Dividing the Land by Lot
Study note
The land west of the Jordan was divided among the remaining nine and a half tribes by Eleazar the priest, Joshua, and the tribal leaders. The method was casting lots, which was a way of letting God decide. The tribe of Levi did not receive a section of land but was given specific cities to live in, along with pasturelands for their animals. The tribe of Joseph was divided into two tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh, as Jacob had decreed, which kept the total number of land-receiving tribes at twelve even without Levi.
1 Here are the territories in Canaan that the Israelites received as their inheritance. Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the tribal leaders divided the land among them. And these are the countries which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance to them.
2 The land was distributed by drawing lots, as the Lord had instructed through Moses, for the nine and a half tribes. By lot was their inheritance, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half tribe.
3 Moses had already given the two and a half tribes their land east of the Jordan. The Levites received no portion of land alongside the others. For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and an half tribe on the other side Jordan: but unto the Levites he gave none inheritance among them.
4 Joseph's descendants had become two separate tribes -- Manasseh and Ephraim. The Levites received no land, only cities to live in along with surrounding pastures for their animals. For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance.
5 The Israelites divided the land just as the Lord had told Moses. As the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did, and they divided the land.
Caleb Claims Hebron
Study note
Caleb, from the tribe of Judah, came to Joshua at Gilgal with a bold request. He reminded Joshua that forty-five years earlier, when they were both spies sent by Moses to scout the land, Caleb had brought back an honest and encouraging report while the other ten spies filled the people with fear. God had promised through Moses that Caleb would inherit the land he had explored. Now at eighty-five years old, Caleb declared he was just as strong as the day Moses sent him out. He asked for the hill country around Hebron, even though the fearsome Anakim, a race of very tall warriors, still lived there in large, fortified cities. Joshua blessed Caleb and gave him Hebron. The name Hebron used to be Kiriath-arba, named after the greatest man among the Anakim.
6 Some men from the tribe of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to Joshua, "You remember what the Lord told Moses, the man of God, about you and me at Kadesh-barnea." Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea.
7 "I was forty years old when the Lord's servant Moses sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land. I came back and gave him a completely honest report." Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.
8 "The other men who went with me scared the people into losing their courage. But I stayed fully committed to the Lord my God." Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.
9 "That day Moses made me a solemn promise. He said, 'The land your feet have walked on will belong to you and your descendants forever. This is because you gave yourself completely to following the Lord my God.'" And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God.
10 "And now look -- the Lord has kept me alive for forty-five years since he made that promise to Moses while Israel was wandering in the wilderness. Here I am today, eighty-five years old!" And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.
11 "I am just as strong right now as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for fighting and everything else is exactly the same." 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, both to go out, and to come in.
12 "So give me this hill country the Lord promised me that day. You heard back then that the Anakim live there -- huge people in large, fortified cities. But if the Lord stands with me, I will drive them out, just as God said I would." Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.
13 Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his share of the land. And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.
14 Therefore Hebron has belonged to Caleb ever since. Caleb was the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite. He gave his whole heart to the Lord, Israel's God. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.
15 Hebron was formerly known as Kiriath-arba, named after Arba, the greatest warrior among the Anakim. After all this, the land finally had peace from war. And the name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war.