Difference between revisions of "Caleb"

<p> (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:9; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:18-19; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:42; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:50). Son of Hezron, son of Pharez, son of Judah; father of [[Hur]] by Ephrath; grandfather of [[Caleb]] the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah. In &nbsp;1 Chronicles 4:15 Caleb the spy is called "son of Jephunneh," and in &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:49 the elder Caleb seemingly is father of the daughter Achsa. In &nbsp;Joshua 15:17 Caleb the spy is father of Achsah. Possibly, after all, the Caleb of 1 Chronicles 2 is the same as Caleb the spy; his adoption into Hezron's family accounting for his appearing in the public [[Israelite]] record as his son. In this case the different families assigned to him he must have had by different wives, having their lots in different localities. This genealogy (1 Chronicles 2), drawn up in Hezekiah's reign, alone mentions the supposed elder Caleb. Caleb, the illustrious spy, is also called" the Kenezite," or "son of Kenaz" (&nbsp;Numbers 32:12). </p> <p> Caleb was "head" (&nbsp;Numbers 13:3) of the [[Hezronite]] family in Judah; while [[Nahshon]] son of [[Amminadab]] was head or prince of the whole tribe (&nbsp;Numbers 1:7). He and [[Oshea]] or Joshua, alone of the twelve, on returning from [[Canaan]] to [[Kadesh]] Barnea, encouraged the people when dispirited by the other spies: "Let us go up at once, and possess the land (he does not for a moment doubt Israel's ability; not Let us try; success is certain, the Lord being on our side), for we are well able to overcome it" (&nbsp;Numbers 13:30). His character answers to his name, all heart. His reward was according to his faith (&nbsp;Numbers 14:24). "My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit, and hath followed Me fully, him will I bring into the land where unto he went, and his seed shall possess it." </p> <p> Forty-five years afterward Caleb reminded Moses of God's promise, adding that now at 85 he was as strong as then. "Hebron therefore (the land he had trodden upon in faith as a spy, &nbsp;Deuteronomy 1:36) became the inheritance of Caleb, ... because that he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel" (&nbsp;Joshua 14:8-9; &nbsp;Joshua 14:14). He dislodged the three sons of Anak , &nbsp;Joshua 15:14, and gave [[Achsah]] his daughter to Othniel, son of [[Kenaz]] his brother, for taking Debir. (See [[Anak]] ; ACHSAH; [[Debir]] . In &nbsp;Joshua 15:13, "unto Caleb Joshua gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the Lord, ... even the city of Arba, father of Anak-Hebron," it is implied that he was not by birth of Judah, but was given his portion in that tribe by the special command of the" God of Israel." </p> <p> By marriage and submission to the bond of Jehovah's covenant with [[Israel]] he became a true Israelite by adoption; a specimen of God's mercy to the [[Gentiles]] even in Old [[Testament]] times, and a pledge of the opening of the door of faith to them widely in the New Testament So Jethro, Rahab, Ruth, Naaman. Kenaz his ancestor was a duke of [[Edom]] (&nbsp;Genesis 36:11; &nbsp;Genesis 36:15). The names [[Shobal]] and [[Manahath]] are other [[Edomite]] (&nbsp;Genesis 36:20-23) names which appear among the sons of the Caleb in &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:50; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:52. </p> <p> Jephunneh, his father's name, is probably the same as [[Pinon]] (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 1:52; &nbsp;Genesis 36:41). Termanites too are among the children of Ashur, Hezron's son (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 4:6). This consideration helps to account for the large numbers of [[Israelites]] at the Exodus; proselytes and marriage connections from other races swelled the number of Israelites of pure blood. [[Hebron]] was afterward a priests' city, belonging to the Kohathites; but the territory about continued in Caleb's family (from which sprang the churl Nabal, for faith does not always come by blood descent)at the time of David (&nbsp;1 Samuel 25:3; &nbsp;1 Samuel 30:14). </p>

