Joshua 15:13
in Joshua 15According to the LORD’s command to him, Joshua gave Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah—Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a portion among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of Jehovah to Joshua, even Kiriath-arba, which Arba was the father of Anak (the same is Hebron).
KJV
And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the Lord to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron.
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This verse in Joshua 15
Commentary
1 note on this verseThis site's exposition
unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part
on Joshua 15:13-15
Caleb receives Hebron by the commandment of the LORD rather than by lot, which is the discharge of the promise made to him at Numbers 14:24 and claimed by him at Joshua 14:12. The three men he drives out are named, Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, and they are the same three the spies saw at Hebron in Numbers 13:22 when the report came back that the land ate up its inhabitants. The man who said the report was wrong takes the exact city that produced it, at eighty-five.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
According to the word of Adonoy to Yehoshua. As the Holy one, blessed is He, said to Yehoshua. 14 See above:9,10.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And Caleiv drove out from there. This happened after the death of Yehoshua, for during the days of Yehoshua Chevron had not yet been captured, as it is said in the book of Shoftim. 15 See Shoftim:20.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּלְכָלֵ֣ב | ulekhalev | and to Caleb | H3612 → | 35 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יְפֻנֶּ֗ה | yefuneh | Jephunneh | H3312 → | 16 times |
| נָ֤תַן | natan | someone gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| חֵ֙לֶק֙ | chelek | a portion | H2506 → | 67 times |
| בְּת֣וֹךְ | betokh | in among | H8432 → | 418 times |
| בְּנֵֽי־ | benei- | [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יְהוּדָ֔ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| פִּ֥י | pi | [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לִֽיהוֹשֻׁ֑עַ | lihoshua' | to Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| קִרְיַ֥ת | kiryat | Kiriath | H7153 → | 18 times |
| אַרְבַּ֛ע | ʾarba' | Arba | H7153 → | 18 times |
| אֲבִ֥י | ʾavi | [the] father of | H1 → | 1212 times |
| הָעֲנָ֖ק | haanak | <the> Anak | H6061 → | 9 times |
| הִ֥יא | hi' | that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| חֶבְרֽוֹן׃ | chevron | [is] Hebron | H2275 → | 72 times |
וּלְכָלֵ֣בand to Caleb
ulekhalevH3612 →35 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
יְפֻנֶּ֗הJephunneh
yefunehH3312 →16 times
נָ֤תַןsomeone gave
natanH5414 →2011 times
חֵ֙לֶק֙a portion
chelekH2506 →67 times
בְּת֣וֹךְin among
betokhH8432 →418 times
בְּנֵֽי־[the] descendants of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
יְהוּדָ֔הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
פִּ֥י[the] mouth of
piH6310 →498 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לִֽיהוֹשֻׁ֑עַto Joshua
lihoshua'H3091 →218 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
קִרְיַ֥תKiriath
kiryatH7153 →18 times
אַרְבַּ֛עArba
ʾarba'H7153 →18 times
אֲבִ֥י[the] father of
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
הָעֲנָ֖ק<the> Anak
haanakH6061 →9 times
הִ֥יאthat
hi'H1931 →1879 times
חֶבְרֽוֹן׃[is] Hebron
chevronH2275 →72 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
Numbers 13:30Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We must go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly conquer it!”
it leads to
- Numbers 14:24
But because My servant Caleb has a different spirit and has followed Me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he has entered, and his descendants will inherit it.
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- Psalms 60:12
With God we will perform with valor, and He will trample our enemies.
- Numbers 14:6–9
Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes
- Numbers 14:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Joshua

Who and where
4 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PersonConquestJoshuaMoses' minister and successor, one of the two faithful spies; he led Israel across Jordan, around Jericho, and through the conques…
- PersonWilderness / ConquestCalebOf Judah, one of the twelve spies — the man of another spirit who wholly followed Jehovah; one of only two of the census generatio…
- PlaceJudean hill countryHebronThe city of the patriarchs, where Abraham bought the cave of Machpelah, Caleb took his inheritance, and David reigned seven years…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth.
