Joshua-Chapter-14

-hebraicstudies.net-

Please do NOT visit this site on שַׁבָּת - Shabbat or on the מוֹעֲדִים Mo’a’dim - Feasts!

Re Tanakh versions:

Throughout this site I may use any of the following three versions of the Tanakh: 1. “Jewish Publication Society” (JPS-1917), 2“Mechon-Mamre.org (MEC), and 3. “Sefaria.org (SEF), three brilliant versions, although JPS-1917 is my preferred version!

Colour coded details of our beloved TaNaKh:

1. Torah = History & Law, 2. Nevi’im = The Prophets. 3. *Ketuvim = all other Writings.

*The Ketuvim - Includes, Poetical books - Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Megillot, or Scrolls - Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, prophecy of Daniel, and history of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles I & II.

Please Note: Some alterations or (additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been corrected like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.

YYYYYYY

Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!

Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).

YYYYYYY

“Joshua Chapter 14”

With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

Introduction:

Chapter 14 transitions from the general descriptions of the land in Chapter 13 to the actual process of distribution. This chapter is a testament to the intersection of Divine decree and individual merit. We see the formal start of the allotment for the nine and a half tribes on the west side of the Jordan, but the narrative is dominated by the figure of Caleb. It serves as a powerful reminder that while the land is a national gift, personal faithfulness creates a unique, enduring legacy within that national promise.

YYYYYYY

Let us now read Joshua Chapter 14:1-15: (JPS-1917 version of the Tanakh).

1. “And these are the inheritances which the children of Israel took in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed unto them, 2. by the lot of their inheritance, as יְהוָה - the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half-tribe. 3. For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan; but unto the Levites he gave no inheritance among them. 4. For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim; and they gave no portion unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, with the open land about them for their cattle and for their substance. 5. As יְהוָה - the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did, and they divided the land. 6. Then the children of Judah drew nigh unto Joshua in Gilgal; and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said unto him: ‘Thou knowest the thing that יְהוָה - the LORD spoke unto Moses the man of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God) concerning me and concerning thee in Kadesh-barnea7. Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of יְהוָה - the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land; and I brought him back word as it was in my heart. 8. Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt; but I wholly followed יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי - the LORD my Elohai (God)9. And Moses swore on that day, saying: Surely the land whereon thy foot hath trodden shall be an inheritance to thee and to thy children for ever, because thou hast wholly followed יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי - the LORD my Elohai10. And now, behold, יְהוָה - the LORD hath kept me alive, as He spoke, these forty and five years, from the time that יְהוָה - the LORD spoke this word unto Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness; and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. 11. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me; as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, and to go out and to come in. 12. Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof יְהוָה - the LORD spoke in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakim were there, and cities great and fortified; it may be that יְהוָה - the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out, as יְהוָה - the LORD spoke’. 13. And Joshua blessed him; and he gave Hebron unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. 14. Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, unto this day; because that he wholly followed יְהוָה - the LORD, the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim of Israel. 15. Now the name of Hebron beforetime was Kiriath-Arba, which Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. And the land had rest from war”.

YYYYYYY

Explanations of Joshua Chapter 14, verses 1-15:

Verses 1-5: The Formal Allotment.
The division is overseen by a triumvirate: Eleazar the priest (spiritual authority), Joshua (civil/military leadership), and the heads of the ancestral houses. The "lot" is used as the mechanism for distribution, ensuring that the final decision is attributed to the Almighty rather than human favouritism. The text clarifies that Joseph’s descendants have become two tribes (Manasseh and Ephraim), maintaining the count of twelve land-owning tribes while the Levites remain dedicated to spiritual service without a landed estate.

Verses 6-9: Caleb’s Plea and the Memory of Kadesh-Barnea.
Caleb, now eighty-five years old, approaches Joshua. He recounts the mission from forty-five years prior when he was one of the twelve spies. While the others “made the heart of the people melt”, Caleb remained steadfast. He emphasizes his integrity, noting that he brought back word “as it was in my heart”. He reminds Joshua of the oath Moses made: that the land Caleb’s feet trod upon would be his specific inheritance because he “wholly followed
יְהוָה - the LORD”.

Verses 10-12: Strength and the “Mountain of Giants”.
In a remarkable display of vitality, Caleb declares that he is as strong at eighty-five as he was at forty. He does not ask for a peaceful valley or an easy life; he specifically asks for “this mountain” Hebron where the formidable Anakim (giants) and their fortified cities remain. His request is not born of arrogance but of a deep conviction: “It may be that
יְהוָה - the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out”.

Verses 13-15: The Blessing and the Rest.
Joshua recognizes the justice of the claim and blesses Caleb, granting him Hebron. The text notes that Hebron was formerly called Kiriath-arba, named after the “greatest man among the Anakim”. By renaming it and granting it to Caleb, the narrative signifies the total displacement of the old “giant” order by the faithful of Israel. The chapter concludes with a significant statement: “And the land had rest from war”.

YYYYYYY

My Closing Message:

The message of Chapter 14 is that faith is the ultimate preservative. Caleb did not just survive the forty years of wandering; he thrived, his spirit and body sustained by the promise he carried in his heart. His story teaches us that true inheritance is not something we passively wait for, but something we actively claim, even when it requires confronting the “giants” of our lives. When we align our internal convictions (“what is in our heart”) with our external actions, we find the strength to transform a mountain of obstacles into a place of rest and inheritance.

YYYYYYY

Please Note: “hebraicstudies” links are located down the page!

This site was originally created, for those who desired to return to our blessed and wonderful faith. Thus be wise and work on your faith and pray at least two or three times a day (if possible) and always seek our beloved אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s guidance, for His love is always with us, especially when we seek Him, blessed be He! However this site has become very much a teaching site with hundreds of studies!

Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said the following via several of our prophets...

Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of hostsMal’a’chi - Malachi 3:7. (JPS).

YYYYYYY

“Hebraic Studies” motto is as follows;

“The More Torah, the More Life”,

For Elohim is the One who gave us our ... Life!”

May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom = Peace of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָהthe LORD of hosts, be with you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as well as the מוֹעֲדִים Mo’a’dim - Feasts, and continue saying your daily תְּפִלָּה - Tefeelah’s - Prayers and regular בְּרָכָה Be’ra’chah’s - blessings before food and drinks, etc!

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!

Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

 

 

Enter ... 

http://www.hebraicstudies.net/Site-Index.htm

 

Enter ... 

https://www.hebraicstudies.net

 

 

 

 

-hebraicstudies.net-

 

 

 

Email the Rabbi

 

RBA@hebraicstudies.net

 

If the email link does not open - You can also copy the link and use it.

 

Although the author does not believe in having to copyright “Hebraic Studies” commenced in the mid 1980’,

but there have been occasions where there parts of his studies have been taken and quoted out of context

under my name, and thus he has been misquoted by those who have their own reasons for doing so.

Thus, it is only for this reason these works are fully covered under strict ...

Copyright © 2025 - “Hebraic Studies” - All rights reserved.