Josué 14
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Josué 14
Wiersbe - Since Caleb was forty years old at Kadesh-barnea (Josh. 14:7), he had to have been born in Egypt while the Jews were enduring great suffering (Ex. 1-2). He was born a slave, yet he died a hero! His parentage is given in Josh. 14:13-14. Some think that Caleb (whose name means "dog") was of mixed parentage, his father being a Kenezite and his mother from the tribe of Judah (Josh. 15:13). If so, this makes his faith an even greater wonder! However, 1 Chron. 2:18 makes Caleb the son of Hezron, a descendant of Pharez (1 Chron. 2:5); and this would put him in the ancestry of Christ (Matt. 1:3). In either case, Caleb was redeemed by the blood of the Passover lamb, delivered from Egypt, and given the prospects of a great inheritance in Canaan. He would have had no inheritance under Joshua had he not first experienced redemption under Moses... The nation wanted to go back; the two men of faith wanted to go ahead. The majority was walking by sight; the minority was walking by faith. The rebellious nation saw only the obstacles, the problems; the believing leaders saw the opportunities, the prospects. What was the result? The ten spies and the unbelieving generation died in the wilderness! But Caleb and Joshua lived to enter and enjoy the Promised Land. "For the mind set on the flesh is death" (Ro 8:6). It took courage for Caleb to stand against the whole nation, but God honored him for it.(Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament) GEORGE BUSH Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 14 7. Brought him word again as it was in mine heart. Made a true and honest statement; spake sincerely; uttered the real sentiments of my heart. His conscience bore him witness, and now enabled him to say, that neither fear nor favor influenced him on the occasion; he told what he believed to be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It has been remarked in this connexion, that Caleb’s name signifies, according to the heart. When You Can Ask God For A Mountain George Brooks Numbers 14:24; Joshua 14:7-12 "But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it" (Numbers 14:24, NASB). "I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought word back to him as it was in my heart. [8] "Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear; but I followed the LORD my God fully. [9] "So Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God fully.' [10] "And now behold, the LORD has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. [11] "I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. [12] "Now then, give me this hill country about which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out as the LORD has spoken" (Joshua 14:7-12, NASB). The word "fully" means to the whole amount or extent, so as to comprise or involve all, entirely, totally, completely, all in all. This message centers on Caleb, a man who fully followed the Lord. Though he is not as well known nor as much in authority as his close friend, Joshua, he has much to contribute to Biblical history and Christianity. The name Caleb means wholehearted. Caleb was certainly true to his name. Caleb was a faithful follower of the Lord. He was one of the twelve spies sent by Moses to spy the land of Canaan. If the other ten spies had been like Joshua and him, the invasion of Canaan would have begun and finished forty years earlier. The conclusion of the ten spies that Canaan was well fortified and was full of giants was based upon fear. Confidence in God was the reason for Caleb's report (Numbers 14:8,9). Caleb was certain that with God they could be victorious and the land of Canaan would one day be theirs. There was no fantasy in the mind of Caleb as he spied the land of Canaan. He saw all his companions saw, the stature of the men, the walls of the cities, the difficulty and all but the impossibility of the conquest. But he saw what only Joshua saw beside him, that was the presence and power of God. And seeing that, he believed in the possibility of what seemed to others impossible. I. When You Follow The Lord Fully. Full devotion to God was the secret to Caleb's character. He lived his whole life with great self-control. Even at the age of eighty-five he was still strong and vigorous. Full devotion to God makes us unselfish in our obedience to his will. We must serve God fully if we are to grow strong in grace. Caleb accredited his courage and faithfulness to his connection with God, and he speaks of the Lord as "my God." The relationship we have with God is individual. We must pass from "our God" or "your God" to "my" God. It is not enough for us to believe, worship