Bible Commentaries
Numbers 13

Verse 2

13:2 {b} Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.

(b) After the people had required it of Moses, as it is in De 1:22 then the Lord told Moses to do it.

Verse 16

13:16 These [are] the names of the {c} men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.

(c) Which in number were twelve according to the twelve tribes.

Verse 19

13:19 And what the land [is] that they dwell in, whether it [be] {d} good or bad; and what cities [they be] that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;

(d) Plentiful or barren.

Verse 21

13:21 So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of {e} Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.

(e) Which was in the wilderness of Paran.

Verse 22

13:22 And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of {f} Anak, [were].

(Now {g} Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

(f) Which were a type of giant.

(g) Declaring the antiquity of it: also Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Jacob were buried there.

Verse 26

13:26 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of {h} Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.

(h) Called also Kadesh-barnea.

Verse 27

13:27 And they told {i} 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.

(i) That is, Moses.

Verse 28

13:28 Nevertheless the people [be] strong that dwell in the land, and the cities [are] walled, [and] very great: and moreover we saw the {k} children of Anak there.

(k) Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, whom Caleb slew afterward, Joshua 11:21-22.

Verse 32

13:32 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 {l} eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it [are] men of a great stature.

(l) The giants were so cruel, that they spoiled and killed one another and those that came to them.