Joshua 14:12
in Joshua 14Now therefore give me this hill country that the LORD promised me on that day, for you yourself heard then that the Anakim were there, with great and fortified cities. Perhaps with the LORD’s help I will drive them out, as the LORD has spoken.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now therefore give me this hill-country, whereof Jehovah spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakim were there, and cities great and fortified: it may be that Jehovah will be with me, and I shall drive them out, as Jehovah spake.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Joshua 14
Commentary
8 notes on this verseI shall be able to drive them out - He cannot mean Hebron merely, for that had been taken before by Joshua; but in the request of Caleb doubtless all the circumjacent country was comprised, in many parts of which the Anakim were still in considerable force. It has been conjectured that Hebron itself had again fallen under the power of its former possessors, who, taking the advantage of the absence of the Israelitish army, who were employed in other parts of the country, re-entered the city, and restored their ancient domination. But the first opinion seems best founded.
This site's exposition
give me this hill country
on Joshua 14:12-13
Caleb asks for the one piece of ground that frightened the ten, and he names its difficulties himself: the Anakim, and "great and fortified cities". Those are the descendants of Anak the spies met at Hebron in Numbers 13:22. His claim rests on the promise, and his conditional "Perhaps" is read by Adam Clarke and John Wesley as a plain confession that the help is not owed to him.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
The Chaldee paraphrase reads it, If the Word of the Lord be my helper, that Word which is God, and in the fulness of time was made flesh, and is the captain of our salvation. [2.] But he expresses without the least doubt his assurance that if God were with him he should be able to dispossess the sons of Anak.
If the Lord will be with me - A modest and pious expression, signifying both the absolute necessity of God's help, and his godly fear, lest God for his sins should deny his assistance to him; for although he was well assured in general, that God would crown his people with success in this war, yet he might doubt of his particular success in this or that enterprize.
Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day,....
To justify his demand, he shows that God had long since, by Moses, promised him that very mountain; so that God's mind being already made known in this matter it would be a vain and needless thing to consult it any further by casting lots, by which we are to appeal to God in those cases only which cannot otherwise be decided, not in those which, like this, are already determined.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day--this highland region. for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there--The report of the spies, who tried to kindle the flame of sedition and discontent, related chiefly to the people and condition of this mountain district, and hence it was promised as the reward of Caleb's truth, piety, and faithfulness.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The Anakims had in the course of Joshua’s campaigns in the south been expelled from “this mountain,” i. e. the mountain country round Hebron, but they had only withdrawn to the neighboring cities of Philistia Jos 11:22. Thence, they had, as must be inferred from the text here, returned and reoccupied Hebron, probably when Joshua and the main force of the Israelites had marched northward to deal with Jabin and his confederates. Caleb finally drove out this formidable race and occupied Hebron and its dependent towns and district permanently. See Jos 15:13 following.
The words behind it
29 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּ֗ה | veatah | and therefore | H6258 → | 433 times |
| תְּנָה־ | tenah- | give ! | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לִּי֙ | li | to <the> me | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָהָ֣ר | hahar | the hill country | H2022 → | 546 times |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דִּבֶּ֥ר | diber | he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בַּיּ֣וֹם | baiyom | on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַה֑וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אַתָּֽה־ | ʾatah- | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| שָׁמַעְתָּ֩ | shama'ta | you heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| בַיּ֨וֹם | vaiyom | on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַה֜וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עֲנָקִ֣ים | ʾanakim | Anakites | H6062 → | 9 times |
| שָׁ֗ם | sham | [were] there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| וְעָרִים֙ | vearim | and cities | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| גְּדֹל֣וֹת | gedolot | large | H1419 → | 526 times |
| בְּצֻר֔וֹת | betzurot | fortified | H1219 → | |
| אוּלַ֨י | ʾulai | perhaps | H194 → | |
| יְהוָ֤ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אוֹתִי֙ | ʾoti | with <the> me | H854 → | 929 times |
| וְה֣וֹרַשְׁתִּ֔ים | vehorashtim | and I will dispossess them | H3423 → | 231 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דִּבֶּ֥ר | diber | he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וְעַתָּ֗הand therefore
veatahH6258 →433 times
תְּנָה־give !
tenah-H5414 →2011 times
לִּי֙to <the> me
li
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָהָ֣רthe hill country
haharH2022 →546 times
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
דִּבֶּ֥רhe spoke
diberH1696 →1141 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בַּיּ֣וֹםon the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַה֑וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
אַתָּֽה־you
ʾatah-H859 →1094 times
שָׁמַעְתָּ֩you heard
shama'taH8085 →1159 times
בַיּ֨וֹםon the day
vaiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַה֜וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
עֲנָקִ֣יםAnakites
ʾanakimH6062 →9 times
שָׁ֗ם[were] there
shamH8033 →834 times
וְעָרִים֙and cities
vearimH5892 →1090 times
גְּדֹל֣וֹתlarge
gedolotH1419 →526 times
בְּצֻר֔וֹתfortified
betzurotH1219 →
אוּלַ֨יperhaps
ʾulaiH194 →
יְהוָ֤הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אוֹתִי֙with <the> me
ʾotiH854 →929 times
וְה֣וֹרַשְׁתִּ֔יםand I will dispossess them
vehorashtimH3423 →231 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֖רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
דִּבֶּ֥רhe spoke
diberH1696 →1141 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Philippians 4:13I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
it leads to
- Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand…
- 2 Corinthians 12:9–10
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of…
- Colossians 1:11
being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully
- Ephesians 6:10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
- Isaiah 40:29–31
He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak.
- Isaiah 41:10
Through
Numbers 13:33We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak that come from the Nephilim! We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them!”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 1:28
Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and afterward as well—when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of…
- Deuteronomy 1:28
Through
Numbers 13:28Nevertheless, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of Anak there.
it leads to
- Numbers 13:33
We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak that come from the Nephilim! We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them!”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 13:33
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.