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Numbers Chapter Thirteen

 

Numbers 13 Outlines

Spies Sent into Canaan (v.1~33)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 13

In this chapter an order is given by the Lord to send twelve men into the land of Canaan to search and spy it and which was accordingly executed Numbers 13:1; and the names of the twelve persons are given Numbers 13:4; the instructions they received from Moses what part of the land they should enter into first and what observations they should make on it Numbers 13:17; which they attended to and on their return brought some of the fruit of the land with them Numbers 13:21; and gave an account of it that it was a very fruitful land but the inhabitants mighty and their cities walled Numbers 13:27; which threw the people into confusion but that they were stilled by Caleb one of the spies who encouraged them Numbers 13:30; but all the rest excepting Joshua brought an ill report of it as not to be subdued and conquered by them Numbers 13:31.

 

Numbers 13:1   And the Lord spoke to Moses saying

   YLT  1And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses saying

And the Lord Spake unto Moses .... When in the wilderness of Paran either at Rithmah or Kadesh; this was on the twenty ninth day of the month Sivan on which day the Jews sayF15Ib. ut supra (Seder Olam Rabba c. 8. p. 24. & Meyer. Annotat. in ib. p. 338.) Pesikta Chaskuni. the spies were sent to search the land which was a scheme of the Israelites' own devising and which they first proposed to Moses who approved of it as prudential and political at least he gave his assent unto it to please the people and carried the affair to the Lord and consulted him about it; who rather permitting than approving gave the following order; for the motion carried in it a good deal of unbelief calling in question whether the land was so good as had been represented unto them fearing it was not accessible and that it would be difficult to get into it and were desirous of knowing the best way of getting into it before they proceeded any further; all which were unnecessary if they would have fully trusted in the Lord in his word promise power providence and guidance; who had told them it was a land flowing with milk and honey; that he would show them the way to it by going before them in a pillar of cloud and fire; that he would assuredly bring them into it having espied it for them and promised it unto them; so that there was no need on any account for them to send spies before them; however to gratify them in this point he assented to it:

saying; as follows.

 

Numbers 13:2   2 “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man every one a leader among them.”

   YLT  2`Send for thee men and they spy the land of Canaan which I am giving to the sons of Israel; one man one man for the tribe of his fathers ye do send every one a prince among them.'

Send thou men .... Which is rather a permission than a command; so Jarchi interprets it "send men according to thy mind I do not command thee but if thou pleasest send;'this he observed was agreeable to Moses and to the Israelites and therefore granted it or allowed them to take their own way and which issued badly as it always does when men are left to their own counsel:

that they may search the land of Canaan which I give unto the children of Israel; called the land of Canaan though it consisted of seven nations from the principal of them; this God had given in promise to the children of Israel and had now brought them to the borders of it; nay had given them orders to go up and possess it; but they were for searching it first to know what sort of a land it was and which was the best way of entering into it which is here permitted them see Deuteronomy 1:21

of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man; excepting the tribe of Levi; the reason of which was because they were to have no inheritance in the land Deuteronomy 10:9; but then to make up the number twelve the two sons of Joseph Ephraim and Manasseh are reckoned as two tribes:

everyone a ruler among them; a prince in his tribe; so were men of honour and credit of power and authority of prudence and probity and who might be trusted with such an affair and their report believed: they were not indeed princes of the highest rank not the same that assisted in taking the numbers of the people who were captains over their several tribes as in Numbers 1:4 &c. but were inferior princes and rulers perhaps rulers of thousands.

 

Numbers 13:3   3 So Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran according to the command of the Lord all of them men who were heads of the children of Israel.

   YLT  3And Moses sendeth them from the wilderness of Paran by the command of Jehovah; all of them [are] men heads of the sons of Israel they are

And Moses by the commandment of the Lord .... By his power permission and leave as Jarchi that there might be no delay through his means:

sent them from the wilderness of Paran; from Rithmah or Kadeshbarnea which seem to be one and the same place in that wilderness: this as before observed was on the twenty ninth day of Sivan: See Gill on Numbers 13:1

all those were heads of the children of Israel; were not mean and vulgar men but persons of rule who bore some office of magistracy ant government among the people in their respective tribes.

 

Numbers 13:4   4 Now these were their names: from the tribe of Reuben Shammua the son of Zaccur;

   YLT  4and these their names: For the tribe of Reuben Shammua son of Zaccur.

