Numbers 13:21

KJV

¶ So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.

KJV (with Strong's)

So they went up {H5927}, and searched {H8446} the land {H776} from the wilderness {H4057} of Zin {H6790} unto Rehob {H7340}, as men come {H935} to Hamath {H2574}.

Complete Jewish Bible

They went up and reconnoitered the land from the Tzin Desert to Rechov near the entrance to Hamat.

Berean Standard Bible

So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, toward Lebo-hamath.

American Standard Version

So they went up, and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, to the entrance of Hamath.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Numbers 13:21 precisely delineates the extensive geographical scope of the reconnaissance mission undertaken by the twelve spies dispatched by Moses into the land of Canaan. This verse highlights the thoroughness of their exploration, detailing their journey from the southern reaches of the wilderness of Zin to the far northern city of Rehob, near Hamath, thereby emphasizing the vastness of the territory God had promised to the Israelites as their inheritance.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Numbers 13 initiates a pivotal moment in Israel's wilderness journey, marking their arrival at the threshold of the Promised Land. The preceding chapters detail their organization, census, and initial laws, preparing them for entry. In [Numbers 13:1-2](/numbers/13-1 "Numbers 13:1-2 - The Command to Send Spies"), the Lord instructs Moses to send one leader from each tribe to "spy out the land of Canaan." This command, though later recounted by Moses as originating from the people's request in [Deuteronomy 1:22](/deuteronomy/1-22 "Deuteronomy 1:22 - Moses' Account of Sending Spies"), sets the stage for the crucial decision-making process that will determine Israel's immediate future. Verse 21 specifically describes the physical extent of the spies' mission, demonstrating their diligence in fulfilling the directive to assess the land's fertility, its inhabitants' strength, and the nature of its cities, as outlined in [Numbers 13:18-20](/numbers/13-18 "Numbers 13:18-20 - Instructions for the Spies"). This geographical detail underscores the gravity and comprehensive nature of their task before their fateful report in [Numbers 13:27-33](/numbers/13-27 "Numbers 13:27-33 - The Spies' Report and the People's Fear").

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In the ancient Near East, reconnaissance missions were standard military practice before any major campaign or settlement. Leaders would send scouts to gather intelligence on enemy strength, terrain, resources, and potential challenges. The Israelites, poised to inherit a land occupied by various peoples, would naturally undertake such a mission. The geographical markers—the "wilderness of Zin" and "Rehob, as men come to Hamath"—were well-known boundaries of the land of Canaan. The wilderness of Zin was a harsh, arid region south of the Dead Sea, bordering Edom, serving as a natural southern frontier. Rehob, near the significant Aramaean city of Hamath (modern Hama in Syria), represented the northernmost extent of the traditional Canaanite territory, stretching into what is now Lebanon and Syria. This extensive journey, covering hundreds of miles, would have been arduous and dangerous, requiring significant time and effort, highlighting the thoroughness expected of such an intelligence-gathering operation.

