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.

The Command to Send Spies

1
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2
“Send men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel. Of every tribe of their fathers, you shall send a man, every one a prince among them.” ​
3
Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran according to the commandment of the LORD. All of them were men who were heads of the children of Israel. ​
4
These were their names: Of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
5
Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.
6
Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. ​
7
Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.
8
Of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun.
9
Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.
10
Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.
11
Of the tribe of Joseph, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
12
Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.
13
Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.
14
Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.
15
Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
16
These are the names of the men who Moses sent to spy out the land. Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua. ​

Instructions for the Mission

17
Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way by the South, and go up into the hill country.
18
See the land, what it is; and the people who dwell therein, whether they are strong or weak, whether they are few or many;
19
and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities they are that they dwell in, whether in camps, or in strongholds;
20
and what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is wood therein, or not. Be courageous, and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the time of the first-ripe grapes. ​
21
So they went up, and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, to the entrance of Hamath. ​
22
They went up by the South, and came to Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) ​
23
They came to the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bore it on a staff between two. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs.
24
That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the children of Israel cut down from there.
25
They returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days.

The Spies Return to Kadesh

26
They went and came to Moses, to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word to them and to all the congregation. They showed them the fruit of the land. ​
27
They told him, and said, “We came to the land where you sent us. Surely it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. ​
28
However the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the children of Anak there. ​
29
Amalek dwells in the land of the South. The Hittite, the Jebusite, and the Amorite dwell in the hill country. The Canaanite dwells by the sea, and along the side of the Jordan.”

The Conflicting Reports

30
Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it!” ​
31
But the men who went up with him said, “We aren’t able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.”
32
They brought up an evil report of the land which they had spied out to the children of Israel, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that eats up its inhabitants; and all the people who we saw in it are men of great stature. ​
33
There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim. We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” ​

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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