hy Did Caleb Request Hebron?
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Why Did Caleb Request Hebron?
"Now therefore give me this mountain" — Joshua 14:12
Among the twelve men sent to spy out the land of Egypt, ten gave a discouraging report, saying that the inhabitants of Canaan were giants, the descendants of Anak, and too strong to overcome. Only Joshua and Caleb stood firm in faith and declared that the land could surely be taken.
So God not allow them to enter into Canaan
Forty years later, a new generation entered Canaan. They drove out the prominent tribes and took possession of the land. Now came the time to divide the land among the tribes.
How was the land to be divided?
In Numbers 26:55, the Lord clearly explains:
The size of the land was determined by the number of people in each tribe, but the location of the land was determined by casting lots.
"Size was determined by the number, but location was determined by lot."
Accordingly, land was allocated to all tribes.
Caleb belonged to the tribe of Judah. When the land of Canaan was first divided, Judah was the first tribe to receive its allotment. However, even before the allocation to Judah began, Caleb requested the mountainous region of Hebron. At that time, the descendants of Anak were still living there.
Recalling the promise Moses had made before all the Israelites 45 years earlier (Deuteronomy 1:34–36), Caleb asked for that very land.
Why Hebron?
Hebron was a significant location in the history of the Jews. It was the place where Caleb's forefathers—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—had lived. Moreover, Sarah’s tomb was also located there (Genesis 13:18; 23:17–20; 35:27).
Perhaps Caleb did not want such a spiritually important place to remain in the hands of the Anakim. Believing that with God on his side he could overcome any enemy (Numbers 14:8), Caleb desired to fulfill, even in his old age, the declaration of faith he had made decades earlier.
Caleb: A Man of Faith
The Bible mentions six times that Caleb followed the Lord “wholeheartedly.” He was not only a man of faith, but also one who had a zeal to preserve the history of his people.
In Joshua chapter 15, the land for the tribe of Judah is determined. However, from Joshua 14:12, we know that Caleb had already requested Hebron even before the lot was cast for Judah.
Two possibilities arise:
The lot for Hebron may have fallen to Judah in alignment with Caleb’s desire.
Or perhaps Joshua, remembering Moses' promise, gave Caleb the land without relying on the casting of lots.
Faith Proven Through Action
Caleb successfully drove out the sons of Anak from Hebron (Joshua 15:13–17). He fulfilled in action the very things he had once declared in faith.
A Lesson for Our Lives
When we walk uprightly before God, even after many years, He will fulfill the promises we claimed in faith. The Kingdom of God is not just in word, but in power.
In today’s political and social climate, each believer is called to become like Caleb in their workplace—demonstrating to the world that God is with us.
May God grant us grace to live this way.
— Bro. Ezekiel Shanmugavel
Sources Used:
Devotional Commentary – Lawrence O. Richards
Believer's Commentary – William MacDonald
South Asia Bible Commentary
The Bible Exposition Commentary – Warren W. Wiersbe
Bible Handbook – Harold Wilmington