1 And these are the countreys which the children of Israel inherited in the lande of Canaan, which Eleazar the Priest, & Ioshua the sonne of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed for inheritance to them:
2 By lot was their inheritance, as the Lord commanded by the hande of Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the halfe tribe.
3 For Moses had giuen the inheritance of two tribes and an halfe tribe, on the other side Iordan: but vnto the Leuites hee gaue none inheritance among them.
4 For the children of Ioseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gaue no part vnto the Leuites in the land, saue cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their cattell, and for their substance.
5 As the Lord commaunded Moses, so the children of Israel did, and they diuided the land.
6 ¶ Then the children of Iudah came vnto Ioshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh the Kenezite, said vnto him, Thou knowest the thing that the Lord said vnto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee, in Kadesh Barnea.
7 Fourtie yeeres olde was I when Moses the seruant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea, to espie out the land, and I brought him worde againe, as it was in mine heart.
8 Neuerthelesse, my brethren that went vp with me, made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God.
9 And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet haue troden, shall be thine inheritance, and thy childrens for euer, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God.
10 And now beholde, the Lord hath kept me aliue, as he said, these forty and fiue yeres, euen since the Lord spake this word vnto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wildernesse: and now loe, I am this day fourescore and fiue yeeres old.
11 As yet I am as strong this day, as I was in the day that Moses sent mee: as my strength was then, euen so is my strength now, for warre, both to goe out and to come in.
12 Now therefore giue mee this mountaine, 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 bee able to driue them out, as the Lord said.
13 And Ioshua blessed him, and gaue vnto Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh, Hebron for an inheritance.
14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh the Kenezite vnto this day: because that hee wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.
15 And the name of Hebron before, was Kiriath-Arba, which Arba was a great man among the Anakims: and the land had rest from warre.
The nine tribes and a half to have their inheritance. (1-5) Caleb obtains Hebron. (6-15)1-5 The Israelites must occupy the new conquests. Canaan would have been subdued in vain, if it had not been inhabited. Yet every man might not go and settle where he pleased. God shall choose our inheritance for us. Let us survey our heritage of present mercy, our prospect for the land of promise, eternal in the heavens. Is God any respecter of persons? Is it not better that our place, as to earthly good or sorrow, should be determined by the infinite wisdom of our heavenly Father, than by our own ignorance? Should not those for whom the great mystery of godliness was exhibited, those whose redemption was purchased by Jesus Christ, thankfully refer their earthly concerns to his appointment?
6-15 Caleb's request is, "Give me this mountain," or Hebron, because it was formerly in God's promise to him, and he would let Israel knows how much he valued the promise. Those who live by faith value that which is given by God's promise, far above what is given by his providence only. It was now in the Anakims' possession, and Caleb would let Israel know how little he feared the enemy, and that he would encourage them to push on their conquests. Caleb answered to his name, which signifies "all heart." Hebron was settled on Caleb and his heirs, because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel. Happy are we if we follow him. Singular piety shall be crowned with singular favour.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.