reuben
15 And Moses had given to the tribe of the children of Reuben an inheritance according to their families. 16 Their territory was from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the plain by Medeba; 17 Heshbon and all its cities that are in the plain: Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, 18 Jahaza, Kedemoth, Mephaath, 19 Kirjathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the mountain of the valley, 20 Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth— 21 all the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses had struck with the princes of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who were princes of Sihon dwelling in the country. 22 The children of Israel also killed with the sword Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, among those who were killed by them. 23 And the border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and their villages.
The Land of Gad
24 Moses also had given an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad according to their families. 25 Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer, which is before Rabbah, 26 and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir, 27 and in the valley Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, with the Jordan as its border, as far as the edge of the Sea of Chinnereth, on the other side of the Jordan eastward. 28 This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and their villages.
Half the Tribe of Manasseh (East)
29 Moses also had given an inheritance to half the tribe of Manasseh; it was for half the tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families: 30 Their territory was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair which are in Bashan, sixty cities; 31 half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were for the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the children of Machir according to their families.
32 These are the areas which Moses had distributed as an inheritance in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward. 33 But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them.
v. 15 Moses had given – Again the author alludes to the arrangements east of the Jordan River that Moses had made with the tribe of Reuben. v. 16-17 Aroer / Heshbon – a description of the territory given to the tribe of Reuben on the east side of the Jordan River that encompasses the land between the River Arnon to Heshbon, which was the old royal city of King Sihon v. 17-18 Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, Jahazah, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath – the cities located in the plain of Heshbon and under its authority v. 19 the mountain of the valley – a mountain overlooking the valley of Moab v. 20 Beth Peor – A place east of the Jordan, in the land of the Amorites, Beth Peor means "house of Peor," deriving its name from the idol of the Moabites. There was very likely a great temple built there on a high place overlooking the valley to the honor this false god. Pisgah – the mountains of Pisgah, which include Mt. Nebo Beth Jeshimoth – a place in Moab, whose name means, "house of the desolation" v. 21 all the cities of…kingdom of – a summary of lands already mentioned v. 22 Balaam the son of Beor – The prophet mentioned in Numbers 22-24 who gained fame as he assisted the Moabite king Balak in an attempt to destroy Israel, he was finally punished for this sin against the Children of Israel. | v. 24 Moses also had given – What follows next (v. 25-28) is a description of the land Moses had allocated to the tribe of Gad on the east side of the Jordan River. Many of these locations are uncertain and cannot be precisely identified today. v. 27 Succoth – This word means "booths;" so named because this was the place east of the Jordan River where Jacob put up booths for his cattle and built a house for himself (Gen. 33:17). It was also the first stopping place for the Children of Israel when they left Egypt (Ex. 12:37). Sea of Chinnereth – the ancient Canaanite name for the Sea of Galilee v. 29 half the tribe of Manasseh – Half of the tribe of Manasseh settled on the west side of the Jordan River. What follows (v. 30-32) is a description of the lands allocated by Moses to that half of the tribe of Manasseh. v. 30 Their territory – The lands listed here (v. 30-32) were to the north and east of the Sea of Galilee all the way and encompassing to the north of the mountains of Gilead. v. 33 the LORD God…was their inheritance – The tribe of Levi was the only one of the Children of Israel not given land as an inheritance in Canaan. This was because God had made a special covenant with the tribe of Levi. They were to be set apart as priests and holy workers to perform the sacred duties of the Tabernacle/Temple. Their inheritance instead was to participate and partake in the sacrifices, tithes, and first fruits, which were given from the people to the Lord (Num. 18:20-32, Deut. 18:1-8). |
The Land Divided West of the Jordan
1 These are the areas which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed as an inheritance to them. 2 Their inheritance was by lot, as the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe. 3 For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe on the other side of the Jordan; but to the Levites he had given no inheritance among them. 4 For the children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. And they gave no part to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for their livestock and their property. 5 As the LORD had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did; and they divided the land.
