Chapter 14
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1And 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.
2By lot was their inheritance, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half tribe.
3For 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.
4For 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.
5As the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did, and they divided the land.
6Then 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 Kadeshbarnea.
7Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.
8Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.
9And 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.
10And 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.
11As 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.
12Now 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.
13And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.
14Hebron 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.
15And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war.
“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.”
Overview
The distribution of the western territories begins, overseen by Eleazar the priest, Joshua, and the tribal heads. Caleb, now eighty-five years old, comes before Joshua and recalls the promise Moses made to him forty-five years earlier at Kadesh-barnea because he wholly followed the LORD. Caleb boldly claims Hebron — the land of the giants — and receives it as his inheritance.
Key Themes
Wholehearted Devotion
Caleb's defining characteristic is that he 'wholly followed the LORD' — his entire life bears witness to the power of undivided loyalty to God.
Faith That Does Not Diminish with Age
At eighty-five, Caleb is as eager and strong for battle as he was at forty, demonstrating that genuine faith does not fade but grows bolder with time.
Claiming God's Promises
Caleb does not passively wait for his inheritance but actively claims what God promised, showing that God's promises often require bold faith to possess.
Study Questions
What does it mean to 'wholly follow the LORD' as Caleb did (v. 8), and how does this differ from partial obedience?
Why does Caleb specifically request the hill country where the giants live rather than an easier portion?
How does Caleb's faith at age eighty-five challenge common assumptions about spiritual vitality and aging?
What promise did Moses make to Caleb (v. 9), and what does Caleb's patience in waiting forty-five years teach us?
How does Caleb's example encourage believers to actively claim the promises God has given them?
Connection to Christ
Caleb's inheritance of Hebron — the very place where Abraham built altars and where God made covenant promises — connects the conquest to the Abrahamic covenant. Caleb's unwavering faith across decades foreshadows the enduring faithfulness of Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, who endured the cross for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2).
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Joshua 14. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?