Most fruitful [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martyr Vermil Florentine, professor of divinity,…Most fruitfull [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martir Vermil Florentine, professor of deuinitie,…

Here is wont to be demanded, how these cities Hebron and Debir should be written in the book of Joshua to have ben taken of Joshua, when as it is here put that Caleb conquered them,¹ whereunto I answer that all that war was governed by the conduct of Joshua, who was the chief and principal governor of the whole host, but the principal setting forward against Hebron and other places adjoining thereunto was committed unto Caleb the chief of the tribe of Judah, and that not without a cause. For he, as it is written in the xiiii. chap. of Joshua, desired to have that part assigned peculiarly unto him for his inheritance: which requests he easily obtained. For he required the same, trusting to God his promises:² for when he was sent with other spies to view the land of Canaan, he faithfully made relation of the things as they were in deed, & not unfaithfully as his fellows did. Neither was he an author of the peoples sedition as the other were, yea he rather encouraged the peoples minds, and diminished those things which his fellows had amplified concerning the fence of the cities, of the giants also, and of the strength of the Canaanites. For he regarded not mans strength, but with a singular faith, most constantly remembered the power, the goodness & promises of god. Wherefore god being angry with the rest, destroyed them in the wilderness, so that they came not to the promised land. But he promised Caleb for his faithfulness this inheritance, which when he afterward demanded, he put Joshua in remembrance of the thing before done, and of the promises of God.³ And the place where the promise is contained is in the 14. chap. of Num. there God promised him that land whereon his foot should tread, which words the Jews think thus to be expounded. The rest of the spies being amazed for fear of the giants, and putting small confidence in god durst not enter into the city of Hebron, which Caleb him self searched with a valiant courage. The promise therefore of this possession was made unto him in the second year after the delivery out of Egypt. Caleb surely declared a valiant & noble hart, when as he did not only require the possession of these places, but he enterprised also to conquer them for all that they were fenced & inhabited with most strong giants.

Here is wont to be demaunded, how these cities Hebron and Debir should be written in the booke of Iosua to haue ben taken of Iosua, when as it is here put that Chaleb conquered them,