Numbers 13:1-33 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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The Espial of Canaan. This narrative is marked by numerous discrepancies, due to its being a fusion of two accounts drawn from JE and P. In the one (JE) the spies start probably from Kadesh (Numbers 13:26; Numbers 32:8, cf. Deuteronomy 1:19 f., Joshua 14:7), the survey is limited to the S. of Palestine (Numbers 13:22 f.), and the report of the land is favourable, but of the inhabitants alarming (Numbers 13:27-29), Caleb alone dissenting from the latter representation. In the other (P) the spies start from Paran (Numbers 13:3), the survey extends to the N. border of the Holy Land (Numbers 13:21; cf. Numbers 34:8), and the report of the country is unfavourable (Numbers 13:32), both Joshua and Caleb dissenting.

Numbers 13:1-17 a (from P). The Names of the 12 Spies. These are styled princes, but are not identical with those named in ch. 1 Caleb, the representative of Judah, is called a Kenizzite in Numbers 32:12; Joshua 14:6; Joshua 14:14. The statement that Joshua's birth-name was Hoshea, and was changed by Moses (Numbers 13:8; Numbers 13:16), is connected with the fact that the name Joshua involves the Divine name Yahweh, which, according to P, was not known until after Moses-', and presumably Joshua's, birth.

Numbers 13:17 b - Numbers 13:20 (from JE). The Commission given to the Spies. The South (Heb. Negeb, p. 32) was the parched high ground which afterwards formed the S. portion of Judah (Joshua 15:21), though lying N. of the locality where the Israelites now were (Kadesh). The time of the first-ripe grapes was about the end of July.

Numbers 13:21 (from P). An Account of the Territory Explored. This represents it as extending from the wilderness of Zin, afterwards the southern border of Israel (Numbers 34:3), to Rehob or Beth-rehob (2 Samuel 10:6; 2 Samuel 10:8), near to Laish or Dan (Judges 18:28), a city not very far from the valley between Lebanon and Hermon (the entering in of Hamath), which ideally defined the N. frontier of Israel (see 1 Kings 8:65; 2 Kings 14:25). The distance to Rehob is about 200 miles.

Numbers 13:22-24. (from JE). A Second Account of the Region Explored. This implies an outward journey of about 60 miles, making it extend only to Hebron (19 miles S. of Jerusalem, p. 31) and the valley of Eshcol (some unidentified wâ dy near Hebron, cf. Joshua 14:9; Joshua 14:14). The country round Hebron is still covered with vineyards. Zoan (the later Tanis, Isaiah 19:11 *)is said to have been built about 1670 B.C. The separate mention of Hebron (Numbers 13:22) and of Eshcol (Numbers 13:23) points to a slight divergence between J and E.

Numbers 13:25-26 a (P). The Return of the Spies to Paran. The addition to Kadesh (the modern Ain Kadis, p. 32) probably comes from JE, for by P Kadesh is placed in the wilderness of Zin (Numbers 33:36), not Paran.

Numbers 13:26 b - Numbers 13:31 (from JE). The Report of the Spies. This, in respect of the land, was favourable and was confirmed by samples of its products (cf. Deuteronomy 1:25); but in respect of the formidable character of its population and their cities was unnerving (though contradicted by Caleb).

Numbers 13:28. the children of Anak: i.e. (long)-necked men, Anak being a proper noun signifying neck (cf. Deuteronomy 1:28 *, Deuteronomy 2:10; Deuteronomy 9:2).

Numbers 13:29. Amalek: the Amalekites were nomads who roamed over the desert S. of Judah (cf. 1 Samuel 15:7; 1 Samuel 30:1). the Hittite (pp. 53, 55f.): these were a non-Semitic, perhaps Mongolian, race, who as a nation dwelt outside the N. limits of the Holy Land (Car-chemish being one of their chief cities), but of whom individual settlers may have made their homes in central or southern Palestine (Genesis 23:3 f.*). the Jebusite: the inhabitants of Jebus (or Jerusalem, Joshua 15:63 *). the Amorite: here regarded as the population of the country W. of Jordan occupying the hills (as in Deuteronomy 1:19). the Canaanite: here (contrast Numbers 14:45) represented as the dwellers in the low-lying maritime plain (as in Deuteronomy 17, Zeph. 25f.) and in the valley of the Jordan (Deuteronomy 11:30).

Numbers 13:30. stilled: this presumes the weeping and murmuring mentioned in Numbers 14:1 f.

Numbers 13:32 a (from P). Another Report of the Spies. This is unfavourable to the land, representing it as barren and producing insufficient to support its inhabitants (for the phraseology see Ezekiel 36:13, cf. Leviticus 26:38). The estimate probably reflects the conditions prevailing during, and after, the Babylonian exile (Haggai 1:6).

Numbers 13:32 b - Numbers 13:33 (from JE). A Continuation of the Report in Numbers 13:26 b - Numbers 13:31. The Nephilim are described in Genesis 6:2-4 * as the offspring of intercourse between angels and women (like many of the heroes of classical mythology): the LXX renders the word by giants. In Numbers 13:33 read, And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are of the Nephilim): and we, etc. The words within the parenthesis form a note, which is absent from the LXX.

Related Commentaries of Numbers 13:1

Numbers 13:1-33

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

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.

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.

4 And 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, Oshea 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, 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.

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.

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:

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;

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.

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.)

23 And they came unto the brooka 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 The place was called the brookb Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.

25 And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 menc of a great stature.

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.