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Jozua 14

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1 Dit is nu hetgeen de kinderen Israels geerfd hebben in het land Kanaan; hetwelk de priester Eleazar, en Jozua, de zoon van Nun, en de hoofden der vaderen van de stammen der kinderen Israels, hun hebben doen erven;

2 Door het lot hunner erfenis, gelijk als de HEERE door den dienst van Mozes geboden had, aangaande de negen stammen en den halven stam.

3 Want aan de twee stammen en den halven stam had Mozes een erfdeel gegeven op gene zijde van de Jordaan; maar aan de Levieten had hij geen erfdeel onder hen gegeven.

4 Want de kinderen van Jozef waren twee stammen, Manasse en Efraim; en aan de Levieten gaven zij geen deel in het land, maar steden om te bewonen, en derzelver voorsteden voor hun vee en voor hun bezitting.

5 Gelijk als de HEERE Mozes geboden had, alzo deden de kinderen Israels, en zij deelden het land.

6 Toen naderden de kinderen van Juda tot Jozua, te Gilgal, en Kaleb, de zoon van Jefunne, de Keneziet, zeide tot hem: Gij weet het woord, dat de HEERE tot Mozes, den man Gods, gesproken heeft te Kades-Barnea, ter oorzake van mij, en ter oorzake van u.

7 Ik was veertig jaren oud, toen Mozes, de knecht des HEEREN, mij uitgezonden heeft van Kades-Barnea, om het land te verspieden, en ik hem antwoord bracht, gelijk als het in mijn hart was.

8 Maar mijn broeders, die met mij opgegaan waren, deden het hart des volks smelten; doch ik volhardde den HEERE, mijn God, na te volgen.

9 Toen zwoer Mozes te dien zelven dage, zeggende: Indien niet het land, waarop uw voet getreden heeft, u en uw kinderen ten erfdeel zal zijn in eeuwigheid, dewijl gij volhard hebt den HEERE, mijn God, na te volgen.

10 En nu, zie, de HEERE heeft mij in het leven behouden, gelijk als Hij gesproken heeft; het zijn nu vijf en veertig jaren, sedert dat de HEERE dit woord tot Mozes gesproken heeft, toen Israel in de woestijn wandelde; en nu, zie, ik ben heden vijf en tachtig jaren oud.

11 Ik ben nog heden zo sterk, gelijk als ik was ten dage, toen Mozes mij uitzond; gelijk mijn kracht toen was, alzo is nu mijn kracht, tot den oorlog, en om uit te gaan, en om in te gaan.

12 En nu, geef mij dit gebergte, waarvan de HEERE te dien dage gesproken heeft; want gij hebt het te dienzelven dage gehoord, dat de Enakieten aldaar waren, en dat er grote vaste steden waren; of de HEERE met mij ware, dat ik hen verdreef, gelijk als de HEERE gesproken heeft.

13 Toen zegende hem Jozua, en hij gaf Kaleb, den zoon van Jefunne, Hebron ten erfdeel.

14 Daarom werd Hebron aan Kaleb, den zoon van Jefunne, den Keneziet, ten erfdeel tot op dezen dag; omdat hij volhard had den HEERE, den God Israels, na te volgen.

15 De naam nu van Hebron was eertijds Kirjath-Arba, die een groot mens geweest is onder de Enakieten. En het land rustte van den krijg.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 14

Napsal(a) New Christian Bible Study Staff, Julian Duckworth

Joshua 14: The territories west of the Jordan, and Caleb’s inheritance.

This chapter tells how the land of Canaan would be distributed among the remaining nine-and-a-half tribes, which would be determined by drawing lots. The tribe of Levi, the priests of Israel, would not receive their own territory, but would be given cities to live in across the land. The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, were each recognized as a tribe of Israel to make the number of tribes receiving land equal twelve. Caleb and his people received Mount Hebron as a special inheritance, because he had fully and whole-heartedly followed the Lord God of Israel many years ago.

Casting lots was used in those days to decide many things, because people believed that the outcome showed the will of God. Lots were often sticks or stones, each marked with a symbol, which would be cast much like rolling dice. Then the result would be examined to make a decision. The spiritual meaning of casting lots is that we should allow the Lord to show us what is required, and believe that His providence extends over everything in our lives (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 10773). “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord” (Proverbs 16:33).

The tribe of Levi, the third of the twelve sons of Jacob, had been set apart from the other tribes during their time in the wilderness; when the war cry “Who is on the Lord’s side?” was given before a battle, it was only the tribe of Levi who had responded. They were appointed as the priests of Israel for this dedication to God. Here, now, we are told that they are to live throughout the land (Arcana Caelestia 6998).

On a spiritual level, the Levites stand for the Lord’s presence throughout the whole of our life. Another way of putting this is that our spirit (and our life) is there throughout the whole of our body. And a third way of seeing this is that every part of our life should be guided by our love for the Lord. Other references to the Levites mention that all the people of Israel are to provide food and gifts for the Levites, reinforcing this same idea.

Caleb gets special treatment; he is given Mount Hebron as a new home for his people. Caleb and Joshua had been sent with 10 other men to spy out the land of Canaan 40 years earlier. They had given it a good report, and had - unsuccessfully - urged the Children of Israel to follow the Lord's leading and conquer the land at that time. Now, Caleb reminds Joshua about the Lord’s words to Moses regarding them, and Moses’ promise to give Caleb an inheritance. At the age of eighty-five, Caleb was still as strong as when spied out the land. He tells Joshua: “Now therefore, give me this mountain and the Lord will be with me to drive out the enemy” (Joshua 14:12). And it is given to him with a blessing from Joshua.

Mount Hebron is in the territory of Judah, west of the Dead Sea and south of what is now Jerusalem. Its name means ‘bound by a common bond’ or ‘accord’. Its spiritual meaning is that it brings diversity into unity, many into one, and for us, harmony in our spiritual life (Arcana Caelestia 3241[2]).

Caleb’s name means ‘bold, fearless, ferocious to enemies’. For us, Caleb is a picture of sureness and determination that to follow the Lord will always lead to success. Caleb never led Israel, but he acts as a right-hand-man to Joshua. Even though Joshua was the one to lead the children of Israel, there is still the need in each of us for Caleb’s enthusiasm, conviction and assurance to move forward with full confidence. His strength never left him, because he felt and lived the strength which the Lord gave him (see Swedenborg’s work, True Christian Religion 137[5]).

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Arcana Coelestia # 6998

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6998. 'And He said, Is there not Aaron your brother, the Levite?' means teachings that present what is good and true. This is clear from the representation of 'Aaron' as the Lord's Divine Goodness or His Priesthood; but here, before his introduction into the priesthood, he represents teachings that present what is good and true. This is also the reason why it says that he will be for Moses 'as a mouth', and Moses will be for him 'as a god'; for 'Moses' represents the Lord's Divine Truth as it goes forth directly from the Lord, and therefore 'Aaron' represents Divine Truth that goes forth from the Lord in an indirect way. And this truth consists in teachings that present what is good and true. The kind of truth that 'Moses' represents here is truth that a person is unable to hear or discern, 6982; but the kind of truth that 'Aaron' represents is truth he can hear and discern. This is why Aaron is called 'a mouth' and Moses is called 'his god'. It also explains why Aaron is referred to as 'the Levite', for Levite' means the Church's teachings presenting what is good and true, teachings which are of use and service to the priesthood.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.