JOSHUA - CHAPTER 14
Joshua divides the rest of the land – Joshua 14:1-19:51
v1 Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the families of Israel divided the land. They chose different parts of the land for each tribe. This is how they did it. v2 They used lots to decide how God wanted them to divide the land. Each of the 9 and a half tribes that remained would receive their land. This is what the Lord had told Moses to do. v3 Moses had already given land east of the river Jordan to the two and a half tribes. But he had not given any land to the Levites. v4 (The tribe of Joseph was now two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim.) The leaders gave the Levites towns to live in, with enough land near them to feed their animals. v5 The leaders of the Israelites gave a part of the land to each tribe. This is what the Lord had told Moses to do.
Commentary
Verse 1
God, by Moses, had told the Israelites how to divide the land (Numbers 34:1-18).
Verse 2
God told Moses which leaders should divide the land (Numbers 34:19-29).
We cannot be sure how the leaders used lots. We do not need to know. It was God’s way to show the people.
Verse 3
The two-and-a-half tribes.
Verse 4
The tribe of Joseph was divided between his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.
v6 Some of the men of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb, son of Jephunneh, spoke to Joshua. He said, ‘You know what God said to Moses, the man of God, at Kadesh Barnea. You know what he said about you and me. v7 I was 40 years old when he sent me from there to explore the land. And I brought a report to him that was true. I was sure that we could take the land. v8 The other men who went with us made the people afraid. But I did only what the Lord wanted us to do. v9 So Moses made a promise to me on that day. Moses said, "The land, where you walked, will always belong to you and to your children. This is because you have done everything that the Lord told you to do.” ’
v10 Caleb said to Joshua, ‘The Lord has kept me alive for 45 years since Moses said this. Israel was walking through the desert during this time. Now I am 85 years old. v11 I am as strong now as on the day that Moses sent me out. I can fight as well now as I could then. v12 Now then, give to me this hill country that the Lord promised to me. You heard that the Anakites were there then. And you heard that their cities were large and strong. But the Lord will help me to push them out. The Lord said that he would do that.’
v13 Then Joshua asked the Lord to do good things for Caleb, son of Jephunneh. And he gave Hebron to him as his part of the land. v14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb, son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite since that day. He had done everything that the Lord had told him to do. So Joshua gave the land to him. v15 (Hebron had been called ‘Kiriath Arba’ because Arba was the most important man among the Anakites.) After this, the land was at peace.
Commentary
Verses 6-9
Caleb was one of 12 men that Moses sent in secret to look at the promised land. Only Joshua and Caleb brought good news back (Numbers 13). Caleb had faith that God would provide. Moses made a promise to Caleb. Caleb would possess some of the promised land for himself.
Verses 10-12
Caleb had waited 45 years to receive his land. He did not ask for an easy task. He asked for mountains to climb and Anakites to defeat. (Anakites were giant men.)
Verse 13-15
Joshua gave Caleb the land near Hebron. Hebron is in the mountains. And Hebron was the place where the Anakites lived. So, the Israelites had to defeat the Anakites.
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