Caleb is a wily old campaigner - together with Joshua he was one of the spies who turned in a minority report that the Israelites would be able to conquer the Promised Land, whilst the majority were filled with fear and wanted to give up. Today he receives his reward for his faith all these years - a choice place to settle.
Kings defeated by Joshua
Joshua 12:7-24
The land not yet conquered
Joshua 13:1-6
The division of Canaan
Joshua 13:7, 14:1-5
Caleb obtains Hebron & his daughter receives a blessing
Joshua 14:6-15, 15:13-19, Judges 1:20, 10-16, 1 Chronicles 6:56
Judah’s portion
Joshua 15:1-12
Israel’s First Sabbatical Year: 1415BC
The cities of Judah
Joshua 15:20-47
There’s an impressive list of 31 kings overthrown by Joshua. But in his old age, there is much still to be done, that he will not be able to achieve. Meanwhile, Caleb is honoured with his allocation of land and, curiously, his daughter is given her own inheritance together with her new husband, Othniel. Her story is told twice, why, I’m not sure.
Then there follows a detailed list of the inheritance of Judah - beginning the spelling out of exactly who will live where. It reminds me a little of the Domesday Book - the English equivalent in a way - when the Normans had completed their conquest of this country, they divided it up in much the same way. It’s all written down in Domesday: “so-and-so (Saxon name) used to own xyz, now owned by such-and-such (Norman name).”
It’s the conqueror’s privilege to make lists like these.
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