or talk about our love for God. We must show our devotion by a consistent course of life. The course of life for us to follow is to obey the Lord's commands, following the course of his will. We should learn to submit ourselves fully to the Lord. When you submit yourself to the Lord fully, you can ask God for a mountain. We only follow God correctly when we follow him fully. Halfhearted service is not true service. Following God fully implies not stopping on account of loss or trouble experienced. Following God fully implies taking no account of the opinion and conduct of those who would attempt to sidetrack us from faithfulness to him. Following God fully implies serving him in all our relations of life, business, social, home and private. We need to be more perfectly devoted, giving ourselves fully to God's service. II. When You Are Willing To Put Forth Effort To Possess It. Caleb was aware that all the difficulties of Canaan had not been resolved. The land was still inhabited by the Anakim, who had great fortified cities. Many of us are not asking for the mountain because it is easier to live in the low land. But Caleb was not afraid to ask for Hebron because he knew that by the grace of God he would conquer the enemy which remained. However great the difficulty we can be assured that a stubborn faith in God will one day give victory. All that we read of Caleb proves him to have been a man of strong determination. Whatever he did he did with great effort. There is a great deal of meaning in the word "fully." A man whose face is partly to God and partly to the world may have his attention distracted. But the one who maintains an attitude that has respect to God only shall be blessed. Caleb was sure of victory because he was sure of the presence of God. God not only honors the right, he helps it. He does not merely send help for the battle of life, he is present as the light to guide and the power to strengthen. Caleb had faith in the real and active presence of God. Not only did Caleb trust God for victory, he said, "I shall drive them out as the Lord has spoken" (Joshua 14:12, NASB). Caleb named God's help first as necessary. But he did not stay with that. The grace of God is no excuse for man's idleness. Our faith in God is shown by our works in the name of God. We have not obtained some victories in life because we have not put forth any effort. God is ready to help us, but we are not willing to be helped. God fights for us by fighting in us. If we would supply the effort, God will supply the strength. Caleb said, "...give me this hill country about which the LORD spoke on that day...perhaps the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out..." (Joshua 14:12, NASB). When we have faith in God and follow him fully, our energies will not become paralyzed. They will become inspired. Caleb believed Hebron could be won. He had the freedom to win it and permission to keep it for himself when it was won. All things that threaten and oppose become serviceable when we face them in faith. The enemies become the servants, the hindrances the helps, the disappointments become the appointments. God has great blessings for those who seek victory through faith in him and by their effort. III. The Blessing Of Asking God For A Mountain. A. Long Life. Caleb and Joshua were the only survivors of the Jews who escaped from Egypt. For us today the corresponding blessing is not long earthly life but eternal spiritual life. The man who fully follows the Lord has eternal life. B. Continued Strength And Opportunity For Service. Caleb's strength had not waned. He was just as strong as he was forty-five years earlier. He had been promised Hebron many years before, and with patience Caleb waited on the fulfillment of that promise. Though he had to wait he continued to fully follow the Lord. Isaiah said, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength..." The ability of Caleb to wait was an evidence of his relationship with God. The closer we are to God, the more of us that is possessed by him, the easier it is to wait on him to fulfill his promises. Caleb received the promise of Mount Hebron because he fully followed the Lord. The Lord preserved Caleb so that he might enjoy the Promised Land. The best blessing we can enjoy is renewed ability to serve. If we serve God with all our faculties, he will give us a greater capacity for service. Faithful service will make its mark on us and others. The blessing of fully following the Lord is blessings for the servant, and the servant being a blessing. C. The Fulfillment Of God's Promise. Caleb had been promised a mountain. He received that mountain because he fully followed the Lord. There was