There is no direct statement recorded in Scripture that Caleb and his posterity should receive Hebron and its environs. However, God made the promise, “Him will I bring into the land whereinto he went” (Num. 14:24); and again, “Him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon” (Deut. 1:36). The following circumstances have been suggested as perhaps forming the background to this promise. it is quite likely that, to avoid detection, the 12 spies did not all go together as a group. They may have gone out by twos. In this case it is likely that Caleb and his companion spied out the land of the Anakim around Hebron, but his companion, terrified by the size of the inhabitants and the strength of their fortifications, did not agree that Israel would be able to take the city.

 This would make the phrases “the land whereinto he went” (Num. 14:24) and “the land that he hath trodden upon” (Deut. 1:36) refer specifically to Hebron. Caleb and Joshua would definitely understand what God meant even though Hebron was not mentioned specifically by name.

 An interesting question arises as to the birth and parentage of Caleb. He is always spoken of as the son of Jephunneh, and so must not be confused with the other Calebs referred to in 1 Chron. 2. His younger brother, Othniel, is called the son of Kenaz (Judges 1:13), and here Caleb is called the Kenezite. It may be that Othniel was the son of Caleb’s stepfather. Or, more likely, Kenaz and Caleb were brothers, for the Hebrew can be understood in that way. That would make Othniel a nephew of Caleb rather than brother. Jephunneh’s lineage cannot be traced back, but some have thought that Caleb was a descendant of Kenaz, the grandson of Esau (Gen. 36:11), and that Caleb was a proselyte, one of the mixed multitude who had joined himself to Israel like some of the Kenites, Moses’ relatives (Judges 1:16; Gen. 15:19; see on 1 Sam. 15:2).

 The fact that Caleb was loyal and true, for he “wholly followed the Lord” (Num. 32:12), has been taken by some to be the reason that he was chosen to represent the tribe of Judah and was given a part “among the children of Judah” (Joshua 15:13).

 Where the tabernacle and the camp of Israel were still located, for Joshua had not removed his camp from here. The work of dividing the land began in Gilgal. It was completed later in Shiloh (ch. 18). Considerable time must have been required to make all the geographical measurements and observations necessary for the proper and equitable division of the land.