Num 13:1-3 | Clarke | STEP | Twelve men, one out of every tribe, are sent to examine the nature and state of the land of Canaan, . Their names, . Moses gives them particular directions, . They proceed on their journey, , . Come to Eshcol, and cut down a branch with a cluster of grapes, which they bear between two of them upon a staff, , . After forty days they return to Paran, from searching the land, and show to Moses and the people the fruit they had brought with them, , . Their report - they acknowledge that the land is good, but that the inhabitants are such as the Israelites cannot hope to conquer, . Caleb endeavors to do away the bad impression made, by the report of his fellows, upon the minds of the people, . But the others persist in their former statement, : and greatly amplify the difficulties of conquest, , .

‏ Numbers 13:1-3

Introduction

Twelve men, one out of every tribe, are sent to examine the nature and state of the land of Canaan, Num 13:1-3. Their names, Num 13:4-16. Moses gives them particular directions, Num 13:17-20. They proceed on their journey, Num 13:21, Num 13:22. Come to Eshcol, and cut down a branch with a cluster of grapes, which they bear between two of them upon a staff, Num 13:23, Num 13:24. After forty days they return to Paran, from searching the land, and show to Moses and the people the fruit they had brought with them, Num 13:25, Num 13:26. Their report - they acknowledge that the land is good, but that the inhabitants are such as the Israelites cannot hope to conquer, Num 13:27-29. Caleb endeavors to do away the bad impression made, by the report of his fellows, upon the minds of the people, Num 13:30. But the others persist in their former statement, Num 13:31 : and greatly amplify the difficulties of conquest, Num 13:32, Num 13:33. Verse 2

Send thou men, that they may search - It appears from Deu 1:19-24 that this was done in consequence of the request of the people, after the following address of Moses: "And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness - and we came unto Kadesh-Barnea; and I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the Lord our God doth give unto us. Behold the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged. And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said: We Will Send Men Before Us, And They Shall Search Us Out The Land and bring us word again, by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come. And the saying pleased me well, and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe," etc., etc. Nearly the whole of these verses is added here by the Samaritan.

Every one a ruler - Not any of the princes of the people, (see Numbers 1) for these names are different from those; but these now sent were men of consideration and importance in their respective tribes.