another man who received a mountain because he wholly followed God. Jesus received Mount Calvary because of his commitment to God. Listen to Jesus praying in Gethsemane. "Not my will, but thine be done." Living inside God's will is the best and safest place to live. ILLUSTRATION - In 1904 William Borden, heir to the Borden Dairy Estate, graduated from a Chicago high school a millionaire. His parents gave him a trip around the world. Traveling through Asia, the middle East, and Europe gave Borden a burden for the world's hurting people. Writing home, he said, "I'm going to give my life to prepare for the mission field." When he made this decision, he wrote in the back of his Bible two words: "No Reserves." Turning down high-paying job offers after graduating from Yale University, he entered two more words in his Bible: "No Retreats." Completing studies at Princeton Seminary, Borden sailed for China to work with Muslims, stopping first at Egypt for some preparation. While there he was stricken with cerebral meningitis and died within a month. Someone might say that his life was a waste. That would no be so with God. In his Bible, underneath the words "No Reserves" and "No Retreats," he had written the words "No Regrets." When you follow God fully, there are no regrets. Joshua 14:8 "Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear; but I followed the LORD my God fully. fully: Jos 14:14 Nu 14:24 De 1:36 Rev 14:4 Joshua 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Deuteronomy 1:28 ‘Where can we go up? Our brethren have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are bigger and taller than we; the cities are large and fortified to heaven. And besides, we saw the sons of the Anakim there.”’ Deuteronomy 1:36 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and to his sons I will give the land on which he has set foot, because he has followed the LORD fully (male).’ I FOLLOWED THE LORD GOD FULLY Six times we are told that he "wholly followed the Lord" (Nu 14:24; Nu 32:12; Dt. 1:36; Joshua 14:8-9, 14). Numbers 14:24 “But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. Numbers 32:12 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have followed the LORD fully.’ Deuteronomy 1:36 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and to his sons I will give the land on which he has set foot, because he has followed the LORD fully.’ Joshua 14:8-9; 14 “Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear; but I followed the LORD my God fully. 9“So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden will be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God fully.....14 Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite until this day, because he followed the LORD God of Israel fully. Nevertheless - Term of contrast. There are probably few more tragic "terms of contrast" in all of Scripture as it cost a 40 year delay and millions of dead bodies in the wilderness! My brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear - This majority report is described in in Numbers 13:25–29; 14:1–10. My brethren describes 10 faithless Israelites who disbelieved God's promise and incited faithless fear to spread throughout the almost 2 million people so that their hearts melted (an idiom for fearful response as in Josh 5:1) with fear. The only antidote for their fear of the Canaanites was faith in their faithful God, but they failed the "faith test" at Kadesh-Barnea and fear held them back from possessing their promise in Canaan. Cyril
Josué 14
Wiersbe - Caleb did not die in the wilderness, but he still had to suffer with the unbelieving nation during their nearly forty years of wandering. Think of what this godly, believing man had to endure! Every single day he saw people die and miss out on their inheritance. He had to listen to the murmuring and complaining. This man of faith had to put up with the unbelief of his fellow Israelites. He loved Moses, yet he had to listen to the Jews as they criticized their leader and opposed him. How was Caleb able to maintain his spiritual life when surrounded by so much carnality and unbelief? His heart was in Canaan! God had given him a wonderful inheritance (read Josh. 14:9-12), and though his body was in the wilderness, his heart and mind were in Canaan! He is a perfect illustration of Col. 3:1-4. He possessed what Rom. 8:6 refers to as "the spiritual mind". Caleb was able to endure the trials of the wilderness because he knew that he did not have to fear death, that he had an inheritance, and that God would not fail him. How much more we have in Christ! Yet we give up so easily and fail in our pilgrim journey. (Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament) GEORGE