Joshua 15:13 According 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.)

◄ Joshua 15:13 ►

New International Version
In accordance with the LORD’s command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)

New Living Translation
The LORD commanded Joshua to assign some of Judah’s territory to Caleb son of Jephunneh. So Caleb was given the town of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), which had been named after Anak’s ancestor.

English Standard Version
According to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the people of Judah, Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak).

Berean Standard Bible
According 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.)

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Now to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a share among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, namely, Kirjath Arba, which is Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak).

New American Standard Bible
Now he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah, in accordance with the command of the LORD to Joshua, namely, Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron).

NASB 1995
Now he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah, according to the command of the LORD to Joshua, namely, Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron).

NASB 1977
Now he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah, according to the command of the LORD to Joshua, namely, Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron).

Legacy Standard Bible
Now he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah, according to the command of Yahweh to Joshua, namely, Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron).

Amplified Bible
Now to Caleb the son of Jephunneh Joshua gave a portion among the sons of Judah, as the LORD commanded him, namely, Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron).

Christian Standard Bible
He gave Caleb son of Jephunneh the following portion among the descendants of Judah based on the LORD’s instruction to Joshua: Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron; Arba was the father of Anak).

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He gave Caleb son of Jephunneh the following portion among the descendants of Judah based on the LORD’s instruction to Joshua: Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron; Arba was the father of Anak).

American Standard Version
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).

Contemporary English Version
Joshua gave Caleb some land among the people of Judah, as God had told him to do. Caleb's share was Hebron, which at that time was known as Arba's Town, because Arba was the famous ancestor of the Anakim.

English Revised Version
And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a portion among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even Kirjath-arba, which Arba was the father of Anak (the same is Hebron).

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Joshua gave Caleb, son of Jephunneh, a share of land among the people of Judah as the LORD had told them. It was Kiriath Arba (now called Hebron). Arba was the father of Anak.

Good News Translation
As the LORD commanded Joshua, part of the territory of Judah was given to Caleb son of Jephunneh, from the tribe of Judah. He received Hebron, the city belonging to Arba, father of Anak.

International Standard Version
Now Joshua gave an allotment among the descendants of Judah to Jephunneh's son Caleb, just as God told Joshua, Kiriath-arba, which was named after the ancestor of Anak (that is, Hebron).

Majority Standard Bible
According 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.)

NET Bible
Caleb son of Jephunneh was assigned Kiriath Arba (that is Hebron) within the tribe of Judah, according to the LORD's instructions to Joshua. (Arba was the father of Anak.)

New Heart English Bible
To Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a portion among the people of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even Kiriath Arba, named after the father of Anak (that is, Hebron).

Webster's Bible Translation
And to 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.

World English Bible
He gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of Yahweh to Joshua, even Kiriath Arba, named after the father of Anak (also called Hebron).

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And to Caleb son of Jephunneh he has given a portion in the midst of the sons of Judah, according to the command of YHWH to Joshua, [even] the city of Arba, father of Anak—it [is] Hebron.

Young's Literal Translation
And to Caleb son of Jephunneh hath he given a portion in the midst of the sons of Judah, according to the command of Jehovah to Joshua, even the city of Arba, father of Anak -- it is Hebron.

Smith's Literal Translation
And to Caleb son of Jephunneh he gave a portion in the midst of the sons of Judah, according to the mouth of Jehovah to Joshua, the city of Arba the father of Anak, this is Hebron.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
But to Caleb the son of Jephone he gave a portion in the midst of the children of Juda, as the Lord had commanded him: Cariath-Arbe the father of Enac. which is Hebron.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Yet truly, to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, he gave a portion in the midst of the sons of Judah, just as the Lord had instructed him: the City of Arba, the father of Anak, which is Hebron.

New American Bible
As the LORD had commanded, Joshua gave Caleb, son of Jephunneh, a portion among the Judahites, namely, Kiriath-arba (Arba was the father of Anak), that is, Hebron.

New Revised Standard Version
According to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, he gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion among the people of Judah, Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak).

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And to Caleb the son of Jophaniah Joshua gave a portion among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD. And Caleb said to Joshua, Give me this Koriath-arba which belongs to the father of giants; and Joshua gave to Caleb Koriath-arba, that is, Hebron.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And to Kalab son of Yuphna Yeshua gave a division among the children of Yehuda, according to the word of the mouth of LORD JEHOVAH, and Kalab said to Yeshua: “Give to me this Quryath Arba”The Field of Four” of the father of the giants”, and Yeshua gave to Kalab Quryath Arba”The Field of Four” of the father of the giants which is Khebrun

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a portion among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even Kiriath-arba, which Arba was the father of Anak--the same is Hebron.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And to Chaleb the son of Jephone he gave a portion in the midst of the children of Juda by the command of God; and Joshua gave him the city of Arboc the metropolis of Enac; this is Chebron.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Caleb's Portion and Conquest
13According 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.) 14And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak—the descendants of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

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.

