Jephunneh

Jephunneh (meaning he that beholds) was the father of Caleb the spy from the tribe of Judah (Numbers 13:6; Joshua 14:14). He is called a Kenizzite in some passages (Numbers 32:12; Joshua 14:6, 14), suggesting either a Kenizzite ancestry absorbed into Judah or an alternative tribal identification. The name identifies him primarily in relation to his more famous son.

Caleb son of Jephunneh was one of the two spies (with Joshua) who brought back a faithful report from Canaan and urged Israel to trust God and enter the land, in contrast to the ten spies who incited the people's fear. For this faith, God promised that Caleb alone among that generation would enter and inherit the land. At eighty-five he still claimed his portion — the hill country of Hebron — driving out the Anakim and taking possession of what Moses had promised him (Joshua 14:14).