BUSH Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 14 9. Moses sware on that day. See Num. 14:24; Deut. 1:36. In these passages God himself is the speaker; and it is he that swears according to the words here recited. But as Moses was the organ through whom the assured promise was conveyed, the swearing is attributed to him. The land whereon thy feet have trodden. Not the land of Canaan in general, but this particular, this identical district. See on v. 6. Following the Lord Wholeheartedly Topics: COMMITMENT, DISCIPLESHIP, FOLLOWING CHRIST Bible Verses: Joshua 14:9; Romans 6:17 In late February 1836, the Mexican Army led by General Santa Anna began to arrive at the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas. For the next two weeks, 188 brave men under the command of Colonel William Barret Travis refused to surrender and they fought to the death. When the Mexican scouts first were scouted, Colonel Travis gathered the men together and told them they had a choice. They could leave the fort while there was still time, or they could stay and meet certain death. Then Travis unsheathed his sword, drew a line on the ground, and said these words: “Those prepared to give their lives in freedom’s cause, come over to me.” Without hesitation, every man except one—which is how we know the story—crossed the line. Colonel James Bowie, inventor of the bowie knife, was ill with typhoid pneumonia and couldn’t walk across the line, but he asked for his bed to be carried over. Following the Lord wholeheartedly means commitment, there is no turning back. (Peter Kennedy - Preaching Illustrations Vol.1) Joshua 14:10 "Now behold, the LORD has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. forty: Jos 11:18 Nu 14:33,34 Joshua 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries CALEB REVIEWS GOD'S PROMISE TO PRESERVE HIS LIFE Now behold, the LORD has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today - Above Caleb had reviewed God's promise to give the land and here he reviews the promise of his personal preservation. In so doing Caleb highlights the mercy (let me live) and faithfulness (just as He spoke) of the LORD to let him live through the 40 years of wilderness wanderings, when all his peers died (except for Joshua). God had also kept him alive during the 7 years (see Campbell's explanation of this time below) of battling the Canaanites (Joshua 1-12). Notice also that Caleb uses the exclamatory attention getting word behold twice to emphasize his point. He is 85 and it is the time for him to claim the promises of God. He would have been about 38 when he was first sent as a spy (85 minus 7 years to conquer the land minus 40 years of wilderness wandering). The tragedy is what Israel could have possessed in 7 years took them 45 years (38 years in wilderness [Dt 2:14 ] + 7 years conquest), which was a steep price to pay for a moment of unbelief! Wayne
Josué 14
Wiersbe - Caleb asked Joshua for mountains to climb and giants to conquer! His strength was in the Lord, and he knew that God would never fail him. The secret of Caleb’s life is found in a phrase that’s repeated six times in Scripture: “he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel” (Josh. 14:14; also see Num. 14:24; 32:12; Deut. 1:36; Josh. 14:8–9). Caleb was an overcomer because he had faith in the Lord (1 John 5:4). We are never too old to make new conquests of faith in the power of the Lord. Like Caleb, we can capture mountains and conquer giants if we wholly follow the Lord. No matter how old we become, we must never retire from trusting and serving the Lord. (Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament)
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Wiersbe - Caleb He is “the man who wholly followed the Lord.” God said it (Num. 14:24), Moses said it (Num. 32:12; Deut. 1:36), Joshua said it (Josh. 14:14), and Caleb said it himself (Josh. 14:8–9). He was wholehearted in his walk with the Lord. As the ten faithless spies not only missed Canaan for themselves but caused tens of thousands of others to miss it, so the two faithful spies not only gained Canaan but they were used of God to lead that entire younger generation into their inheritance in the promised land. -- Ruth Paxson, Caleb the Overcomer, p. 39 See Deuteronomy 1:35–36. With God, there are no “generation gaps.” See also 2 Timothy 2:2 and Titus 2:1–8. Give me men to match my mountains. -- Inscription on the State Capitol, Sacramento, CA Never measure the height of a mountain, until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was. -- Dag Hammarskjöld, Markings, p. 7 It was not the great walled cities of Canaan nor even the great stature of the giants