Numbers 13:6
from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh;

Numbers 13:30
Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We must go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly conquer it!”

Numbers 32:12
not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun—because they did follow the LORD wholeheartedly.’

Deuteronomy 1:36
except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land on which he has set foot, because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly.”

Judges 1:20
Just as Moses had promised, Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, who drove out the descendants of the three sons of Anak.

1 Chronicles 6:56
But the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh.

1 Chronicles 4:15
The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah: Kenaz.

Genesis 23:2
She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went out to mourn and to weep for her.

Genesis 23:19
After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.

Genesis 25:9
His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.

Genesis 49:29-32
Then Jacob instructed them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. / The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site. / There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah. ...

Hebrews 11:30-31
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. / By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient.

Hebrews 4:8
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.

Acts 7:45
And our fathers who received it brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David,

Treasury of Scripture

And to 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.

Caleb

Joshua 14:6-15
Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea…

Numbers 13:30
And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

Numbers 14:23,24
Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: …

the city of Arba.

Joshua 14:15
And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war.

Jump to Previous

Accordance Anak Arba Caleb Children City Command Commandment Hebron Jephunneh Joshua Judah Kiriath Kiriath-Arba Kir'iath-Ar'ba Lord's Namely Part Portion

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Accordance Anak Arba Caleb Children City Command Commandment Hebron Jephunneh Joshua Judah Kiriath Kiriath-Arba Kir'iath-Ar'ba Lord's Namely Part Portion

Joshua 15

1. The borders of the lot of Judah
13. Caleb's portion and conquest
16. Othniel, for his valour, marries Achsah, Caleb's daughter
18. She obtains a blessing of her father
21. The cities of Judah
63. The Jebusites unconquered

Berean Study Bible

In accordance with the LORD’s command to him
This phrase underscores the divine authority and guidance behind Joshua's actions. The Hebrew root for "command" is "mitzvah," which implies a directive or ordinance from God. This highlights the importance of obedience to God's will, a central theme in the narrative of the Israelites. It reflects the belief that God's commands are not arbitrary but purposeful, guiding His people towards their destiny.

Joshua gave Caleb son of Jephunneh
Here, Joshua, the leader of Israel, acts as an instrument of God's will. Caleb, whose name means "faithful" or "devotion" in Hebrew, is a figure of steadfast faith and courage. His lineage, "son of Jephunneh," connects him to the tribe of Judah, emphasizing the fulfillment of God's promises to those who remain faithful. Caleb's inheritance is a testament to his unwavering trust in God, as seen in earlier narratives where he stood firm in his belief that the Israelites could conquer the land.

a portion among the descendants of Judah
The "portion" signifies an inheritance, a tangible fulfillment of God's promise to Caleb for his faithfulness. The tribe of Judah, from which Caleb hails, is significant in biblical history, being the tribe from which King David and ultimately Jesus Christ would come. This allocation of land is not just a personal reward but a strategic placement within the tribe destined for leadership and prominence in Israel's future.

Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron
"Kiriath-arba" means "City of Arba," named after Arba, a great man among the Anakim, a race of giants. The renaming to "Hebron" signifies a transformation from a place associated with fear and giants to a city of refuge and promise. Hebron holds historical and spiritual significance as a patriarchal city, where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sojourned and were buried. It symbolizes God's faithfulness across generations.

(Arba was the forefather of Anak.)
This parenthetical note provides historical context, linking the land to its previous inhabitants, the Anakim, known for their formidable stature. The mention of Arba, the forefather, serves to highlight the miraculous nature of Caleb's inheritance. Despite the daunting presence of giants, Caleb's faith and God's promise prevail, illustrating the theme of divine victory over seemingly insurmountable obstacles. This serves as an inspiration for believers to trust in God's power and promises, regardless of the challenges they face.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(13-19) And unto Caleb . . . This paragraph occurs also in Judges 1:10-15, with some slight variations. Which is its original place? In Judges it is connected with the continuation of the conquest of Canaan by the tribe of Judah after Joshua's death, and there we read they slew (literally, smote) Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai. If this is the death, and not merely the defeat of the Anakim (the Hebrew word is not absolutely decisive), we have two stages in the conquest of Hebron described--viz., (l) the expulsion of the Anakim sufficiently for Caleb to occupy the place; and (2) their final defeat and death. It seems hardly possible to make the narrative in Judges 1 a mere repetition of an earlier story, because it is presented as a part of that which happened after Joshua's death. It would seem, then, that the entire conquest of the Anakim was not effected at once, but begun by Caleb and Joshua in Joshua's lifetime, and completed by the tribe of Judah, under the leadership of Caleb, after Joshua's death. It is remarkable that Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai are mentioned as apparently living when the twelve spies went up from Kadesh-barnea (Numbers 13:22), forty years before. But it has been thought that the three names were the names of three clans of the Anakim. (See Notes on Judges 1:10.)