<p> [[Caleb]] (''Kâ'Leb'' ), ''Capable.'' 1. According to &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:9, where he is called [[Chelubai]] (''Kç-Lû'Bâi'' ), 18, 19, 42, 50, the son of Hezron, the son of Pharez, the son of Judah, and the father of Hur, and consequently grandfather of Caleb, one of the twelve spies. 2. The son of Jephunneh, one of the twelve spies sent by Moses to Canaan. &nbsp;Numbers 13:6. He and Oshea, or Joshua the son of Nun, were the only two who brought a favorable report and encouraged the people boldly to take possession of the land. Forty-five years afterwards Caleb came to Joshua and claimed possession of the land of the Anakim, Kirjath-arba or Hebron, and the neighboring hill country. &nbsp;Joshua 14:1-15. This was immediately granted to him, and the following chapter relates how he took possession of Hebron, driving out the three sons of Anak; and how he offered Achsah his daughter in marriage to whoever would take Kiriath-sepher, ''I.E.'' , Debir, and when Othniel, his brother or nephew, had performed the feat, he not only gave him his daughter to wife, but with her the upper and nether springs of water which she desired. &nbsp;Joshua 15:16-19. </p>

<li> Caleb gave his name apparently to a part of the south country (&nbsp;1 Samuel 30:14 ) of Judah, the district between Hebron and Carmel, which had been assigned to him. When he gave up the city of Hebron to the priests as a city of refuge, he retained possession of the surrounding country (&nbsp;Joshua 21:11,12; Compare &nbsp;1 Samuel 25:3 ). <div> <p> '''Copyright Statement''' These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by [[Thomas]] Nelson, 1897. Public Domain. </p> <p> '''Bibliography Information''' Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Caleb'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/c/caleb.html. 1897. </p> </div> </li>

<p> (Hebrews Kalel', כָּלֵב '','' appar. for כֶּלֶב, a ''Dog),'' the name of two or three men. (See [[Caleb-Ephratah]]); (See Negeb-Caleb). </p> <p> '''1.''' (Sept. Χαλέβ .) The last-named of the three sons of Hezron, Judah's grandson (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:9, where he is called CHELUBAI). His three sons by his first wife, [[Azubah]] or [[Jerioth]] (q.v.), are enumerated (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:18); he had also another son, Hur, by a later wife, Ephrath(&nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:19; perhaps only the oldest of several, &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:50); besides whom another (his "first-born") is named (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:42, by what wife is uncertain), in addition to several by his concubines [[Ephah]] and [[Maachah]] (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:46; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:48). B.C. post 1856. The text is possibly corrupt, however, in some of these distinctions. </p> <p> '''2.''' (Sept. Χαλέβ ''.'' ) A "son of Hur, the first-born of Ephratah" above named(and therefore the grandson of the preceding), according to &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:50, where his sons are enumerated. B.C. ante 1658. Some, however, have identified him with the foregoing, supposing a corruption in the text. </p> <p> '''3.''' (Sept. Χάλεβ '','' but Χαλέβ in &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:49; &nbsp;Sirach 46:9; &nbsp;1 [[Maccabees]] 2:56; v.r. Χαλούβ in &nbsp;1 Samuel 30:14; [[Josephus]] Χάλεβος, Ant. in, 14,4, etc.) Usually called "the son of Jephunneh" (&nbsp;Numbers 13:6, and elsewhere, (See Jephunneh) ), sometimes with the addition "the Kenezite" (&nbsp;Numbers 32:12; &nbsp;Joshua 14:6; &nbsp;Joshua 14:14), from which some have hastily inferred that he may have been a foreigner, and ''Only Proselyted'' to Judaism. (See Kenaz). Caleb is first mentioned in the list of the rulers or princes (נָשַׂיא ), called in the next verse (רָאשַׁים ) "heads," one from each tribe, who were sent to search the land of Canaan in the second year of the [[Exode]] (B.C. 1657), where it may be noted that these officers are all different from those named in Numbers 1, 2, 7, 10, as at that time phylarchs of the tribes. Caleb was one of these family chieftains in the tribe of Judah, perhaps as chief of the family of the Hezronites, at the same time that Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, was prince of the whole tribe. He and Oshea or Joshua, the son of Nun, were the only two of the whole number who, on their return from Canaan to Kadesh-Barnea, encouraged the people to enter in boldly to the land, and take possession of it, for which act of faithfulness they narrowly escaped stoning at the hands of the infuriated people. In the plague that ensued, while the other ten spies perished, Caleb and Joshua alone were spared. Moreover, while it wasannounced to the congregation by Moses that, for this rebellious murmurinr, all that had been numbered from twenty years old and upward, except Joshua and Caleb, should perish in the wilderness, a special promise was made to the latter that he should survive to enter into the land which he had trodden upon, and that his seed should possess it. </p> <p> Accordingly, forty-five years afterward (B.C. 1612), when some progress had been made in the conquest of the land, Caleb came to Joshua and reminded him of what had happened at Kadesh, and of the promise which Moses made to him with an oath. He added that though he was now eighty-five years old (hence he was born B.C. 1698), he was as strong as in the day when Moses sent him to spy out the land, and he claimed possession of the land of the Anakim, Kirjath- Arba, or Hebron, and the neighboring hill-country (Joshua xiv). This was immediately granted to him, and the following chapter relates that he took possession of Hebron, driving out the three sons of Anak; that he offered Achsah, his daughter, in marriage (comp. &nbsp;1 Samuel 17:25; Hygin. Fab. 67) to whoever would take Kirjath-Sepher, i.e. Debir; and that when Othniel, his younger brother, had performed the feat, he not only gave him his daughter to wife, but with her the upper and nether springs of water which she asked for. After this we hear no more of Caleb, nor is the time of his death recorded. But we learn from &nbsp;Joshua 21:13, that, in the distribution of cities, out of the different tribes for the priests and [[Levites]] to dwell in, Hebron fell to the priests, the children of Aaron, of the family of the Kohathites, and was also a city of refuge, while the surrounding territory continued to be the possession of Caleb, at least as late as the time of David (&nbsp;1 Samuel 25:3), being still called by his name (&nbsp;1 Samuel 30:14). His descendants are called ''Calebites'' ( כָּלַבַּו for כָּלַבַּי, ''Kalibbi','' &nbsp;1 Samuel 25:3; Sept. translates as if a paronomasia were intended, inserted in &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:49, by way of distinction from the others in the same list. See Ewald, ''Isr. Gesch.'' 2:288 sq. </p>

