though Levi was excluded from any share in the division, yet 3 Joseph was divided into two. For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and an half tribe on the other side Jordan: but unto the Levites he gave none inheritance among 4 them. For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell [in,] with their suburbs 5 for their cattle, and for their substance. As the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did, and they divided the land. But before they began to cast lots, Caleb put in his claim.

6.

Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal, where the tabernacle was, and where the lots were to be cast with reverence and seriousness, as an appeal to God, the great proprietor of the land: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, attended by the princes of Judah, to whose tribe he belonged, and who waited upon him with great respect, as the oldest man in all Israel, except Joshua; and he said unto him, that is, to Joshua, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God, concerning me and thee in Ka7deshbarnea, I appeal to thee for the truth of it. Forty years old [was] I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as [it was] in mine heart, what I thought of the 8 land, and of our going to possess it, Numb. xiii. 30. Nevertheless, my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt, discouraged and dispirited them: but I wholly 9 followed the LORD my God. And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land, those parts about Hebron, whereon thy feet have trodden, shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my 10 God. And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while [the children of] Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I [am] this day fourscore and five years old. He celebrates the goodness of God in preserving him, in his escape from all the perils of the wilder ness, when the carcasses of his brethren fell there ;` and to obviate a natural objection, that he was now too old for action, he adds, 11 As yet I [am as] strong this day as [I was] in the day that Moses sent me as my strength [was] then, even so [is] my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in ; I am not only fit for counsel and advice, but for action; fit still to lead 12 and head an army. Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day, the mountainous country where Hebron lay (see chap. xi. 21.) and which God promised to me; 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. Though the enterprize be very difficult, yet through God's assistance (which I promise myself) 13 I doubt not but to effect it. And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance; the country towns and villages thereabouts, for the city itself was given to the Levites, ch. xxi. 11, 12. Joshua approved his motion, commended his courage, granted his request, and prayed God to succeed him in his expedition, and give him a comfortable settlement there. Hebron had been taken before by Joshua; and some think the Canaanites and Anakims had got possession of it again, and that Caleb dislodged them when it was given him. 14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of

Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly 15 followed the Lord God of Israel. And the name of Hebron before [was] Kirjatharba; [which Arba was] a great man among the Anakims, he built and fortified it.* And after this the land had rest from war; which gave them time for dividing it.

1.

"L

REFLECTIONS.

ET us acknowledge the hand of God in fixing the bounds of our habitation. He chooses our inheritance for us; not indeed in a miraculous way, but his providence overrules such events, and his hand is to be owned in our settlement. He determines for us far better than we should do for ourselves. Let us therefore refer ourselves to him, and praise him for a comfortable settlement in life. If the lines are fallen to us in pleasant places, let us bless God, who is the portion of our inheritance, and who maintaineth our right.

2. It is our wisdom and duty to follow the Lord fully, as that will afford us joy and comfort hereafter. It is our wisdom steadily to adhere to God and our duty, and to be upright before him. It is a delightful character to be resolutely good in a degenerate age; like Caleb, when all the spies but himself and another were of a different mind, and provoked God. Let us be willing to bear or resign any thing, for the testimony of a good conscience and the favour of God. It is particularly honourable to follow the Lord fully, when others forsake him; this will afford us pleas ing reflections hereafter; it will be our joy in the decline of life, that we followed God in our earliest days; and he will signalize us by special tokens of his favour; They shall be mine, saith the

* Here Sarah died, see Gen. xxiii. 2. The cave of Machpelah, where their ancestors were buried, was near this place; which some think led Caleb here when he came to spy out the land. Hebron was a city of refuge, and belonged to the Levites, see chap. xxi. 11, 12. but Caleb had all the country round about; and it would give him peculiar pleasure to have God's ministers dwell among his posterity. Here also David was anointed, and reigned

seven years,

Lord, in that day when I make up my jewels. Let young persons remember this, choose the way of truth, and cleave to God's testimonies.

3. Let aged christians learn of this good old man, to see and adore the hand of God in preserving their lives, and continuing them in such comfortable circumstances even to very advanced years. Caleb speaks of it with an air of seriousness and gratitude, the Lord hath kept me alive. Our God hath kept us alive, preserved us from dangers, supplied us with necessaries and comforts, his visitation supports our spirits. Those who have lived longest have peculiar reason to acknowledge the care of a kind Providence; especially if, like Caleb, they have buried almost all those of their own age and standing. They should be thankful to God for his care and mercy; and remember they are not to sit down in indolence and inactivity. If God continues their understanding and capacity for service, it should be improved for his honour, and the benefit of posterity. It is their duty to serve God and their generation faithfully all their days; then they may be assured, as Caleb was, that God will be with them, that he will never leave nor forsake them, and that is sufficient encouragement against the greatest difficulties. They have his promise to depend upon, Isa. xlvi. 4. And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear ; even I will carry, and will deliver you.

