1 And these [are] they [of] the sons of Israel who inherited in the land of Canaan, whom Eleazar the priest, and Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel, caused to inherit ;
2 by lot [is] their inheritance, as Jehovah commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine of the tribes, and the half of the tribe ;
3 for Moses hath given the inheritance of two of the tribes, and of half of the tribe, beyond the Jordan, and to the Levites he hath not given an inheritance in their midst ;
4 for the sons of Joseph hath been two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, and they have not given a portion to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, and their suburbs for their cattle, and for their possessions ;
5 as Jehovah commanded Moses, so have the sons of Israel done, and they apportion the land.
Note · Josué 14.1–5
Le partage ne dépend pas de la seule volonté de Josué
Prêtre, chef et représentants participent à la répartition par le sort. Joseph est compté à travers Éphraïm et Manassé, tandis que Lévi reçoit des villes plutôt qu’un territoire comparable. La manière de compter les tribus dépend donc de leur fonction dans cette présentation ; il faut observer cette organisation avant de chercher une liste uniforme partout.
6 And the sons of Judah come nigh unto Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenezzite saith unto him, 'Thou hast known the word that Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses the man of God, concerning me and concerning thee in Kadesh-Barnea :
7 a son of forty years [am] I in Moses, servant of Jehovah, sending me from Kadesh-Barnea, to spy the land, and I bring him back word as with my heart ;
8 and my brethren who have gone up with me have caused the heart of the people to melt, and I have been fully after Jehovah my God ;
9 and Moses sweareth in that day, saying, If not — the land on which thy foot hath trodden, to thee it is for inheritance, and to thy sons — to the age, for thou hast been fully after Jehovah my God.
Note · Josué 14.6–9
Caleb rappelle une parole en racontant sa propre fidélité
Il revient sur Kadès-Barnéa et sur le contraste entre son rapport et le découragement suscité par les autres. La mémoire des Nombres est ici reprise par l’un de ses acteurs. La demande ne prétend pas créer une promesse nouvelle au gré d’un désir présent ; elle se rapporte à un engagement déjà raconté.
10 'And, now, lo, Jehovah hath kept me alive, as He hath spoken, these forty and five years, since Jehovah spake this word unto Moses, when Israel went in the wilderness ; and now, lo, I [am] to-day a son of five and eighty years ;
11 yet [am] I to-day strong as in the day of Moses' sending me ; as my power then, so [is] my power now, for battle, and to go out, and to come in.
12 'And now, give to me this hill-country, of which Jehovah spake in that day, for thou didst hear in that day, for Anakim [are] there, and cities, great, fenced ; if so be Jehovah [is] with me, then I have dispossessed them, as Jehovah hath spoken.'
13 And Joshua blesseth him, and giveth Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh for an inheritance,
14 therefore hath Hebron been to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenezzite for an inheritance unto this day, because that he was fully after Jehovah, God of Israel ;
15 and the name of Hebron formerly [is] Kirjath-Arba (he [is] the great man among the Anakim) ; and the land hath rest from war.
Note · Josué 14.10–15
La confiance s’exprime sans effacer la difficulté
Caleb nomme les villes fortifiées et les Anakim, puis reçoit Hébron. Son espérance ne consiste pas à nier la présence d’adversaires. La scène reste néanmoins dans l’univers de la conquête : on peut y entendre persévérance et confiance sans transposer son expulsion des habitants en consigne pour nos relations avec d’autres communautés.