that kept them [Israel] from their inheritance in Canaan. It was their own faulty relationship to the Lord. [Numbers 13] -- Paxson, Caleb, p. 28 The ten spies saw themselves primarily in relation to their enemies. Consequently their chief concern was for their safety. So they would sacrifice their inheritance in Canaan rather than risk their lives. -- Paxson, Caleb, p. 32 During all the forty years of wilderness wandering, Caleb lived in the promised land through anticipatory appropriating faith. He lived above the wilderness by living in the promised land. He was in the wilderness, but not of it. -- Paxson, Caleb, p. 51 What shall we do with life’s mountains? We can climb them as did Moses and see the glory of God (Exod. 34). We can level them in the power of the Spirit (Zech. 4) and move ahead in our labors. We can exercise faith and trust the Lord to move them out of the way (Matt. 17:19–21). And, like Caleb, we can conquer them and claim them for our own inheritance. -- Warren Wiersbe Here is where many Christians fail. I haven’t a question that many preachers largely fail because they are looking for easy and soft places. The one thing we are to think about, to care for, is that we may stand in the battle’s front and in the thick of the fight, every man where God wants him, whether lawyer, doctor, minister, teacher, banker, farmer, or what not. If God has hard tasks and big jobs, and gigantic undertakings, let each one give himself to them with the spirit of Caleb, scorning easy places, asking for God to give him anything He wishes, in His infinite wisdom and love.… Let us address ourselves to life’s problems as did Caleb. Let us make up our minds never to get old, never. Let us make up our minds that we will never admit for a breath to ourselves that suggestion of the devil, that we have “done our part.” --- George W. Truett, We Would See Jesus, p. 101 Caleb was a man who was perennially young. That is one of the most beautiful things in his life story.… There is not any place, there is not any need for any man ever to get old in this world. And if a man will link himself with the right things, and have the right viewpoint in the life he lives, he will never be an old man. -- Truett, We Would See Jesus, p. 99 Caleb was a man who dared to be in the minority. He was a man who could, without any blanching of face, go against the crowd. He was a man who had his anchorage thoroughly defined, and who adjusted himself in absolute obedience to the convictions his soul felt and knew to be right. He dared, therefore, to be in the minority. -- Truett, We Would See Jesus, p. 96 Hebron - Holman Bible Dictionary (Wikipedia article and What is the significance of Hebron in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org) Place name and personal name meaning “association” or “league.” A major city in the hill country of Judah about nineteen miles south of Jerusalem and fifteen miles west of the Dead Sea. The region is over 3,000 feet above sea level. The surrounding area has an abundant water supply, and its rich soil is excellent for agriculture. According to archaeological research the site has been occupied almost continuously since about 3300 B.C. After his separation from Lot, Abraham moved to Hebron. At that time the area was known as Mamre and was associated with the Amorites (Genesis 13:18; Genesis 14:13; Genesis 23:19 ). Abraham apparently remained at Mamre until after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. When Sarah died, the place was called Kirjath-arba; and the population was predominantly Hittite (Genesis 23:2; Joshua 14:15; Joshua 15:54; Judges 1:10 ). From them Abraham purchased a field with a burial plot inside a nearby cave. Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah were buried there (Genesis 23:19; Genesis 25:9; Genesis 35:29; Genesis 49:31; Genesis 50:13 ). Four centuries later, when Moses sent the twelve spies into Canaan, the tribe of Anak lived in Hebron. According to Numbers 13:22 Hebron was “built” seven years prior to Zoan, the Egyptian city of Tanis. Archaeological evidence suggests that the reference was to Tanis' establishment as the Hyksos capital around 1725 B.C. and not its beginning. Indeed both cities already were inhabited long before 2000 B.C. Therefore, the date may indicate that it was rebuilt by the Hyksos at that time, or it may specify when Hebron became a Canaanite city. After the Israelite conquest of Canaan, Hebron was given to Caleb ( Joshua 14:9-13 ). It also became a city of refuge (Joshua 20:7 ). Later, Samson put the gates of Gaza on a hill outside of Hebron (Judges 16:3 ). After the death of Saul, David settled in the city (2 Samuel 2:3 ) and made it his capital