And these were their names of the tribe of Reuben Shammua the son of Zaccur. From Numbers 13:4 there is nothing but the names of the said persons whose sons they were and of what tribe; and the several tribes are mentioned not according to the order of the birth of the patriarchs nor according to the dignity of their mothers that bore them but very likely according to the order in which they were sent two by two to search the land; for had they gone all twelve in a body they would have been liable to suspicion: the signification of their names is of no importance to know and will give us no light into their characters or the reason of their choice nor are their parents elsewhere taken notice of nor any of them but Joshua and Caleb of whom we shall hear more hereafter.

 

Numbers 13:5   5 from the tribe of Simeon Shaphat the son of Hori;

   YLT  5For the tribe of Simeon Shaphat son of Hori.

Of the tribe of Simeon Shaphat the son of Hori. See Gill on Numbers 13:4.

 

Numbers 13:6   6 from the tribe of Judah Caleb the son of Jephunneh;

   YLT  6For the tribe of Judah Caleb son of Jephunneh.

Of the tribe of Judah Caleb the son of Jephunneh. See Gill on Numbers 13:4.

 

Numbers 13:7   7 from the tribe of Issachar Igal the son of Joseph;

   YLT  7For the tribe of Issachar Igal son of Joseph.

Of the tribe of Issachar Igal the son of Joseph. See Gill on Numbers 13:4.

 

Numbers 13:8   8 from the tribe of Ephraim Hoshea[a] the son of Nun;

   YLT  8For the tribe of Ephraim Oshea son of Nun.

Of the tribe of Ephraim Oshea the son of Nun. See Gill on Numbers 13:4.

 

Numbers 13:9   9 from the tribe of Benjamin Palti the son of Raphu;

   YLT  9For the tribe of Benjamin Palti son of Raphu.

Of the tribe of Benjamin Palti the son of Raphu. See Gill on Numbers 13:4.

 

Numbers 13:10   10 from the tribe of Zebulun Gaddiel the son of Sodi;

   YLT  10For the tribe of Zebulun Gaddiel son of Sodi.

Of the tribe of Zebulun Gaddiel the son of Sodi. See Gill on Numbers 13:4.

 

Numbers 13:11   11 from the tribe of Joseph that is from the tribe of Manasseh Gaddi the son of Susi;

   YLT  11For the tribe of Joseph (for the tribe of Manasseh ) Gaddi son of Susi.

Of the tribe of Joseph namely of the tribe of Manasseh

Gaddi the son of Susi. See Gill on Numbers 13:4.

 

Numbers 13:12   12 from the tribe of Dan Ammiel the son of Gemalli;

   YLT  12For the tribe of Dan Ammiel son of Gemalli.

Of the tribe of Dan Ammiel the son of Gemalli. See Gill on Numbers 13:4.

 

Numbers 13:13   13 from the tribe of Asher Sethur the son of Michael;

   YLT  13For the tribe of Asher Sethur son of Michael.

Of the tribe of Asher Sethur the son of Michael. See Gill on Numbers 13:4.

 

Numbers 13:14   14 from the tribe of Naphtali Nahbi the son of Vophsi;

   YLT  14For the tribe of Naphtali Nahbi son of Vopshi.

Of the tribe of Naphtali Nahbi the son of Vophsi. See Gill on Numbers 13:4.

 

Numbers 13:15   15 from the tribe of Gad Geuel the son of Machi.

   YLT  15For the tribe of Gad Geuel son of Machi.

Of the tribe of Gad Geuel the son of Machi. See Gill on Numbers 13:4.

 

Numbers 13:16   16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea[b] the son of Nun Joshua.

   YLT  16These [are] the names of the men whom Moses hath sent to spy the land; and Moses calleth Hoshea son of Nun Jehoshua.

These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land .... Which is observed after the catalogue is given of them Numbers 13:4; and this is repeated that their names may be taken notice of which stand on record to the disgrace of the greater number of them and to the honour of two only Joshua and Caleb; and on the former the following remark is made:

and Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua; whether it was at this time that Moses gave him this name is not certain; if it was then he is called so before by anticipation for he is several times called so before this and even the first time we hear of him Exodus 17:9; wherefore Chaskuni reads it Moses had called; but Jarchi thinks it was now given him and that Moses prayed for him יה יושיעך "Jah" or "Jehovah" save thee from the counsel of the spies: the name is the same with Jesus as appears from Hebrews 4:8; and a type he was of Christ the Saviour whose name is so called because he saves his people from their sins Matthew 1:21; and brings them to heaven as Joshua was the instrument of saving the Israelites and bringing them into the land of Canaan.

