What sworn promise does Caleb invoke when he asks Josue for the mountain?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

He recalls Moses’s oath that the land his foot trod would be his and his children’s forever because he followed the Lord. At eighty-five, forty-five years after that word, he asks for the promised mountain with its Enacims and strong cities, saying conditionally that if the Lord is with him he will be able to destroy them. Josue blesses him and gives him Hebron.

Chapter breakdown

Eleazar the priest, Josue son of Nun and the princes of Israel’s families by tribes give Israel its possessions in Chanaan. They divide by lot as the Lord commanded through Moses, for nine tribes and half a tribe. Moses already gave two and a half tribes possession beyond the Jordan; Levites received no land among their brethren. Joseph’s children take their place as two tribes, Manasses and Ephraim. Levites receive dwelling cities and their suburbs to feed their beasts and flocks rather than another portion of land. Challoner’s separate note explains that Caleb receives all the country around Hebron depending on it, while the city itself and its suburbs belong to the priests as a dwelling place. Israel does as the Lord commanded Moses and divides the land.

Juda’s children come to Josue at Galgal. Caleb, son of Jephone the Cenezite, tells him he knows what the Lord spoke to Moses, the man of God, about them both at Cadesbarne. Caleb says he was forty when Moses sent him from there to view the land and he reported what seemed true to him. His brethren who went with him discouraged the people’s hearts, but he followed the Lord his God. That day Moses swore that the land Caleb’s foot trod would be his and his children’s forever, because he followed the Lord. Caleb says the Lord has kept him alive as promised until this day: forty-five years have passed since that word during Israel’s wilderness journey, and he is eighty-five. He says he remains as strong as when sent to view the land, both for fighting and marching.

Caleb asks for the mountain the Lord promised in Josue’s hearing, where the Enacims are and the cities are great and strong. He says that if the Lord is with him, he will be able to destroy them as promised. Josue blesses him and gives him Hebron in possession. From then until this present day Hebron belongs to Caleb son of Jephone the Cenezite because he followed the Lord God of Israel. Hebron was formerly named Cariath-Arbe; the account says Adam, greatest among the Enacims, was laid there. The land rests from wars.

The story inside

The chapter first names the people giving the land, the lot command and the differing treatment of eastern tribes, Joseph’s two tribes and Levite cities. Challoner’s Hebron note distinguishes Caleb’s surrounding country from the priests’ city and suburbs. Caleb then approaches with Juda’s children and recalls the word known to Josue. His account gives his original age and report, his brethren’s discouragement and Moses’s full oath with its stated reason. He connects that promise with forty-five years of preserved life and his present age and strength. His request names the Enacims and strong cities, and his expected ability remains conditional on the Lord being with him. Josue’s blessing and Hebron grant are the actual outcome, followed by the repeated reason, former name, Adam statement and rest from war.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The oath includes both a recipient and a reason. Moses promises the trodden land to Caleb and his children forever because he followed the Lord. Caleb invokes that specific promise, and the account repeats following the Lord as the reason Hebron belongs to him.
2
Caleb gives exact ages and a condition. He was forty, forty-five years have elapsed and he is eighty-five, with strength for marching and fighting. His words about destroying the inhabitants say if the Lord is with him, preserving the condition instead of making his strength the guarantee.
3
The Hebron note distinguishes land from city. Challoner says the dependent surrounding country goes to Caleb, while the city and suburbs are given to priests to dwell in. This belongs beside the chapter’s stated Levite provision of dwelling cities and feeding suburbs.

Test your recall

Why does Moses’s oath promise Caleb and his children the land, and what condition does Caleb state when asking for the mountain?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 23806–23831
Josue Chapter 14 Caleb’s petition; Hebron is given to him and to his seed. 14:1. This is what the children of Israel possessed in the land of Chanaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Josue the son of Nun, and the princes of the families by the tribes of Israel gave to them. 14:2. Dividing all by lot, as the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses, to the nine tribes, and the half tribe. 14:3. For to two tribes and a half Moses had given possession beyond the Jordan: besides the Levites, who received no land among their brethren: 14:4. But in their place succeeded the children of Joseph divided into two tribes, of Manasses and Ephraim: neither did the Levites receive other portion of land, but cities to dwell in, and their suburbs to feed their beasts and flocks. Hebron belonged, etc.... All the country thereabouts, depending on Hebron, was given to Caleb; but the city itself with the suburbs, was one of those that were given to the priests to dwell in. 14:5. As the Lord had commanded Moses so did the children of Israel, and they divided the land.
Lines 23833–23855
14:6. Then the children of Juda came to Josue in Galgal, and Caleb the son of Jephone the Cenezite spoke to him: Thou knowest what the Lord spoke to Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Cadesbarne. 14:7. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Cadesbarne, to view the land, and I brought him word again as to me seemed true, 14:8. But my brethren, that had gone up with me, discouraged the heart of the people: and I nevertheless followed the Lord my God. 14:9. And Moses swore in that day, saying: The land which thy foot hath trodden upon shall be thy possession, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast followed the Lord my God. 14:10. The Lord therefore hath granted me life, as he promised until this present day, It is forty and five years since the Lord spoke this word to Moses, when Israel journeyed through the wilderness: this day I am eighty-five years old, 14:11. As strong as I was at that time when I was sent to view the land: the strength of that time continueth in me until this day, as well to fight as to march.
Lines 23857–23872
14:12. Give me therefore this mountain, which the Lord promised, in thy hearing also, wherein are the Enacims, and cities great and strong: if so be the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to destroy them, as he promised me. 14:13. And Josue blessed him, and gave him Hebron in possession. 14:14. And from that time Hebron belonged to Caleb the son of Jephone the Cenezite, until this present day: because he followed the Lord the God of Israel. 14:15. The name of Hebron before was called Cariath-Arbe: Adam the greatest among the Enacims was laid there and the land rested from wars.