Numbers13

The LORD commanded Moses to send twelve leaders, one from each tribe, to spy out the land of Canaan. After forty days, they returned with fruit, confirming the land's fertility, but ten of the spies reported that the inhabitants were strong giants and the cities were greatly fortified. Caleb, however, urged the people to go up and possess the land, believing they were well able to overcome it.
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The Command to Send Spies

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And the LORD said to Moses,
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“Send out for yourself men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each of their fathers’ tribes send one man who is a leader among them.” ​
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So at the consent of the LORD, Moses sent them out from the Wilderness of Paran. All the men were leaders of the Israelites, ​
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and these were their names: From the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur;
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from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori;
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from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; ​
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from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph;
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from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun;
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from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu;
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from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi;
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from the tribe of Manasseh (a tribe of Joseph), Gaddi son of Susi;
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from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli;
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from the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael;
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from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi;
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and from the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Machi.
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These were the names of the men Moses sent to spy out the land; and Moses gave to Hoshea son of Nun the name Joshua. ​

Instructions for the Mission

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When Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, he told them, “Go up through the Negev and into the hill country.
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See what the land is like and whether its people are strong or weak, few or many.
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Is the land where they live good or bad? Are the cities where they dwell open camps or fortifications?
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Is the soil fertile or unproductive? Are there trees in it or not? Be courageous, and bring back some of the fruit of the land.” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.) ​
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So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, toward Lebo-hamath. ​
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They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, dwelled. It had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt. ​
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When they came to the Valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes, which they carried on a pole between two men. They also took some pomegranates and figs.
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Because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut there, that place was called the Valley of Eshcol.
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After forty days the men returned from spying out the land,

The Spies Return to Kadesh

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and they went back to Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They brought back a report for the whole congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. ​
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And they gave this account to Moses: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and indeed, it is flowing with milk and honey. Here is some of its fruit! ​
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Nevertheless, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of Anak there. ​
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The Amalekites live in the land of the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the Jordan.”

The Conflicting Reports

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Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We must go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly conquer it!” ​
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But the men who had gone up with him replied, “We cannot go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are!”
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So they gave the Israelites a bad report about the land that they had spied out: “The land we explored devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw there are great in stature. ​
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We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak that come from the Nephilim! We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them!” ​

Study Notes for Numbers 13

Verse 2

While presented here as a divine command, Deuteronomy 1:22 indicates the people themselves requested this reconnaissance mission. God permitted the mission, but it was not strictly necessary for possession, as the land was already promised.

Verse 3

The wilderness of Paran served as the primary staging area for Israel following their departure from Mount Sinai. Sending these 'heads' (rulers) emphasized the importance and official nature of the mission.

Verse 6

Caleb, representing the powerful tribe of Judah, is one of only two spies (along with Joshua) who maintained faith and survived the forty years of wandering to enter the Promised Land (Num 14:24).

Verse 16

Moses changes Oshea (meaning 'salvation') to Jehoshua or Joshua (meaning 'The LORD is salvation'). This renaming emphasizes that Israel’s success in conquest depends entirely on divine intervention, not merely human effort or military strategy.

Verse 20

The instruction to bring back fruit served as tangible proof of the land's fertility, confirming the promise that it 'flowed with milk and honey.' The timing corresponds to the season of the first ripe grapes, highlighting the abundance.

Verse 21

The spies covered the entire length of Canaan, from the southern wilderness of Zin all the way north to Rehob near Hamath, confirming the vastness of the territory God promised.

Verse 22

Hebron was an ancient and historically significant city, later becoming the site of the patriarchal burial cave (Machpelah). The mention of the Anakim (giants) immediately introduces the formidable threat that would paralyze the Israelites with fear.

Verse 26

The return to Kadesh marks a critical turning point in Israel's history; the decisions made here determine the fate of that generation.

Verse 27

The spies confirm the physical blessing of the land, using the traditional covenant phrase 'floweth with milk and honey.' This affirms God’s faithfulness in providing a rich inheritance, even before noting the difficulties.

Verse 28

This verse marks the shift from objective report to fearful assessment. The focus moves from the goodness of the land to the size and strength of the inhabitants, particularly the Anakim (descendants of giants).

Verse 30

Caleb’s immediate, faithful interjection attempts to counter the rising panic. His response, 'We are well able to overcome it,' emphasizes reliance on God’s power rather than a purely human military calculation.

Verse 32

The 'evil report' exaggerates the danger; the description of the land 'eating up the inhabitants' is hyperbolic rhetoric designed to spread terror and justify their refusal to obey God’s command.

Verse 33

The comparison of themselves to 'grasshoppers' reveals a complete failure of faith and a loss of identity. By focusing on the enemy's size, they forget the immense power of the God who delivered them from Egypt.

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