 

Numbers 13:17   17 Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said to them “Go up this way into the South and go up to the mountains

   YLT  17And Moses sendeth them to spy the land of Canaan and saith unto them `Go ye up this [way] into the south and ye have gone up the mountain

And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan .... He sent them from Kadeshbarnea as Caleb affirms Joshua 14:7

and said unto them go ye up this way southward; pointing as it were with his finger which way they should go even up such a hill southward; and which as Aben Ezra observes was not the south of the camp but the south of the land of Canaan; and who further observes that it is well known that Egypt from whence the Israelites now came was to the south of the land of Israel of which this is a demonstration; the latitude of Egypt is less than thirty degrees and the latitude of Jerusalem is thirty three and the wilderness of Paran was in the south of the land of Egypt: it should be rendered by "the south" as in Numbers 13:22; or from the "south"F16בנגב "per meridianam plagam" V. L. "hac meridiana plaga" Junius & Tremellius Piscator. since the Israelites must go northward as a learned manF17Bishop Clayton's Chronology of the Hebrew Bible p. 392. observes to enter into the land of Canaan: now this south part of Canaan afterwards belonged to the tribe of Judah and lying southward and mountainous was dry and barren Joshua 15:1; and was as Jarchi says the dregs of the land of Israel; and here as he observes the same method was taken as merchants do who when they show their goods show the worst first and then the best:

and go up into the mountain; which was inhabited by the Amorites Deuteronomy 1:44; and was afterwards called the mountainous or hill country of Judea Luke 1:39.

 

Numbers 13:18   18 and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak few or many;

   YLT  18and have seen the land what it [is] and the people which is dwelling on it whether it [is] strong or feeble; whether it [is] few or many;

And see the land what it is and the people that dwelleth therein .... The situation and condition of the country and the nature temper disposition and constitution of the inhabitants by which it might be judged whether it was a desirable thing to possess it and whether it was practicable to subdue and take it:

whether they be strong or weak few or many; whether able-bodied men fit for war and of spirit strength and courage or feeble and pusillanimous weak and timorous; and whether their number was small or great by which they would be capable of judging whether they were in a state and condition to defend themselves or not and whether a conquest of them was easy or not; the last of the two things in the preceding clause is first particularly explained and enlarged upon as is usual in the Hebrew language.

 

Numbers 13:19   19 whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds;

   YLT  19and what the land [is] in which it is dwelling whether it [is] good or bad; and what [are] the cities in which it is dwelling whether in camps or in fortresses;

And what the land is that they dwell in whether it be good or bad .... Whether the air is good the climate temperate and the earth well watered and has good convenience of springs fountains and rivers and so wholesome or healthful; or otherwise which is the first thing they were directed to observe though here put in the second place:

and what cities they be they dwell in whether in tents or strong holds; whether in tents as the Israelites now lived and as the Kedarenes as Aben Ezra notes and other Arabians who encamped in tents or who dwelt in villages and unwalled towns unfortified cities according to the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; or whether in fortified cities towns and garrisons; by which it would appear whether it would be easy to come at them and fall upon them or difficult to subdue and conquer them; for if their cities were fortified it would not be so easy to take them and would require time. Jarchi thinks that by this it might be known whether they were men of strength and courage or whether weak and fearful persons; seeing if they dwelt in villages they were strong men and depended on their own strength but if they dwelt in fortified cities they were weak.

 

Numbers 13:20   20 whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.

   YLT  20And what the land [is] whether it [is] fat or lean; whether there is wood in it or not; and ye have strengthened yourselves and have taken of the fruit of the land;' and the days [are] days of the first-fruits of grapes.