* **Key Themes:** This verse contributes to several key themes within Numbers and the broader Pentateuchal narrative. Firstly, it emphasizes the **vastness and richness of the Promised Land**, demonstrating that God's provision for His people was not meager but abundant, stretching from south to north. Secondly, it highlights the theme of **preparation for conquest**, as the reconnaissance was a necessary strategic step before the Israelites could enter and possess their inheritance. This preparation, however, would soon be overshadowed by a crisis of faith. Thirdly, the thoroughness of the spies' "searching" underscores the theme of **human assessment versus divine promise**. While the spies meticulously gathered data, their ultimate failure lay in prioritizing their fearful human perception of the obstacles over God's unfailing promise and power to deliver the land, as seen in [Numbers 14](/numbers/14 "Numbers 14 - The People's Rebellion and God's Judgment").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **searched (Hebrew, _tûr'_):** This verb implies more than a casual glance; it denotes a thorough, systematic exploration or investigation. It suggests a detailed reconnaissance, a "scouting out" with the intent to gather comprehensive information. The spies were not merely passing through but actively surveying, observing, and assessing the land and its inhabitants.
* **Wilderness of Zin (Hebrew, _midbar tsîn'_):** This specific geographical designation refers to a desert region located south of the Dead Sea, forming the southern boundary of the land the spies were to explore. It marks the starting point of their extensive journey, emphasizing the full south-to-north sweep of their mission.
* **Rehob (Hebrew, _reḥôb'_):** A city located in the far north of Canaan, near the significant city of Hamath. This name, coupled with "as men come to Hamath," signifies the northernmost extent of the spies' journey, indicating they traversed the entire length of the land promised to Israel, from its southern wilderness borders to its northern fertile plains.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"¶ So they went up,"**: This phrase indicates movement from a lower elevation (the wilderness encampment) to a higher one, as the land of Canaan generally sits at a higher altitude than the surrounding desert regions. It marks the commencement of their physical entry into the promised territory.
* **"and searched the land"**: This is the core action of the verse, emphasizing the purpose and thoroughness of their mission. They were not just traveling through but actively investigating and gathering intelligence about the land, its resources, and its inhabitants.
* **"from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath."**: This clause precisely defines the vast geographical scope of their reconnaissance. It delineates the southern boundary (wilderness of Zin) and the northern boundary (Rehob, near Hamath), indicating that the spies covered the entire length of the land God had promised to Israel, from its southernmost desert fringes to its northernmost fertile valleys.

#### Literary Devices
Numbers 13:21 employs several literary devices to convey its meaning and significance. **Geographical Delineation** is prominent, as the verse meticulously names the specific southern and northern boundaries of the spies' journey ("wilderness of Zin" and "Rehob, as men come to Hamath"). This precision serves to emphasize the vastness of the territory and the comprehensiveness of the spies' mission, highlighting that they truly covered the entire promised inheritance. The phrase "as men come to Hamath" functions as a **Topographical Marker**, using a well-known distant city (Hamath) to further specify the location of Rehob and underscore its extreme northern position. While not strictly hyperbole, the statement of covering the land "from Zin to Rehob" functions as a **Merism**, a rhetorical device where two contrasting parts represent a whole (i.e., from one end to the other), thereby stressing the totality of the area surveyed. This thoroughness also serves as a form of **Foreshadowing**, setting the stage for the detailed report the spies will deliver. The exhaustive nature of their search makes their subsequent fear and lack of faith, despite having seen the goodness of the land, all the more poignant and tragic.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Numbers 13:21, though a geographical detail, is profoundly significant. It underscores the meticulousness of God's provision and the immense scope of the inheritance He intended for His people. The vastness of the land from Zin to Hamath reflects the generosity and faithfulness of God's covenant promises, first made to Abraham, that his descendants would possess a specific, expansive territory. The thoroughness of the spies' search, therefore, becomes a testament to the tangible reality of God's promise, a land worth investigating and fighting for. However, this verse also subtly sets up the tragic contrast between God's magnificent provision and the Israelites' subsequent failure of faith. They saw the land, its goodness, and its challenges, but their human assessment of the obstacles overshadowed their trust in the divine promise-giver, leading to a generation's wilderness wandering.

* [Deuteronomy 1:22](/deuteronomy/1-22 "Deuteronomy 1:22 - Moses' Account of Sending Spies")
* [Genesis 15:18](/genesis/15-18 "Genesis 15:18 - God's Covenant with Abraham, Defining the Land Boundaries")
* [Joshua 1:4](/joshua/1-4 "Joshua 1:4 - The Extent of the Promised Land for Joshua")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Numbers 13:21 serves as a powerful reminder that while diligent preparation and thorough understanding are valuable and often necessary steps in pursuing God's call, they must always be anchored in unwavering faith in His promises. The spies meticulously "searched the land," gathering all the facts, yet their detailed report was ultimately tainted by fear and unbelief, leading to disastrous consequences for the entire nation. This challenges us to examine our own lives: Do we allow our assessment of obstacles (the "giants" in the land) to overshadow our trust in God's power and faithfulness? The vastness of the Promised Land, thoroughly explored, speaks to the boundless generosity and abundant provision of God. We are called to "search" (prepare, plan, learn) but always to remember that our ultimate success and inheritance depend not on our strength or wisdom, but on God's ability to fulfill His word, even when the challenges seem insurmountable. This verse encourages us to couple our human diligence with divine reliance, trusting that God's promises are larger and more powerful than any perceived obstacle.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does the thoroughness of the spies' mission challenge our own approach to God's promises and the challenges we face?**
* **In what areas of your life are you called to "search the land" (prepare diligently), and where must you ultimately rely on God's power rather than your own assessment?**
* **How does the vastness of the Promised Land in this verse speak to the generosity and faithfulness of God's provision for His people, even when human fear threatens to obscure it?**

