Numbers 13:1-20

Spies Sent into Canaan

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2 1"Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them."
3 So Moses sent them from 2the wilderness of Paran, according to the command of the LORD, all of them men who were heads of the people of Israel.
4 And these were their names: From the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur;
5 from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori;
6 3from the tribe of Judah, 4Caleb the son of Jephunneh;
7 from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph;
8 from the tribe of Ephraim, 5Hoshea the son of Nun;
9 from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu;
10 from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi;
11 from the tribe of Joseph (that is, from the tribe of Manasseh), Gaddi the son of Susi;
12 from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli;
13 from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael;
14 from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi;
15 from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
16 These were the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called 6Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua.
17 Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said to them, "Go up into 7the Negeb and go up into 8the hill country,
18 and see what the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many,
19 and whether the land that they dwell in is good or bad, and whether the cities that they dwell in are camps or strongholds,
20 and whether the land is 9rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. 10Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land." Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.

Numbers 13:1-20 Meaning and Commentary

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, Nu 13:1-3; and the names of the twelve persons are given, Nu 13:4-16; the instructions they received from Moses, what part of the land they should enter into first, and what observations they should make on it, Nu 13:17-20; which they attended to, and on their return brought some of the fruit of the land with them, Nu 13:21-26; and gave an account of it, that it was a very fruitful land, but the inhabitants mighty, and their cities walled, Nu 13:27-29; which threw the people into confusion, but that they were stilled by Caleb, one of the spies, who encouraged them, Nu 13:30; but all the rest, excepting Joshua, brought an ill report of it, as not to be subdued and conquered by them, Nu 13:31-33.

Cross References 10

  • 1. Numbers 32:8; See Deuteronomy 1:22-25
  • 2. ver. 26; Numbers 12:16; Numbers 32:8; Deuteronomy 1:19; Deuteronomy 9:23
  • 3. Numbers 34:19; 1 Chronicles 4:15
  • 4. ver. 30; Numbers 14:6, 30; Numbers 26:65; Numbers 32:12; Deuteronomy 1:36; See Joshua 14:6-15; Joshua 15:13-18; Judges 1:12-15
  • 5. ver. 16; Numbers 11:28; Numbers 14:6, 30, 38; Exodus 24:13; Deuteronomy 32:44; [Nehemiah 8:17]
  • 6. [See ver. 8 above]
  • 7. ver. 22, 29; Numbers 21:1; Joshua 15:19; Judges 1:15
  • 8. ver. 29; Judges 1:9, 19
  • 9. Nehemiah 9:25, 35; Ezekiel 34:14
  • 10. Deut. 31:6, 7, 23
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