And what the land is whether it be fat or lean .... That is what the soil of it is whether it be rich and fertile or whether it be poor and barren which would be seen by the fruits it produced this being now the fruitful season of the year; and so the Targum of Jonathan "and what is the praise of the land whether its fruits are fat or lean;'plump and full rich and juicy or otherwise as their grapes olives &c. whether it was a land flowing with milk and honey Exodus 33:3 abounding with all good things and those of the best sort or not:

whether there be wood thereon or not; timber for building and other manual operations or wood for fuel which are great conveniences in a country; though the Targum of Jonathan interprets it of fruit-bearing trees which bear fruits fit for eating or not as apples pears figs pomegranates &c.

and be ye of good courage; and not be afraid of being taken up for spies suggesting that the power and providence of God would protect and preserve them in which they should put their trust and be of good heart:

and bring of the fruit of the land; as a sample and specimen of what it brought forth which would serve to encourage and animate the people in general to go up and possess it:

now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes; when they and the other summer fruits were coming to their perfection; and which was a proper season to see them in and bring a sample of them; though Chaskuni suggests that it was a more dangerous time to bring off fruit because the keepers of the vineyards were then there; and hence they needed strengthening and are bid to be of good courage; the Targum of Jonathan is "the day on which they went was the twenty ninth of the month Sivan the time of the first ripe grapes;'and as this month answers to part of our May and part of June and it being at the latter end of that month it must be about the middle of June; by which we may observe the forwardness of grapes in the land of Canaan the time of vintage now drawing nigh.

 

Numbers 13:21   21 So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob near the entrance of Hamath.

   YLT  21And they go up and spy the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob at the going in to Hamath;

So they went up and searched the land .... Went up the mountains as they were directed and passed through the whole land; diligently inquired into everything material belonging to it according to their instructions and made their observations on it and on the inhabitants and their habitations:

from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob as men come to Hamath; this wilderness from whence they went seems to be the same with the wilderness of Paran called Zin; perhaps from the multitude of thorns in it; but different from the wilderness of Sin Exodus 16:1 which was nearer Egypt; but this was on the south quarter of the land of Canaan along by the coast of Edom Numbers 34:3; Rehob they are said to come to first from thence was in the tribe of Asher in later times Joshua 19:28; and lay to the north or northwest of the land of Canaan. Jerom saysF18De loc. Heb. fol. 94. A. that in his times there was a village called Rooba four miles from Scythopolis. Hamath was the northern boundary of the land of Israel and was in the tribe of Naphtali when it came into the hands of the Israelites and lay to the northeast as the former place to the northwest Numbers 34:7; so that their direction as they went was south and north and west and east: their journey is described by Jarchi thus; they went on the borders of it length and breadth in the form of the capital of the letter γ "gamma"; they went on the south border from the east corner to the west corner as Moses commanded them: "get you up this way southward" Numbers 13:17; the way of the southeast border unto the sea which is the western border; and from thence they returned and went on all the western border by the sea shore until they came to Hamath which is by Mount Hor at the northwest corner; but Hamath was on the northeast; nor did they go thither it was too far off for them but they went as far as Rehob which was "as men go to Hamath" as it should be rendered that is it lay in the way to Hamath.

 

Numbers 13:22   22 And they went up through the South and came to Hebron; Ahiman Sheshai and Talmai the descendants of Anak were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

   YLT  22and they go up by the south and come in unto Hebron and there [are] Ahiman Sheshai and Talmai children of Anak (and Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt)

And they ascended by the south .... When they returned after they had searched the land then they came into the south country again which was in their way to Kadesh where the camp of Israel remained; they are said to ascend because of the hill country they again came to; for their coming to Hebron and carrying a cluster of grapes from that place not far from thence was upon their return:

and came unto Hebron; which was in the hill country of Judea in the tribe of Judah afterwards which before was called Kirjatharba; in the original text it is "he came"F19ויבא "et venit" Montanus Tigurine version Drusius so Onkelos; "et venit Caleb" Junius & Tremellius. Caleb and he only according to Jarchi and the Rabbins in Abendana; and certain it is that he was there and he had this place on which his feet trod given him for an inheritance Joshua 14:9; and it is very probable that the spies did not go together but perhaps singly and at most but two together which seems to be the case here by what follows:

where Ahiman Sheshai and Talmai the children of Anak were; where Anak and these his three sons dwelt who were giants; and perhaps from thence Hebron before this was called Kirjatharbah "the city of the four"; or from Arba the father of Anak:

now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt; or Tanais as the Targum of Jonathan whence one of the nomes of Egypt was called the Tanitic nome: it was the metropolis of that country and may be observed to abate the pride and vanity of that kingdom which boasted of its antiquity. Josephus saysF20De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 9. sect. 7. that the inhabitants of Hebron not only reckoned it more ancient than any of the cities of the land but than Memphis in Egypt accounting it (then in his time) 2300 years old; but who it was built by is not certain; Jarchi thinks it is possible that Ham built Hebron for Canaan his younger son before he built Zoan for Mizraim his eldest son; which does not seem likely.