during the seven years he ruled only Judah (1 Kings 2:11 ). His son, Absalom, launched an abortive revolt against David from Hebron (2 Samuel 15:10 ). Between 922,915 B.C. Rehoboam fortified the city as a part of Judah's defense network (2 Chronicles 11:5-10 ). According to inscriptions found on pottery fragments, royal pottery was made in the city between 800,700 B.C. When the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in 587 B.C., the Edomites captured Hebron. It was not recaptured until Judas Maccabeus sacked the city in 164 B.C. Although Herod the Great erected pretentious structures there, no mention of the city is made in the New Testament. The city was raided by both Jewish revolutionaries and Roman legions in A.D. 68 during the Jewish Revolt. Hebron is still an important city today. Except for during the Crusades, the Muslims have ruled the city since A.D. 635. It is venerated by the Arabs because of the tombs of the patriarchs. Two individuals in the Old Testament also were named Hebron. The first was a Levite (Exodus 6:18; Numbers 3:19; 1Chronicles 6:2,1 Chronicles 6:18; 1 Chronicles 23:12 ). The second is listed in the Calebite genealogy (1 Chronicles 2:42-43 ). See City of Refuge; Machpelah; Mamre . QUESTION - Who were the Kenizzites in the Bible? ANSWER - The Kenizzites (or Kenezites) were a group of people during the time of Abraham. They are mentioned in Genesis 15:19 as one of the groups living in the land God promised to Abraham’s descendants. Not much is known about this people group or where exactly they lived. Some scholars believe the Kenizzites lived in Arabia, while others hold that the Kenizzites eventually intermingled with the people of Canaan and lost their identity as a people group. These commentators see evidence of the Kenizzites assimilating with the Canaanites in the fact that their name is missing from the list of people living in the Promised Land during the time of Joshua’s conquest (Joshua 3:10). It could be that some of the Kenizzites integrated with Israel before the conquest of Canaan, joining God’s people during the exodus from Egypt (see Exodus 12:37–38). It’s also possible that the Kenizzites were associated with Israel earlier, and that they had gone to Egypt with Jacob and his family to escape the famine in Canaan (Genesis 46). In Numbers 32:12, Caleb is mentioned as the “son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite.” Other passages also name Caleb as related to the Kenizzites through his father Jephunneh (Joshua 14:6, 14). It seems clear from this that some of the Kenizzites must have joined Israel as proselytes at some point. Significantly, Caleb’s relation to the Kenizzites demonstrates how believing Gentiles were at times integrated into Israel and, in the case of Jephunneh, into the tribe of Judah (Numbers 13:6). Despite his Kenizzite heritage, Caleb is included in the genealogical listing of Judah in 1 Chronicles 4:15. It is likely that Caleb’s mother was of the tribe of Judah. Some commentators have connected the Kenizzites to Edom because the Bible mentions Kenaz as a ruler of Edom (Genesis 36:40–43; 1 Chronicles 1:53). Caleb’s brother is named Kenaz (Joshua 15:17), the father of Othniel, the first judge of Israel (Joshua 15:17; Judges 3:9).GotQuestions.org Related Resources: Kenizzite - Holman Bible Dictionary Kenizzite - Easton's Bible Dictionary Kenizzites - Hasting's Bible Dictionary Kenezites - Jewish Encyclopedia Kenezite - ISB Encyclopedia Joshua 14:15 Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba; [for Arba] was the greatest man among the Anakim. Then the land had rest from war. And the name: Jos 15:13 Ge 23:2 the land: Jos 11:23 Jdg 3:11,30 5:31 8:28 Joshua 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-Arba; for Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim - The writer emphasizes once again the fact that Hebron was a "giant" obstacle, which was conquered by a man who had a giant faith and whose faith was proven genuine by his obedience in fully following the LORD. “Kiriath-Arba” is the site of the oaks of Mamre (cf. Ge 13:18; 35:27). Campbell - Arba was a giant among the Anakites, a nation of giants, a fact that causes the heroic faith of Caleb to stand out even more vividly. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament) Then the land had rest from war - Joshua's conquest of the land concluded with the same declaration (Joshua 11:23). Clearly God was with both of these faithful spies until the end of their lives! How successful was Caleb? The giant enemy was eradicated. Rest in this verse is the verb shaqat which is translated in Lxx with kopazo meaning to to abate, stop, cease as of the wind Mt 14:32. As A W