1.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
spake. See note on Numbers 1:1 .
2.
Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.
Send thou. This was spoken in consequence of People's request. Compare Deuteronomy 1:19-22 , and "we will" of Numbers 13:22 . This was walking by "sight. "
search, for Jehovah had told them about it. See Deuteronomy 8:7-9 . Compare 1 Samuel 8:6 , 1 Samuel 8:22 , and Hosea 13:11 . Jehovah already espied it. Ezekiel 20:6 .
Canaan. Compare Deuteronomy 7:1 . The land of the seven mighty nations. See App-23 and App-25 .
children = sons.
ruler = prince.
3.
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.
by the commandment of the LORD. Compare Deuteronomy 1:19-22 .
commandment. Hebrew "mouth". Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6 , put for what is spoken by the mouth.
heads = captains over thousands. Exodus 18:25 .
4.
And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
names. For the order of the tribes here, see App-45 .
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, Oshea the son of Nun.
Oshea = salvation. Compare Numbers 13:16 . See note on Numbers 13:16 . Nun. 1 Chronicles 7:27 , "Non".
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, namely, 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.
Sethur = hidden, or mystical: by Gematria = 666 ( App-10 ). Probably marking the ringleader of the Provocation.
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 which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.
names. Levi not named. No inheritance in the land.
Jehoshua. Name occurs over 250 times; see the first, Exodus 17:9 . Sometimes Jeshua (Nehemiah 8:17 ). Greek, Jesus (Matthew 1:21 .Acts 7:45 .Hebrews 4:8; Hebrews 4:8 ). In Deuteronomy 32:44 called Hoshea again: Hoshea = saviour, or salvation. Je, prefixed = he by whom Jehovah will save.
17.
And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain:
southward. For first nine miles, on account of the roads, then by the mountain passes eastward.
18.
And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many;
19.
And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;
tents = camps.
20.
And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.
21.
So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.
went up. In the month Ab (our July).
22.
And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
south = the Negeb. Compare Genesis 12:9 ; Genesis 13:1 ).
Hebron. Ancient name, Kirjath-arba (or stronghold of Arba) (Genesis 23:2 , Genesis 23:19 ), because built by Anak and the sons of Arba. Joshua 14:15 ; Joshua 15:13 . The Tel-el-Amarna Tablets show that certain bands of Hittite condottieri are called " Khabiri", or "allies" (hence the name Hebron, which means "confederacy", or friendship, which is not met with till Ramases II), captured Kirjath-Arba. Ebed-Tob, king of Jerusalem (see note on Genesis 14:18 ), in his letters to Pharaoh frequently mentions these Khabiri (or confederates of Amorites and Hittites). God's confederacy with His people in Christ was " before the foundation of the world". Before Zoan the city of the wise was known.
Ahiman. Driven out by Caleb. Joshua 15:13 , Joshua 15:14 . Slain by Judah. Judges 1:10 .
children of Anak = home-born persons: usually of slaves. These were the result of a second irruption of the fallen angels. See Genesis 6:4 , "after that". These are called "Nephilim" in Numbers 13:33 . See App-23 and App-25 . The name "Anak" occurs here, and verses: Numbers 13:28 , Numbers 13:33 .Deuteronomy 9:2 .Joshua 15:14 .
built: i.e. rebuilt ( banah frequently has this meaning). Compare Joshua 6:26 . 1Ki 16:34 . 2 Kings 14:22 .Isaiah 44:28 . Amos 9:14 .
seven years before Zoan in Egypt. Built by the first kings of the nineteenth dynasty (see App-37 ). Ramases II made it his capital, compare Isaiah 30:4 (and is the first to mention Hebron). Zoan was the scene of the Exodus (see Psalms 78:12 , Psalms 78:13 ), and "the house of bondage"
Zoan. See note on Exodus 1:10 .
23.
And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.
And. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton ( App-6 ), calling attention to each of the three items.
grapes, &c. No mere accident that these three were brought. These symbolical of the "fruit" of our Land, even of Him Who is the true Vine. He comes first.
pomegranates. His worship comes next (largely used symbolically in tabernacle and temple, see Exo 27:28 , Exo 27:29 and 2 Chronicles 3 and 2 Chronicles 4 ).
figs. The common support of life in the East, next to bread. These symbolize the common duties of life. (The grapes and pomegranates its luxuries and spiritual privileges).
24.
The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.
brook: or valley.
Eshcol = cluster.
cluster. Hebrew. 'eshcol.
25.
And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.
forty. The number of Probation. See App-10 . At the end. of Elul (our August), exactly six months from setting up of the Tabernacle. See App-50 .
26.
And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.
Kadesh = Kadesh-barnea. Deuteronomy 1:19 .
27.
And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
28.
Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.
Nevertheless. In spite of the evidence produced. This is the conclusion of sight, not of faith. Note the words "we saw", verses: Numbers 13:28 , Numbers 13:32 , Numbers 13:33 .
very great. Great in size as well as in wickedness, abnormal, superhuman. See App-23 and App-25 .
we saw. This was "walking by sight, not by faith", 2 Corinthians 5:7 .
29.
The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
30.
And 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.
Caleb = whole-hearted.
stilled = silenced.
well able = the conclusion of faith.
31.
But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
men. Hebrew, plural of 'ish or 'enosh. App-14 .
not able = the conclusion of sight.
they are stronger than we = the conclusion of unbelief, which always leaves God out.
32.
And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
brought up an evil report = sent forth a slander. Compare Numbers 14:37 .
we saw. The language of unbelief.
33.
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
giants. Hebrew. nephilim. Those mentioned in Genesis 6:4 were all destroyed in the Flood; these came from a second irruption of fallen angels, "after that": i.e. after "those days" = the days of Noah. See Genesis 6:4 , and App-23 and App-25 . See note on Numbers 13:22 .
sight. It is all "sight" where there is no faith 2 Corinthians 5:7 .
grasshoppers: or locusts.