 

Numbers 13:23   23 Then they came to the Valley of Eshcol and there cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes; they carried it between two of them on a pole. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs.

   YLT  23and they come in unto the brook of Eshcol and cut down thence a branch and one cluster of grapes and they bear it on a staff by two also [some] of the pomegranates and of the figs.

And they came unto the brook of Eshcol .... Or "valley of Eshcol"F21נחל "vallem" Pagninus Junius & Tremellius Piscator Drusius. which is here so called by anticipation from the following circumstance; and perhaps had not this name given it until the children of Israel were possessed of the land and then they called it so in memory of what was done here at this time; it was not far from Hebron as may be concluded from thence; and so Jerom relating the travels of Paula in those parts saysF23Epitaph. Paulae fol. 59. G. H. she came from Betzur to Eshcol where having seen the little cells of Sarah the cradle of Isaac and the traces of the oak of Abraham under which he saw the day of Christ and was glad rising up from thence she went up to Hebron; which shows this Eshcol to be near Hebron and to lie low and was a valley; see Deuteronomy 1:24

and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes; in this valley was a vineyard or at least a vine tree on which they observed one cluster which perhaps was of an uncommon size as it seems by what follows and they cut down the branch and that with it:

and they bare it between two upon a staff; it was so big; and which was not done only for the ease of carrying it but that it might not have any of its grapes squeezed bruised and broken off but that they might carry it entire and whole for the Israelites to behold: these two men were probably Caleb and Joshua; though Jarchi says they carried nothing which is more than he could say with certainty. Some historians report very surprising things of the size of vines and the largeness of their clusters which when observed this account will not at all seem incredible. Strabo saysF24Geograph. l. 2. p. 50. it is reported that in Hyrcania a vine produced a firkin of wine and the trunk of a vine was so large that it was as much as two men could grasp with both arms and bore clusters of two cubits longF25Ibid. ; the same he saysF26lbid. l. 17. p. 568. of the size of vines in Mauritania and of their clusters being a cubit long; and of others in Carmania being two cubits long as beforeF1Ibid. l. 15. p. 500. : it is reported of the Indian fig tree that it sometimes has an hundred figs more or less on a branch and all in a cluster like grapes; and some of the clusters are sometimes so large as to be carried by two men on a staffF2Salmuth. in Pancirol. rer. memorab. par. 2. p. 55. as here; and some have thought that it is the fruit here meant; but this is expressly called a cluster of grapes. About half a mile from Eshcol as AdrichomiusF3Theatrum Terrae Sacr. p. 24. says was the brook or valley of Sorek which was famous for vines; and it is affirmed by many writers and travellers that to this day there are vines in that place which produce clusters of twenty five pounds weight and more; and that in Lebanon and other parts of Syria the kernels of grapes are as big as a man's thumbF4Huet. Alnetan. Quaest. l. 2. c. 12. sect. 22. . Leo Africanus speaksF5Descript. Africae l. 2. p. 204. of grapes in some parts of Africa somewhat red which from their size are called hens' eggs: and the TalmudistsF6T. Bab. Cetubot fol. 111. 2. are extravagant and beyond all belief in the account they give of the vines in the land of Canaan and of the clusters of them and the quantity of wine they had from them; and of this cluster they supposeF7T. Bab. Sotah fol. 34. 1. that the "two" spoken of are not to be understood of men but of bars or staves; and that this cluster was carried by eight four at the four ends of the two staves and that there were besides two staves or bars that went across at the ends of which were four more men who carried the cluster hanging in the middle; a figure of which WagenseilF8Sotah p. 707 708. has given us: but Philo the JewF9De Vita Mosis l. 1. p. 638. has given a better account of it and more agreeable to the Scripture as that it was put upon a staff and hung at the middle of it the ends of which were laid on the shoulders of two young men who carried it; though he adds that such was the weight of it that these were relieved by others in succession:

and they brought of the pomegranates and of the figs; that is others of them did; which seems to favour the notion that they were in a body and that there were more than two together at this place; but even these two might be able to bring some of this sort of fruit along with them as well as bear the cluster of grapes; besides the text does not oblige us to understand it of the same persons in the same place.