Joshua 14 v. 1 Eleazar the priest – Eleazar was the son of Aaron and at this time held the great office of high priest over Israel. He and Joshua were responsible for the overseeing the process of dividing up the land by the casting of lots (Num. 34:16, 17). the heads of the fathers of the tribes – These were the ten leaders appointed by the LORD in Numbers 34:19-28. an inheritance – This word "inheritance" is similar but not identical to today's application of the word. Here it simply means to lawfully take possession of something. v. 2 by lot – This was the method for dividing up the Promised Land that the Lord had commanded (Num. 26:52-56). The Hebrew word for "lot" means "pebble." Although the process was performed by the "casting of the lot," it was not by chance. The Lord's hand guided the entire process (Prov. 16:33). nine tribes and the half-tribe – This refers to the tribes who inherited land on the west side of the River Jordan (Judah, Dan, Benjamin, Ephraim, Issachar, Zebulun, Naphtali, Asher, Simeon, and half of the tribe of Manasseh). The tribe of Levi also settled on the west side of the Jordan, but they did not inherit land and so are not included in this number (see v. 3). | v. 3 two tribes and the half-tribe – Again this phrase refers to the tribes that inherited land on the on the east side of the Jordan River (Rueben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh). but to the Levites – This priestly tribe of the Levites was to receive "no inheritance among them" because the Lord had already declared that He was to be their inheritance along with the food and gifts the people would sacrifice unto the Lord (Josh. 13:14). v. 4 Manasseh and Ephraim – These were the two sons of Joseph (Gen. 46:20). Joseph was one of the 12 sons of Jacob by Rachel (Gen. 30:22-25). But Joseph's father Jacob adopted Manasseh and Ephraim (Jacob's grandsons) as his own when he discovered their existence in Egypt (Gen. 48:3-5). Thus, they were included in the number of the 12 tribes/sons of Jacob. except cities to dwell in – Though the Levites were not given land to inherit in the Promised Land, the Lord had commanded that they were to be given cities in which to live. These cities included "common-lands for their livestock and their property" (Num. 35:2-8). |
Caleb Inherits Hebron
6 Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: "You know the word which the LORD said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. 8 Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God. 9 So Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.' 10 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. 11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. 12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said."
13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. 14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel. 15 And the name of Hebron formerly was Kirjath Arba (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim).
Then the land had rest from war.
v. 6 Gilgal – The casting of the lots evidently began in Gilgal. So Caleb approached Joshua at Gilgal with his petition before the land was officially divided up. Caleb – Caleb was one of the original 12 spies who had spied out the land before the Children of Israel's first attempt to take the land 45 years earlier (Num. 13:30). He and Joshua were the only ones of the 12 who had brought back a positive report and who had sought to encourage the Children of Israel to take the land. Caleb being from the tribe of Judah (Num. 13:6), had come to Joshua with "the children of Judah." the word which the LORD said – Caleb reminded Joshua of the promise God had made to them 45 years earlier concerning receipt of a special blessing upon entering the Promised Land (Num. 14:24, 30; Deut. 1:36). Joshua and Caleb would be the only ones from the original peoples who left Egypt to actually enter in and possess the Promised Land (Num. 14:30). Kadesh Barnea – This was the staging area from which Moses had originally sent the 12 spies into the land of Canaan. v. 8 I wholly followed the LORD my God – This was not an over-inflated view of himself. Caleb was actually quoting the words of the Lord (Num. 14:24). | v. 9 Moses swore on that day – The Lord had promised through Moses that Caleb would receive all the land that he had personally spied out as a reward for his faithful heart toward Him (Deut. 1:34-36). At this point, Caleb came to claim the promise of the Lord. v. 12 this mountain – This refers to the mountainous areas within the land of Canaan which Caleb had spied out 45 years ago, including the hill country of Judea where Hebron, Debir, and other cities were located. Anakim – The people of great size who were the descendants of Anak (Num. 13:22, 28, 32-33), they were called "giants" and dwelt in the land reported by the 12 original Hebrew spies (Gen. 6:4). v. 13 Hebron – a city in south Judah approx 20 miles south of Jerusalem and 20 miles north of Beersheba v. 14 the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite – In ancient times, it was both customary and essential to identify the family origin of a person. This simply clarifies that Caleb was the son of Jephunneh, who was a descendant of Kenaz. |