Upon the whole, it seems most reasonable to conclude that the proceedings by which Caleb secured his inheritance, and fulfilled the promise of Joshua 14:12, have been recorded here for the sake of completeness, though not necessarily belonging to this time.

(15) Kirjath-sepher.--"City of books."

(17) Othniel the son of Kenaz.--Comp. Judges 3:9. . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 13. - And unto Caleb. This passage, at least from ver. 15, is found with the slightest possible variation in Judges 1. It has been argued from the variations that the one passage was not copied from the other, but that both were derived from a common document. No such conclusion, however, can be safely drawn from the text. For first, the present narrative deals exclusively with this portion of the history of Caleb. That in Judges, down to ver. 12, deals more generally with the subject, including the exploits of Caleb, under the general history of the progress of Judah. But from the time that the history becomes that of Caleb in particular, the agreement between the two narratives is verbal, including the very unusual word צנח, with one or two most insignificant exceptions. Thus we have הָבָהִ לִּי for תְנָה לִּי, we have גלית for גליות, and we have מִמֶּנּוּ interpolated in Judges 1:13, and Othniel (or Kenez) is spoken of as the younger brother of Caleb. But unless we hold that it was a sacred duty of the writer in Judges to reproduce every single word of the narrative in Joshua, there is nothing whatever that can support the conclusion that the writer in Judges was not copying the earlier narrative. The variations are such as would naturally happen where a writer was transferring, a narrative to his pages with a desire to give the exact sense of the original without tying himself to every particular word. Since the use of inverted commas has been introduced we can find multitudes of instances where a writer, when professing to quote another accurately, has introduced far more variations into his quotation than are to be found here, where the writer, though quoting the Book of Joshua, and quoting it correctly, does not say that he is doing so. No one doubts that Jeremiah in ch. 48. is quoting Isaiah 15, although the passages are not verbally coincident. We may safely regard this quotation of the Book of Joshua in that of Judges, as under all ordinary laws of criticism an evidence that the former book was in existence when the latter was written, just as the quotations of Deuteronomy in Joshua may naturally be taken as evidence that the Book of Deuteronomy was in existence when that of Joshua was composed. The son of Jephunneh. (see Joshua 14:6). A part. Literally, a lot. Among. Rather, in the midst of. Our version is obscure here. Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron. (see Joshua 14:6-15). Keil thinks that he was the tribe father, or chief (sheikh, as the Arabs would call him), of the children of Anak.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

According
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

to the LORD’s
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

command
פִּ֥י (pî)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

to [him],
לִֽיהוֹשֻׁ֑עַ (lî·hō·wō·šu·a‘)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3091: Joshua -- 'the LORD is salvation', Moses' successor, also the name of a number of Israelites

[Joshua] gave
נָ֤תַן (nā·ṯan)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

Caleb
וּלְכָלֵ֣ב (ū·lə·ḵā·lêḇ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3612: Caleb -- a son of Jephunneh and sent by Moses to spy out the land

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Jephunneh
יְפֻנֶּ֗ה (yə·p̄un·neh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3312: Jephunneh -- father of Caleb, also an Asherite

a portion
חֵ֙לֶק֙ (ḥê·leq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2506: Portion, tract, territory

among
בְּת֣וֹךְ (bə·ṯō·wḵ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre

the sons
בְּנֵֽי־ (bə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Judah—
יְהוּדָ֔ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

Kiriath-arba,
אַרְבַּ֛ע (’ar·ba‘)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7153: Kiriath-arba -- 'city of the four', an older name of Hebron

that [is],
הִ֥יא (hî)
Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

Hebron.
חֶבְרֽוֹן׃ (ḥeḇ·rō·wn)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2275: Hebron -- 'association, league', a city in southern Judah

(Arba was the forefather
אֲבִ֥י (’ă·ḇî)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1: Father

of Anak.)
הָעֲנָ֖ק (hā·‘ă·nāq)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6061: Anak -- 'neck', a Canaanite

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OT History: Joshua 15:13 To Caleb the son of Jephunneh he (Josh. Jos)