 

Numbers 13:24   24 The place was called the Valley of Eshcol [c] because of the cluster which the men of Israel cut down there.

   YLT  24That place hath [one] called Brook of Eshcol because of the cluster which the sons of Israel cut from thence.

The place was called the brook of Eshcol .... That is in later times:

because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence; the word "Eschol" signifying a "cluster"; and this cluster was typical of Christ who may be compared to this as he is to a cluster of camphire Song of Solomon 1:14; there being in him a "cluster" of all perfections of all the perfections of deity the whole fulness of the Godhead dwelling bodily in him; and of all human perfections he being in all things like unto his people excepting sin; and there being also a cluster of all the graces and gifts of the Spirit without measure in him as man; and of all the blessings of grace for his people as Mediator; and of all the exceeding great and precious promises of the covenant of grace. The "staff" on which this was carried may denote the ministration of the Gospel which may seem mean and despicable in itself but is the means of carrying the name of Christ and the things of Christ about in the world; see Acts 9:15; and the "two" men which bore it may signify the prophets of the Old Testament and the ministers of the New who both agree and join together in setting forth the person offices and grace of Christ. Moreover this cluster may be an emblem of the Spirit of God and his grace and of the rich experience the people of God have of it in this present lift while travellers in the wilderness as a taste and earnest of the future glory and happiness in the heavenly Canaan.

 

Numbers 13:25   25 And they returned from spying out the land after forty days.

   YLT  25And they turn back from spying the land at the end of forty days.

And they returned from searching the land after forty days. The Targum of Jonathan adds on the eighth day of the month Ab which answers to part of July and part of August; so that this must be towards the latter end of July: some Jewish writersF11Seder Olam Rabba c. 8. p. 24. say it was the ninth of Ab; hence the tradition that it was decreed on the ninth of Ab concerning their fathers that they should not enter into the landF12Misn. Taanith c. 4. sect. 7. .

 

Numbers 13:26   26 Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land.

   YLT  26And they go and come in unto Moses and unto Aaron and unto all the company of the sons of Israel unto the wilderness of Paran to Kadesh; and they bring them and all the company back word and shew them the fruit of the land.

And they went and came to Moses and to Aaron .... They proceeded on their journey from Eshcol till they came to the camp of Israel; and as soon as they came there went directly to Moses and to Aaron before they went into their own tents as Aben Ezra observes:

and to all the congregation of Israel unto the wilderness of Paran

to Kadesh; that is Kadeshbarnea as appears from Joshua 14:7; called for brevity's sake Kadesh; but is by some thought to be different from the Kadesh in Numbers 20:1; to which the Israelites came not until thirty eight years after this time: this Kadesh was in the wilderness of Paran and the same with Rithmah or was near it where the Israelites were now encamped and had remained all the time the spies were gone: the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan call this place Rekem as they do in Genesis 16:14

and brought back word unto them and to all the congregation: to Moses and Aaron and the principal heads of the body of the people assembled together: to these they related an account of their tour through the land of Canaan what they had met with and what observations they had made agreeably to the instructions that had been given them when they set out:

and showed them the fruit of the land; which they had brought with them the bunch of grapes pomegranates and figs.

 

Numbers 13:27   27 Then they told him and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey and this is its fruit.

   YLT  27And they recount to him and say `We came in unto the land whither thou hast sent us and also it [is] flowing with milk and honey -- and this [is] its fruit;

And they told him .... Moses who was the chief ruler whom they addressed and to whom they directed their speech:

and said we came unto the land whither thou sentest us; the land of Canaan which they were sent by Moses to spy; this was said by ten of them or by one of them as their mouth; for Caleb and Joshua did not join with them in the following account as appears from Numbers 13:30

and surely it floweth with milk and honey; they own that the land answered to the description which the Lord had given of it when it was promised them by him Exodus 3:8

and this is the fruit of it; pointing to the bunch of grapes the pomegranates and figs; not that these were a proof of its flowing with milk and honey at least in a literal sense but of the goodness and fruitfulness of the land: though the luxury of Bacchus the god of wine is by the poetF13"Vinique fontem" &c. Horat. Carmin. l. 2. Ode 19. described not only by a fountain of wine but by rivers of milk and flows of honey.

