In Gilgal (see Joshua 9:6). Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite. Or, descendant of Kenaz, as was his kinsman Othniel. As far as we can make out from the genealogy in 1 Chronicles 2:1-55, Caleb and Kenaz were family names, for the Caleb or Calubi (1 Chronicles 2:9) the son of Hezron (1 Chronicles 2:18), the Caleb the son of Hur (1 Chronicles 2:50), and Caleb the son of Jephunneh (1 Chronicles 4:15), could not have been the same persons.
And Caleb was a Kenezite, or descendant of Kenaz; he had a grandson, apparently, of that name (so the LXX. and Vulgate translate, 1 Chronicles 4:15), and a brother, according to the most probable rendering of the Hebrew of both Joshua 15:17 and 1:9.
See also 1 Chronicles 4:13. For Caleb was the son of Jephunneh, not of Kenaz. Hitzig, 'Geschichte des Volkes Israel,' 1.105, thinks that Caleb was a descendant of the Kenaz mentioned in Genesis 36:11; or, see 15.
Some think he was a Kenizzite (see Genesis 15:19). The Bishop of Bath and Wells, in his article in Smiths 'Dictionary of the Bible,' thinks that the view that he was not of Jewish origin agrees best with the Scripture narrative, and removes many difficulties regarding the number of the children of Israel at the Exodus.
It certainly serves to explain why the tribe of Judah came with Caleb, when he preferred his request, and the statement in Genesis 15:13, which seems to imply that Caleb was not one of the tribe of Judah by birth, but one of the "mixed multitude" that went up with the Israelites (Exodus 12:38), and acquired afterwards by circumcision the rights of Israelites.
If this be the case, it is an illustration of the truth declared in Romans 2:28, Romans 2:29; Romans 4:12; Galatians 3:7. By his faithfulness to God he had well earned the reward which he now sought.
Concerning me and thee. And yet Knobel asserts that, according to Galatians 3:8 and Galatians 3:12, Joshua was not one of the spies! He accordingly sees the hand of the "Jehovist" here. So accurate is the criticism which pretends to be able to disintegrate the narratives in the Hebrew Scriptures, and to assign each part to its separate author (see Numbers 14:24).
As well might we conclude that this verse in Numbers 14:1-45. is by a different hand to Numbers 14:30 and Numbers 14:38 in the same chapter, in spite of the obvious coherence of the whole narrative.