<p> '''''kā´leb''''' ( כּלב , <i> '''''kālēbh''''' </i> ; in the light of the cognate [[Syriac]] and Arabic words, the meaning is not "dog," which is כּלב , <i> '''''kelebh''''' </i> , in Hebrew, but "raging with canine madness"; Χαλέβ , <i> '''''Chaléb''''' </i> ): As a person, Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, occurs in the story of the spies (Nu 13ff). He represents the tribe of Judah as its prince (&nbsp;Numbers 13:6; compare &nbsp;Numbers 13:2 ). While the majority of the men sent out by Moses bring back evil report, Caleb and Hoshea, or Joshua, the son of Nun, are the only ones to counsel the invasion of the promised land (&nbsp;Numbers 13:30; &nbsp;Numbers 14:6 ). Accordingly, these two alone are permitted to survive (&nbsp;Numbers 14:38; &nbsp;Numbers 32:12 ). Upon the conquest and distribution of the land by Joshua, Caleb reminds the leader of the promise made by God through Moses, and so he receives Hebron as an inheritance for himself and his descendants (&nbsp;Joshua 14:6-15 ), after driving out from thence the Anakim who were in possession of the city (&nbsp;Joshua 15:14 ). In the parallel account in &nbsp;Judges 1:8 , the dispossession of the [[Canaanite]] inhabitants of Hebron is ascribed to Judah (&nbsp;Judges 1:10 ). Both accounts agree in mentioning Othniel, a younger brother of Caleb, as the conqueror of Kiriath-sepher or Debir; as his reward he receives the hand of Achsah, Caleb's daughter. Achsah is given by her father a portion of the Southland; but, upon request, she obtains a more fruitful locality with upper and nether springs (&nbsp;Joshua 15:15-19; &nbsp;Judges 1:12-15 ). </p> <p> In &nbsp;1 Samuel 30:14 Caleb is undoubtedly the name of a clan which is, moreover, differentiated from Judah. Modern scholars therefore assume that Caleb was originally an independent clan which in historical times merged with Judah. As Caleb is called the son f Kenaz (&nbsp; Judges 1:13 ) or the [[Kenizzite]] (&nbsp;Numbers 32:12 ), it is further believed that the Calebites were originally associated with an Edomite clan named Kenaz (&nbsp;Genesis 36:11 ), and that they entered their future homes in the southern part of [[Palestine]] from the south. Their migration up north would then be reflected in the story of the spies. </p> <p> In the genealogical tables (1 Ch 2), Caleb is made a descendant of Judah through his father Hezron. He is the brother of Jerahmeel, and the "father" of Hebron and of other towns in Judah. (Chelubai, &nbsp;1 Chronicles 9:9 , is apparently identical with Caleb.) </p> <p> Nabal, with whom David had an encounter, is called a Calebite, i.e. one belonging to the house of Caleb (&nbsp;1 Samuel 25:3 ). </p>