 

Numbers 13:28   28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there.

   YLT  28only surely the people which is dwelling in the land [is] strong; and the cities are fenced very great; and also children of Anak we have seen there.

Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land .... Though so plentiful and fruitful and desirable to enjoy yet this objection lay against all hopes and even attempts to possess it as they thought; the strength of the people its present inhabitants both in body and mind being persons of a large and some of a prodigious stature and to all appearance men of valour and courage:

and the cities are walled and very great; and so inaccessible and able to hold out a long siege and repel what force may be brought against them; so that to attack them would be to little purpose:

and moreover we saw the children of Anak there: whom they had heard of before and so had the congregation of Israel and many terrible and frightful stories were told of them and these they now saw with their eyes and very formidable they appeared to them; this seems to prove that others beside Caleb and Joshua were at Hebron where the sons of Anak lived Numbers 13:22; and so they might and yet not be together with them.

 

Numbers 13:29   29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites the Jebusites and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.”

   YLT  29Amalek is dwelling in the land of the south and the Hittite and the Jebusite and the Amorite is dwelling in the hill country and the Canaanite is dwelling by the sea and by the side of the Jordan.'

The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south .... On the southern side of the land of Canaan: not in it for they were not Canaanites but neighbours to them and lay nearest to the camp of Israel and at the entrance into the land of Canaan; and as they were enemies of Israel as appears from an attack upon them quickly after they came from the Red sea in Rephidim Exodus 17:8; and friends to the Canaanites they would no doubt oppose their passage into their land as they did Numbers 14:43; this is one difficulty in the way of possessing the land hinted at others follow:

and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and guard the passes there; so that should they escape the Amalekites or get the better of them they would not be able to pass the mountains being so well inhabited and defended; the Hittites seem to dwell about Mount Lebanon Joshua 1:4; the Jebusites inhabited the mountains about Jerusalem and that itself which was called by them Jebus and from which they were not dispossessed until the times of David 1 Chronicles 11:4; and the Amorites were possessed of the mountain which was on the borders of the land next to the place where Israel now were Deuteronomy 1:20

and the Canaanites dwell by the sea; these dwelt both on the east and on the west of the land Joshua 11:3; so that the western Canaanites dwelt on the shore of the Mediterranean sea which is often put for the west in Scripture; and the eastern Canaanites dwelt by the Dead sea or by the sea of Tiberias called sometimes the lake of Gennesaret and seems the rather to be meant here by what follows:

and by the coast of Jordan; so that this river was not passable by them; for by all this they would suggest that all avenues and passes were stopped up so that it was a vain thing to attempt entrance into the land or to expect ever to possess it.

 

Numbers 13:30   30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said “Let us go up at once and take possession for we are well able to overcome it.”

   YLT  30And Caleb stilleth the people concerning Moses and saith `Let us certainly go up -- and we have possessed it; for we are thoroughly able for it.'

And Caleb stilled the people before Moses .... In his presence they standing before him; or "unto Moses"F14אל משה "ad Moseh" Montanus; "venientem ad Mosem" Junius & Tremellius Drusius. as they were coming to him with open mouth against him; for upon the above report of the spies they began to murmur and mutiny and to speak against Moses for bringing them out of Egypt into a wilderness feeding them with vain hopes of a country which they were never likely to enjoy; and in their wrath they might be making up to him threatening to pull him to pieces but were restrained by Caleb who signified he had something to say to them to which they attended he being one of the spies and for their principal tribe the tribe of Judah that went foremost; the Targum of Jonathan is "Caleb silenced the people and they attended to Moses;'or hearkened to him to what he said which though not here related is in Deuteronomy 1:29; which yet they did not give credit to though they heard what he had to say:

and said let us go up at once and possess it; without any delay there is nothing more to be done than to enter and take possession; this he said trusting to the promise of God who is faithful and to his power who is able to perform:

for we are well able to overcome it; especially having God on their side who had promised to bring them into it and put them in the possession of it; and indeed humanly speaking they seemed quite sufficient for such an undertaking being upwards of six hundred thousand men fit for war Numbers 1:46 marshalled under their proper standards with captains over each tribe and having such brave wise and courageous commanders and generals Moses and Joshua who had given signal instances of their prudence and bravery already. What is it such an army under proper directions might not undertake? One would think in all human probability they were able to conquer a much greater country than the land of Canaan.

