Numbers 13:3

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men [were] heads of the children of Israel.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Moshe dispatched them from the Pa'ran Desert as ADONAI had ordered; all of them were leading men among the people of Isra'el.

Berean Standard Bible:

So at the consent of the LORD, Moses sent them out from the Wilderness of Paran. All the men were leaders of the Israelites,

American Standard Version:

And Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran according to the commandment of Jehovah: all of them men who were heads of the children of Israel.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And Moses{H4872} by the commandment{H6310} of the LORD{H3068} sent{H7971} them from the wilderness{H4057} of Paran{H6290}: all those men{H582} were{H1992} heads{H7218} of the children{H1121} of Israel{H3478}.

Cross-References (KJV):

Numbers 32:8

  • Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.

Numbers 12:16

  • And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.

Deuteronomy 9:23

  • Likewise when the LORD sent you from Kadeshbarnea, saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given you; then ye rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God, and ye believed him not, nor hearkened to his voice.

Deuteronomy 1:19

  • ¶ And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadeshbarnea.

Deuteronomy 1:23

  • And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe:

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Commentary for Numbers 13:3

**Themes:**
- **Faith and Trust in God's Promises:** The context of Numbers 13 is God's command to Moses to send out spies to scout the land of Canaan, which God had promised to the Israelites. This act of sending out leaders to survey the land can be seen as a test of the people's faith in God's ability to fulfill His promises.
- **Leadership and Responsibility:** The selection of the heads of the tribes of Israel for this mission underscores the importance of leadership in the Hebrew community. These leaders were entrusted with the critical task of assessing the land and its inhabitants, which would require wisdom, courage, and discernment.
- **Preparation for the Future:** The spies were sent to gather intelligence on the land's geography, cities, and inhabitants, which was essential for planning the conquest and settlement of Canaan. This reflects the theme of strategic planning and preparation for the future challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.

**Historical Context:**
- **Exodus and Wandering:** The Israelites had recently escaped from slavery in Egypt and were wandering in the Sinai Peninsula. They had received the Law from God through Moses at Mount Sinai and were on their way to the Promised Land.
- **Wilderness of Paran:** This was one of the staging points for the Israelites before they entered the land of Canaan. It is located in the northern Sinai Peninsula or the Negev desert, and it served as the base from which the spies were sent out.
- **The Promised Land:** Canaan was the land promised by God to Abraham and his descendants. The Israelites were on the brink of entering this land, which was flowing with milk and honey, according to God's promise. The report from the spies would play a crucial role in how the Israelites would approach the conquest of the land.

In summary, Numbers 13:3 reflects the themes of faith, leadership, and strategic preparation within the historical context of the Israelites' journey from slavery to the threshold of the Promised Land.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

  1. Strong's Number: H4872
    There are 704 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מֹשֶׁה
    Transliteration: Môsheh
    Pronunciation: mo-sheh'
    Description: from מָשָׁה; drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver; Moses.
  2. Strong's Number: H6310
    There are 460 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: פֶּה
    Transliteration: peh
    Pronunciation: peh
    Description: from פָּאָה; the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) according to; accord(-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment, assent, collar, command(-ment), [idiom] eat, edge, end, entry, [phrase] file, hole, [idiom] in, mind, mouth, part, portion, [idiom] (should) say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, [idiom] spoken, talk, tenor, [idiom] to, [phrase] two-edged, wish, word.
  3. Strong's Number: H3068
    There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יְהֹוָה
    Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
    Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
    Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.
  4. Strong's Number: H7971
    There are 790 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: שָׁלַח
    Transliteration: shâlach
    Pronunciation: shaw-lakh'
    Description: a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, [idiom] earnestly, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread, stretch forth (out).
  5. Strong's Number: H4057
    There are 257 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מִדְבָּר
    Transliteration: midbâr
    Pronunciation: mid-bawr'
    Description: from דָבַר in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs); desert, south, speech, wilderness.
  6. Strong's Number: H6290
    There are 10 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: פָּארָן
    Transliteration: Pâʼrân
    Pronunciation: paw-rawn'
    Description: from פָּאַר; ornamental; Paran, a desert of Arabia; Paran.
  7. Strong's Number: H582
    There are 648 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אֱנוֹשׁ
    Transliteration: ʼĕnôwsh
    Pronunciation: en-oshe'
    Description: from אָנַשׁ; properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the more dignified אָדָם); hence,; a man in general (singly or collectively); another, [idiom] (blood-) thirsty, certain, chap(-man); divers, fellow, [idiom] in the flower of their age, husband, (certain, mortal) man, people, person, servant, some ([idiom] of them), [phrase] stranger, those, [phrase] their trade. It is often unexpressed in the English versions, especially when used in apposition with another word. Compare אִישׁ.
  8. Strong's Number: H1992
    There are 44 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: הֵם
    Transliteration: hêm
    Pronunciation: haym
    Description: or (prolonged) הֵמָּה; masculine plural from הֲלַךְ; they (only used when emphatic); it, like, [idiom] (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, [idiom] so, [idiom] such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.
  9. Strong's Number: H7218
    There are 548 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: רֹאשׁ
    Transliteration: rôʼsh
    Pronunciation: roshe
    Description: from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.); band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.
  10. Strong's Number: H1121
    There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: בֵּן
    Transliteration: bên
    Pronunciation: bane
    Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
  11. Strong's Number: H3478
    There are 2229 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יִשְׂרָאֵל
    Transliteration: Yisrâʼêl
    Pronunciation: yis-raw-ale'
    Description: from שָׂרָה and אֵל; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity; Israel.