The Inheritance West of the Jordan

14 These are the inheritances that the people of Israel received in the land of Canaan, which (A)Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel gave them to inherit. Their inheritance was (B)by lot, just as the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses for the nine and one-half tribes. (C)For Moses had given an inheritance to the two and one-half tribes beyond the Jordan, (D)but to the Levites he gave no inheritance among them. For (E)the people of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. And no portion was given to the Levites in the land, but only cities to dwell in, with their pasturelands for their livestock and their substance. The people of Israel did (F)as the Lord commanded Moses; they allotted the land.

Caleb's Request and Inheritance

Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the (G)Kenizzite said to him, “You know (H)what the Lord said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord (I)sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. But (J)my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, (K)‘Surely the land (L)on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’ 10 And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, (M)just as he said, these (N)forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day (O)eighty-five years old. 11 (P)I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and (Q)for going and coming. 12 So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the (R)Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.”

13 Then Joshua (S)blessed him, and he gave (T)Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. 14 Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, (U)because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 (V)Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba.[a] (Arba[b] was the greatest man among the Anakim.) (W)And the land had rest from war.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 14:15 Kiriath-arba means the city of Arba
  2. Joshua 14:15 Hebrew He

Division of the Land West of the Jordan

14 Now these are the areas the Israelites received as an inheritance(A) in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar(B) the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel(C) allotted(D) to them.(E) Their inheritances were assigned by lot(F) to the nine and a half tribes,(G) as the Lord had commanded through Moses. Moses had granted the two and a half tribes their inheritance east of the Jordan(H) but had not granted the Levites an inheritance among the rest,(I) for Joseph’s descendants had become two tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim.(J) The Levites received no share of the land but only towns to live in, with pasturelands for their flocks and herds.(K) So the Israelites divided the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.(L)

Allotment for Caleb

Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal,(M) and Caleb son of Jephunneh(N) the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God(O) at Kadesh Barnea(P) about you and me.(Q) I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea(R) to explore the land.(S) And I brought him back a report according to my convictions,(T) but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear.(U) I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.(V) So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance(W) and that of your children(X) forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’[a]

10 “Now then, just as the Lord promised,(Y) he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved(Z) about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old!(AA) 11 I am still as strong(AB) today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous(AC) to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day.(AD) You yourself heard then that the Anakites(AE) were there and their cities were large and fortified,(AF) but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

13 Then Joshua blessed(AG) Caleb son of Jephunneh(AH) and gave him Hebron(AI) as his inheritance.(AJ) 14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.(AK) 15 (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba(AL) after Arba,(AM) who was the greatest man among the Anakites.)

Then the land had rest(AN) from war.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 14:9 Deut. 1:36