### FAQ
**Why did Moses send spies if God had already promised the land?**

Answer: The sending of spies was not an indication of a lack of faith in God's promise, but rather a strategic military and logistical reconnaissance. In ancient warfare, it was common practice to gather intelligence on the terrain, the strength of the inhabitants, and the nature of their cities before an invasion or settlement. This mission was intended to inform the Israelites' military strategy, identify potential challenges, and perhaps even boost the morale of the people by showing them the goodness of the land God was giving them. While God had promised the land, He often works through human means and preparation. The problem arose not from the act of spying, but from the spies' and the people's subsequent lack of faith in God's power to overcome the obstacles they reported, as detailed in [Numbers 14](/numbers/14 "Numbers 14 - The People's Rebellion and God's Judgment").

**What was the significance of "Rehob, as men come to Hamath"?**

Answer: This phrase is crucial for defining the northernmost extent of the land of Canaan that the spies explored. The "wilderness of Zin" marked the southern boundary, and "Rehob, as men come to Hamath" marked the northern boundary. Hamath was a well-known and significant Aramaean city-state located in what is modern-day Syria, far to the north of Israel's eventual settled territory. By referencing Rehob in relation to Hamath, the text emphasizes that the spies covered the entire length of the promised territory, from its southernmost desert fringes to its northernmost fertile valleys. This highlights the vastness of the land God had promised and the thoroughness of the spies' mission, underscoring the magnitude of the inheritance that was within reach of the Israelites had they possessed faith.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Numbers 13:21, detailing the extensive physical boundaries of the Promised Land, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the spiritual inheritance and boundless blessings offered through Jesus Christ. The physical land of Canaan, though vast and rich, was but a type and shadow of the ultimate spiritual "rest" and "inheritance" that believers enter into through faith in Christ. While the spies surveyed a geographical territory, Christ leads His people into a spiritual reality that transcends earthly borders. The failure of the Israelites to enter the physical land due to unbelief ([Hebrews 3:19](/hebrews/3-19 "Hebrews 3:19 - They Could Not Enter Because of Unbelief")) contrasts sharply with the secure and eternal "rest" available to all who believe in Jesus ([Hebrews 4:1-11](/hebrews/4-1 "Hebrews 4:1-11 - The Promise of Entering God's Rest")). The "land" becomes the Kingdom of God, into which believers are delivered from the domain of darkness ([Colossians 1:13](/colossians/1-13 "Colossians 1:13 - Delivered from Darkness into God's Kingdom")). The thoroughness of the spies' search for a physical inheritance is superseded by the completeness of the spiritual inheritance we receive in Christ, which includes "every spiritual blessing" ([Ephesians 1:3](/ephesians/1-3 "Ephesians 1:3 - Spiritual Blessings in Christ")) and the promise of eternal life. Jesus Himself is the true "Lamb of God" who leads His people into the ultimate promised land, not through physical conquest, but through His atoning sacrifice, offering true rest for our souls ([Matthew 11:28-30](/matthew/11-28 "Matthew 11:28-30 - Jesus' Invitation to Rest")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Numbers 20:1

¶ Then came the children of Israel, [even] the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

Numbers 33:36

And they removed from Eziongaber, and pitched in the wilderness of Zin, which [is] Kadesh.

Numbers 27:14

For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that [is] the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.

Joshua 15:1

¶ [This] then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; [even] to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward [was] the uttermost part of the south coast.

Joshua 13:5

And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baalgad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath.

Amos 6:2

Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: [be they] better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

Numbers 34:3

Then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the coast of Edom, and your south border shall be the outmost coast of the salt sea eastward: