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The men of Judah approached Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said about you and me to Moses, the man of God, at Kadesh Barnea.[a] I was forty years old when Moses, the Lord’s servant, sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy on the land and I brought back to him an honest report.[b] My countrymen[c] who accompanied[d] me frightened the people,[e] but I remained loyal to the Lord my God.[f] That day Moses made this solemn promise:[g] ‘Surely the land on which you walked[h] will belong to you and your descendants permanently,[i] for you remained loyal to the Lord your God.’ 10 So now, look, the Lord has preserved my life, just as he promised, these past forty-five years since the Lord spoke these words to Moses, while Israel traveled through the wilderness. See here, I am today eighty-five years old! 11 Today I am still as strong as when Moses sent me out. I can fight and go about my daily activities with the same energy I had then.[j] 12 Now, assign me this hill country that the Lord promised me at that time! No doubt you heard then that the Anakites live there in large, fortified cities.[k] But assuming the Lord is with me, I will conquer[l] them, as the Lord promised.” 13 Joshua asked God to empower Caleb son of Jephunneh and assigned him Hebron.[m] 14 So Hebron remains the assigned land of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this very day[n] because he remained loyal to the Lord God of Israel. 15 (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba. Arba was a famous Anakite.[o]) Then the land was free of war.

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 14:6 tn Heb “You know the word which the Lord spoke to Moses, the man of God, because of me and because of you in Kadesh Barnea.”sn On this incident at Kadesh Barnea see Num 14:30.
  2. Joshua 14:7 tn Heb “and I brought back to him a word just as [was] in my heart.”
  3. Joshua 14:8 tn Heb “brothers.”
  4. Joshua 14:8 tn Heb “went up with.”
  5. Joshua 14:8 tn Heb “made the heart[s] of the people melt.”
  6. Joshua 14:8 tn Heb “I filled up after the Lord my God,” an idiomatic statement meaning that Caleb remained loyal to the Lord.
  7. Joshua 14:9 tn Heb “swore an oath.”
  8. Joshua 14:9 tn Heb “on which your foot has walked.”
  9. Joshua 14:9 tn Heb “will belong to you for an inheritance, and to your sons forever.”
  10. Joshua 14:11 tn Heb “like my strength then, like my strength now, for battle and for going out and coming in.”
  11. Joshua 14:12 tn Heb “are there and large, fortified cities.”
  12. Joshua 14:12 tn Or “will dispossess.”
  13. Joshua 14:13 tn Heb “Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.”
  14. Joshua 14:14 tn Heb “Therefore Hebron belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh for an inheritance to this day.”
  15. Joshua 14:15 tn Heb “And he was the great man among the Anakites.”

Caleb Receives Hebron

Then the descendants[a] of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal; and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the word that Yahweh said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea concerning you and me. I was forty years old[b] when Moses Yahweh’s servant sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I returned with an honest report.[c] My companions who went up with me made the hearts[d] of the people melt, but I remained true to Yahweh my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land that your foot has trodden on will be an inheritance to you and your sons forever, because you remained true to Yahweh my God.’ 10 So then, look, Yahweh has kept me alive just as he promised these forty-five years,[e] from the time that Yahweh spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered[f] in the wilderness. Now look, today I am eighty-five years old.[g] 11 Today I am still strong, just as on the day that Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so now also is my strength for war and for daily activities.[h] 12 So now give me this hill country that Yahweh spoke of on that day, for you heard on that day that the Anakites were there, with great and fortified cities. Perhaps Yahweh is with me, and I will drive them out just as Yahweh promised.”[i]

13 And Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. 14 Thus Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he remained true to Yahweh the God of Israel. 15 And the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath Arba;[j] Arba was the greatest person among the Anakites. And the land rested from war.

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 14:6 Or “sons”
  2. Joshua 14:7 Literally “I was a son of forty years
  3. Joshua 14:7 Literally “with a word just as was with my heart”
  4. Joshua 14:8 Hebrew “heart”
  5. Joshua 14:10 Hebrew “year”
  6. Joshua 14:10 Literally “went”
  7. Joshua 14:10 Literally “I am a son of eighty-five years
  8. Joshua 14:11 Literally “for going out and for coming in
  9. Joshua 14:12 Or “said”
  10. Joshua 14:15 Or “the city of Arba”