Numbers 13

This chapter belongs to the section of Numbers in which Israel departs from Mount Sinai and journeys through the wilderness. At the end of Numbers 12, the people encamp in the wilderness of Paran, and in this chapter they spy out Canaan, the Promised Land. The people's response to the spies' report continues in Numbers 14.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 At the command of the LORD, Moses sends out one leader from each tribe from the wilderness of Paran.
• Verses 4–16 The names of the twelve spies are listed. Moses calls Hoshea (Oshea in the KJV) the son of Nun by the name Joshua.
• Verses 17–20 Moses instructs the spies on what to observe: whether the inhabitants are strong or weak and how many they are, whether the land is good, whether the cities are camps or strongholds, whether the soil is rich, and whether there is timber. He tells them to bring back some of the fruit of the land. It was the time of the first ripe grapes.
• Verses 21–24 The spies go up from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near the entrance to Hamath, and southward as far as Hebron. In the valley of Eshcol they cut down a branch bearing a cluster of grapes and carry it on a staff between two men.
• Verses 25–29 After forty days they return to Kadesh and give their report. They say that the land flows with milk and honey, but that its inhabitants are strong and its cities fortified.
• Verses 30–33 Caleb urges the people to go up at once and take the land. The other spies bring up an evil report of the land and say that they were like grasshoppers.

Key Verses

• Numbers 13:27 "surely it floweth with milk and honey" — Here all the spies confirm the abundance of the promised land.
• Numbers 13:30 "Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it" — These words are frequently cited as an expression of Caleb's faith.
• Numbers 13:33 "we were in our own sight as grasshoppers" — This verse reveals the outlook of the majority, who looked at the same land and were overcome by fear.

Characters and Places

• Moses and Aaron: They send out the spies and receive their report.
• Caleb: The representative of the tribe of Judah. He urges conquest.
• Joshua: The representative of the tribe of Ephraim. His original name was Hoshea.
• Hebron: The home of Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak. The text notes that it was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.
• Valley of Eshcol: Its name means "cluster," and the text explains the origin of the name.
• Kadesh: A site in the wilderness of Paran, where the spies returned and gave their report.
• The children of Anak: Described as a people of great stature. Verse 33 calls them descendants of the Nephilim.
• Amalekites, Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, and Canaanites: The inhabitants of the land named in verse 29.

Points for Reflection

• Who proposed the reconnaissance? The chapter opens with the LORD's command. In Deuteronomy 1, however, Moses recalls that the people first made the request and that the proposal pleased him. Many commentators read the two passages together, understanding that God granted the people's request.
• The Nephilim: The term also appears in Genesis 6. Some interpreters take it to refer to an actual race of giants; others regard it as an exaggeration by the fearful spies as part of their "evil report."
• The name Joshua: It is commonly interpreted to mean "the LORD is salvation." Rendered in Greek, it is the same name as "Jesus."
• Caleb and Joshua: In this chapter only Caleb voices a dissenting opinion. Joshua joins Caleb in speaking out in chapter 14.
• Connection to the New Testament: Hebrews 3 warns that the wilderness generation could not enter into rest because of unbelief, referring to this incident and the events that followed.

In the Korean Church

The chapter is frequently used in sermons that contrast "the ten and the two" and set "grasshopper faith" against "the faith of Caleb." In Sunday schools it is widely taught as the story of the twelve spies.