Tyndale Open Study Notes

Verse 1

14:1–19:51 The allotment of land to the tribes on the west side of the Jordan describes what God intended for each tribe to possess. • The narrator frames this section with the assignment of land to Caleb at the beginning (14:6-15) and to Joshua at the end (19:49-51). Only Caleb and Joshua had expressed faith in God that Israel could conquer the land (Num 13:30; 14:6-9).

14:1 Eleazar . . . Joshua . . . and the tribal leaders supervised the distribution of the land to ensure that the process was honest and just.

Verse 2

14:2 sacred lots: See study note on 7:16-18.

Verse 4

14:4 Joseph, the elder son of Jacob’s favorite wife Rachel, received a double portion of land through his sons Manasseh and Ephraim (see study note on Gen 48:5-7). Because the Levites did not receive a separate tribal territory (Josh 13:14), the total number of tribes with land remained at twelve.

Verse 6

14:6 The Kenizzite people were not originally Israelites (Gen 15:19); how they became attached to Judah is unknown. • about you and me: Only Caleb and Joshua were faithful to God at the first opportunity to enter the land, so God promised them that they would possess it (Num 14:24).

Verse 9

14:9 Moses . . . promised: See Num 14:24.

Verse 11

14:11 Caleb judged himself to be as strong at eighty-five as he had been at forty. He still felt equipped to travel and fight—to continue both ordinary and extraordinary pursuits.

Verse 12

14:12 Israel had stayed out of Canaan forty-five years earlier because they feared the descendants of Anak, a tall, strong people who lived in the hill country of Judah (Num 13:32-33).

Verse 15

14:15 rest from war: See study note on 1:13.