CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Numbers 13
Chapter 13 of 36
Chapter Overview
What happens in Numbers 13
Moses sends twelve spies, one from each tribe, to explore the land of Canaan. After forty days they return with grapes, pomegranates, and figs. But ten of the spies give a frightening report about giants, while only Caleb urges the people to go forward.
Scripture
Numbers 13
Spies Are Sent to Canaan
Study note
God told Moses to send one leader from each tribe to explore the land of Canaan. Moses gave them specific things to look for: the strength of the people, the quality of the land, the size of the cities, and whether the land was fertile. He also renamed Hoshea son of Nun as Joshua.
1 The Lord told Moses, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 "Send out men to scout the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. Choose one leader from each tribe." 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.
3 Following the Lord's instructions, Moses sent them out from the wilderness of Paran. Every one of them was a recognized leader in Israel. 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.
4 Here are their names: Shammua son of Zaccur represented Reuben. And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
5 Shaphat son of Hori stood for Simeon. Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.
6 Caleb son of Jephunneh stood for Judah. Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
7 Igal son of Joseph represented Issachar. Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.
8 Hoshea son of Nun represented Ephraim. Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.
9 Palti son of Raphu stood for Benjamin. Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.
10 Gaddiel son of Sodi stood for Zebulun. Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.
11 Gaddi son of Susi represented Manasseh, which is part of the tribe of Joseph. Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
12 Ammiel son of Gemalli represented Dan. Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.
13 Sethur son of Michael represented Asher. Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.
14 Nahbi son of Vophsi stood for Naphtali. Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.
15 Geuel son of Machi represented Gad. Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
16 These are the men Moses sent to scout out the land. Moses changed Hoshea son of Nun's name to Joshua. These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.
The Spies Explore the Land
Study note
The twelve spies traveled through Canaan from south to north for forty days. In the valley of Eshcol they cut a cluster of grapes so large it had to be carried on a pole between two men. They also brought back pomegranates and figs as evidence of the land's richness.
17 Moses sent them to look over Canaan. He told them, "Go south through the Negev. Then keep going up into the hill country." 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:
18 "Find out what the land looks like. Learn whether the people living there are strong or weak, and whether they are few or many." And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many;
19 "Check out the land where they live. Is it good land or bad? Do they live in open camps or behind strong city walls?" 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;
20 "Is the soil fertile or poor? Are there trees growing there? Be courageous and bring back some of the land's produce." This happened during the season of the first ripe grapes. 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 The scouts traveled through the land from the wilderness of Zin all the way north to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.
22 Going through the southern region, they arrived at Hebron. Living there were Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, who were descendants of Anak, a race of giant people. Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt. 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.)
23 At the valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch holding a single cluster of grapes so enormous that it took two men to carry it on a pole between them. They also picked some pomegranates and figs. 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.
24 They named that place the Valley of Eshcol, which means 'cluster,' because of the giant grape cluster the scouts cut down there. The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.
25 Forty days later, the scouts came back from their mission. And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.
The Report of the Spies
Study note
The spies reported that the land truly flowed with milk and honey. However, they also said the people were powerful, the cities were large and walled, and they had seen the descendants of Anak, who were giants.
26 They returned to Moses, Aaron, and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They gave their report and displayed the fruit they had brought back. 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.
27 They told Moses, "We explored the land you sent us to, and it truly is rich and productive, overflowing with milk and honey! Look at this fruit." 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 "The problem is, the people who live there are very powerful. Their cities are huge and well-fortified. On top of that, we spotted descendants of Anak there." 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.
29 "The Amalekites control the southern region. The Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites occupy the hill country. And the Canaanites live along the coast and beside the Jordan River." 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.
Caleb's Faith and the Bad Report
Study note
Caleb tried to quiet the people and urged them to go take the land, saying they were well able to do it. But the other ten spies disagreed. They spread a bad report, saying the land devoured its inhabitants and the people were too strong. They said they felt like grasshoppers compared to the giants.
30 Caleb spoke up to quiet the crowd gathered before Moses. He said, "We should go right now and take the land. We are able to conquer it!" 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.
31 But the other scouts who had gone with him disagreed. "We cannot attack those people," they said. "They are far too strong for us." 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.
32 So they spread a frightening report about the land among the Israelites, saying, "That land destroys everyone who tries to live there. And every person we saw was enormous." 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.
33 "We even saw giants there -- the descendants of Anak, who come from the ancient giant race. Standing next to them, we felt as tiny as grasshoppers, and we must have looked that way to them too." 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.
Key Themes
Themes in Numbers 13
Faith versus fearSeeing challenges through God's eyesThe cost of negative reportsCourage to stand alone for God
Apply This Today
Living Numbers 13
Ten spies saw obstacles; two saw God's opportunity. The difference was not in what they saw but in who they trusted. Fear is contagious, but so is faith. Like Caleb, we are called to see our challenges in light of God's promises rather than our own limitations.
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