Joshua 14:12

“Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day, etc.] The mountainous part of the country, the hill country of Judea, in which Hebron, Debir, and other cities were; for it was not one particular city only that Caleb requested, but a large tract of ground; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims [were] there, and [that] the cities [were] great and fenced; that the giants, called Anakims, dwelt in the mountainous country, and their cities, Hebron, Debir, and Anab, were very large, and well fortified; this Joshua heard at the time the spies were sent into the land, he being one of them; and this he heard, not from the report of the spies, but from the people of…”

“give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day--this highland region. for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there--The report of the spies, who tried to kindle the flame of sedition and discontent, related chiefly to the people and condition of this mountain district, and hence it was promised as the reward of Caleb's truth, piety, and faithfulness.”

“The Anakims had in the course of Joshua’s campaigns in the south been expelled from “this mountain,” i. e. the mountain country round Hebron, but they had only withdrawn to the neighboring cities of Philistia Joshua 11:22. Thence, they had, as must be inferred from the text here, returned and reoccupied Hebron, probably when Joshua and the main force of the Israelites had marched northward to deal with Jabin and his confederates. Caleb finally drove out this formidable race and occupied Hebron and its dependent towns and district permanently. See Joshua 15:13 following. return to 'Top of Page'”

“This mountain - That is, this mountainous country. He names the country rather than the cities, because the cities were given to the Levites, Jos 21:11, Jos 21:13. Thou heardest - Didst understand, both by the reports of others, and by thy own observation. Hearing, the sense by which we get knowledge, is often put for knowing or understanding. If the Lord will be with me - A modest and pious expression, signifying both the absolute necessity of God's help, and his godly fear, lest God for his sins should deny his assistance to him; for although he was well assured in general, that God would crown his people with success in this war, yet he might doubt of his particular success in this or…”

“14:12 Israel had stayed out of Canaan forty-five years earlier because they feared the descendants of Anak, a tall, strong people who lived in the hill country of Judah (Num 13:32-33).”

“the Anakims: Jos 11:21, Jos 11:22; Num 13:28, Num 13:33 if so be: Num 14:8, Num 14:9, Num 21:34; Sa1 14:6; Ch2 14:11; Psa 18:32-34, Psa 27:1-3, Psa 44:3; Psa 60:12, Psa 118:10-12; Rom 8:31; Phi 4:13; Heb 11:33 I shall: Jos 15:14; Jdg 1:20 Joshua 14:13”

“"The mountain," according to the context, is the mountainous region of Hebron, where the spies had seen the Anakites ( Num 13:22, Num 13:28). The two clauses, in Jos 14:12, beginning with כּי are not to be construed as subordinate to one another, but are co-ordinate clauses, and contain two distinct motives in support of his petition: viz., "for thou heardest in that day," sc., what Jehovah said to me then, and also "for (because) the Anakites are there;" ... "perhaps Jehovah is with me (אתי for אתּי, see Ges. 103, 1, anm. 1, and Ewald, 264, b.), and I root them out" (vid., Jos 15:14). The word "perhaps" does not express a doubt, but a hope or desire, or else, as Masius says, "hope mixed…”