 

Numbers 13:31   31 But the men who had gone up with him said “We are not able to go up against the people for they are stronger than we.”

   YLT  31And the men who have gone up with him said `We are not able to go up against the people for it [is] stronger than we;'

But the men that went up with him .... With Caleb all but Joshua: the other ten

said we be not able to go up against the people; this they had not said before though they plainly suggested it and to make the people believe this had represented the inhabitants of the land of Canaan in the light they did; but now in direct opposition to Caleb fully expressed it giving this reason for it:

for they are stronger than we; being both of a larger size and more numerous.

 

Numbers 13:32   32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out saying “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature.

   YLT  32and they bring out an evil account of the land which they have spied unto the sons of Israel saying `The land into which we passed over to spy it is a land eating up its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in its midst [are] men of stature;

And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel .... Before they gave a good report of the land itself as a very fruitful one answering to their expectations and wishes; but now they change their language and give a different account of it; which shows their want of integrity and to what length an opposition carried them to say things contrary to their real sentiments and to what they themselves had said before:

saying the land through which we have gone to search it is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; the meaning seems to be that it was so barren and unfruitful that it did not produce food sufficient for the inhabitants of it who were ready to starve and many did starve through want and so was the reverse of what they had before said; for which reason GussetiusF15Ebr. Comment. p. 40. thinks the sense is that the land was the food and nourishment of its inhabitants and that there was such plenty in it that it wanted not any foreign assistance in any respect whatever. Some think that it was continually embroiled in civil wars in which they destroyed one another; but then this was no argument against but for their going up against them since through the divisions among themselves they might reasonably hope the better to succeed; or it ate them up with diseases as the Targum of Jonathan adds and so they would represent it though a fruitful land yet a very unhealthful one in which the natives could not live and much less strangers; and so Aben Ezra and Ben Gersom interpret it of the badness of the air of the country as being very unwholesome and pernicious. Jarchi represents them as saying that wherever they came they saw them burying their dead as if there was a plague among them; and be it so that there was which is not unlikely since the Lord promised to send hornets before them which some interpret of diseases sent Exodus 23:28; and which was in their favour since hereby the number of their enemies would be lessened and they would be weakened and in a bad condition to oppose them:

and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature; or men of measuresF16אנשי מדות "viri mensurarum" Montanus Vatablus Drusius. of a large measure above the common measure of men; but it may be justly questioned whether they spoke truth; for though they might see some that exceeded in height men in common yet it is not credible that all they saw were of such a size; since they were not only at Hebron and saw the giants there who were such but they went through the land as in the preceding clause and all they met with cannot be supposed to be of such a measure.

 

Numbers 13:33   33 There we saw the giants[d] (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight and so we were in their sight.”

   YLT  33and there we saw the Nephilim sons of Anak of the Nephilim; and we are in our own eyes as grasshoppers; and so we were in their eyes.'

And there we saw the giants .... Not throughout the land and yet it is so expressed and in such connection with what goes before that it might be so understood and as they might choose it should; that as there were men everywhere of an uncommon size and were generally so there were some larger than they in all places of a prodigious size of a gigantic stature; and yet this was only in Hebron where they saw them:

the sons of Anak; whose names are given Numbers 13:22; and there were but three of them:

which came of the giants; they were of the race of giants; for not only Anak their father but Arba their grandfather was one; Joshua 14:15

and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers; little diminutive creatures in comparison of them; an hyperbolical exaggeration of the greatness of the giants and of their own littleness:

and so we were in their sight; but this they could not be so certain of and could only make conjectures by their neglect or supercilious treatment of them. Jarchi makes them to speak of them more diminutively still as that they heard those giants saying one to another "there are ants in the vineyards like men.'

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

 

New King James Version (NKJV)

Footnotes:

  1. Numbers 13:8 Septuagint and Vulgate read Oshea.
  2. Numbers 13:16 Septuagint and Vulgate read Oshea.
  3. Numbers 13:24 Literally Cluster
  4. Numbers 13:33 Hebrew nephilim