CHAP. XV.

From hence to the end of the twenty first chapter is an account of the division of the land; in which there is nothing very important or instructive. We have here an account of the borders of the lot of Judah; Caleb's portion and conquest; Othniel's valour and reward; the request of Achsah; and the Jebusites not conquered.

1

TH

HIS] then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; [even] to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward [was] the uttermost part of 2 the south coast. And their south border was from the shore 3 of the salt sea, from the bay that looketh southward: And it went out to the south side of Maalehacrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and ascended up on the south side unto Kadeshbarnea, and passed along to Hezron, and went up to Adar, 4 and fetched a compass from Karkaa : [From thence] it passed toward Azmon, and went out unto the river of Egypt and the goings out of that coast were at the sea: this shall be your south coast. And the east border [was] the salt sea, VOL. II.

M m

[even] unto the end of Jordan. And [their] border in the north quarter [was] from the bay of the sea at the uttermost 6 part of Jordan: And the border went up to Bethhogla, and passed along by the north of Betharabah; and the border went 7 up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben: And the border went up toward Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that [is] before the going up to Adummim, which [is] on the south side of the river: and the border passed toward the waters of Enshemesh, and the 8 goings out thereof were at Enrogel: And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom, unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same [is] Jerusalem and the border went up to the top of the mountain that [lieth] before the valley of Hinnom westward, which [is] at the end of the valley of the 9 giants northward: And the border was drawn from the top of the hill unto the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of mount Ephron; and the border was 10 drawn to Baalah, which [is] Kirjathjearim: And the border compassed from Baalah westward unto mount Seir, and passed along unto the side of mount Jearim, which [is] Chesalon, on the north side, and went down to Bethshemesh, and passed 11 on to Timnah: And the border went out unto the side of Ekron northward and the border was drawn to Shicron, and passed along to mount Baalah, and went out unto Jabneel; 12 and the goings out of the border were at the sea. And the west border [was] to the great sea, and the coast [thereof.] This [is] the coast of the children of Judah round about ac cording to their families.

13

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 14 Anak, which [city is] Hebron. And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the 15 children of Anak. And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before [was] Kirjathsepher. 16 And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh 17 it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. And

Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and 18 he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. And it came to pass, as she came [unto him,] that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off [her] ass; and Caleb 19 said unto her, What wouldest thou? Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper 20 springs, and the nether springs. This [is] the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families. And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Jadah toward the coast of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and

21

22 Eder, and Jagur, And Kinah, and Dimonah, and Adadah, 23 And Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan, Ziph, and Telem, 24 25 and Bealoth, And Hazor, Hadatah, and Kerioth, [and] 26 Hezron, which [is] Hazor, Amam, and Shema, and Moladah, 27 And Hazargaddah, and Heshmon, and Bethpalet, And Hazur28 shual, and Beersheba, and Bizjothjah, Baalah, and Iim, Azem, 29 30 And Eltolad, and Chesil, and Horma, And Ziklag, and 31 Madmannah, and Sansannah, And Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and 32 Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities [are] twenty and nine, 33 with their villages: [And] in the valley, Eshtaol, and Zoreah, 34 and Ashnah, And Zanoah, and Engannim, Tappuah, and Enam, 35 Jarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah, And Sharaim, 36 and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim: fourteen 37 cities with their villages: Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdal38 39 gad, And Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel, Lachish, 40 and Bozkath, and Eglon, And Cabbon, and Lamam, and Kith41 lish, And Gideroth, Bethdagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah, 42 43 sixteen cities with their villages: Libnah, and Ether, and 44 Ashan, and Jiphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib, And Keilah, and 45 Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages: Ekron 46 with her towns, and her villages: From Ekron even unto the 47 sea, all that [lay] near Ashdod, with their villages; Ashdod

with their towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and 48 the border [thereof :] And in the mountains, Shamir, and 49 Jattir, and Socoh, And Dannah, and Kirjathsannah, which [is] 30 51 Debir, And Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim, And Goshen,

and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages: 52 53 Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean, And Janum, and Beth54 tappuah, and Aphekah, And Humtah, and Kirjatharba, which 55 [is] Hebron, and Zior; nine cities with their villages: Maon, 56 Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah, And Jezreel, and Jokedam, 57 and Zanoah, Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their 58 59 villages: Halhul, Bethzur, and Gedor, And Maarath, and 60 Bethanoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages; Kir

jathbaal, which [is] Kirjathjearim, and Rabbah; two cities 61 with their villages: In the wilderness, Betharabah, Middin, 62 and Secacah, And Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and Engedi; six cities with their villages.

63

As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.