Numbers 13
Summary for Num 13:1-14:38: 13:1–14:45 a Twelve spies investigated the rich land of Canaan and found it defended by formidable foes. Israel’s disobedience in earlier chapters foreshadows more of the same. The Israelites lacked the obedience, courage, and faith to take the land, so the Lord destined them to spend forty years in the Sinai wilderness; that generation failed to receive their inheritance in the Promised Land.Summary for Num 13:1-16: 13:1-16 b Moses selected a leader from each tribe to explore the territory that God had promised to give the Hebrews. The tribes listed are those of ch 1 c, though the order is different. Caleb and Joshua are later shown to be men of faith (14:30 d).
Summary for Num 13:17-20: 13:17-20 e The military purpose of the scouting mission is evident; the spies were also to gather information about natural resources and food, which had been on the Israelites’ minds since they left Egypt (ch 11 f; Exod 16 g).
13:20 h The season for harvesting the first ripe grapes came in late July or August.
Summary for Num 13:21-24: 13:21-24 i The spies explored the land, which was unusually fertile in contrast with the Sinai wilderness. 13:21 j It was about 275 miles from the wilderness of Zin, located roughly between the wilderness of Paran and the southern frontier of Canaan (see 34:3-5 k; Josh 15:1-4 l), to Lebo-hamath (“entrance of Hamath,” either a notable mountain pass or another city near Hamath) in Syria.
• The exact location of Rehob is uncertain, but it was probably the same as Old Testament Beth-rehob, situated near a major route to Hamath. The text thus already identifies the approximate borders of the Promised Land (see 1 Kgs 8:65 m). The phrase “from Dan to Beersheba” (Judg 20:1 n; 2 Sam 3:10 o), frequently used to demarcate Israel’s traditional boundaries, referred to a considerably smaller area than the territory visited by Israel’s spies.
13:22 p Israel’s spies made their way into Canaan’s hill country via the Negev, the dry southland next to the wilderness of Zin. In the southern part of Canaan’s central hill country, they came to Hebron, where Israel’s ancestors had lived (Gen 13:18 q; 23:19 r; 35:27 s; 37:14 t).
• The descendants of Anak were famous for their size and strength (e.g., Deut 9:2 u).
• Zoan (later called Tanis by the Greeks) was a famous city in Egypt’s eastern delta (see also Pss 78:12 v, 43 w; Isa 19:11-13 x; 30:3-5 y).
Summary for Num 13:25-29: 13:25-29 z The spies agreed that the land was good, but most doubted that Israel could conquer it. The strong, well-fed Canaanites had built fortified towns to protect themselves.
13:26 aa Kadesh is often identified with ‘Ain el-Qudeirat, a spring at the northern border of Sinai and the southern edge of Canaan. There is no evidence of a Hebrew camp at this site during the period of the Exodus or the wilderness wanderings, so some scholars have suggested that ancient Kadesh was located elsewhere.
13:27 ab The Promised Land is often described as a land flowing with milk and honey. Milk and dairy products constituted a major part of the diet in biblical times, and “milk” is used in figurative language for abundance (see Deut 32:14 ac; Isa 55:1 ad; Joel 3:18 ae). Honey provided sweetness (see Pss 19:10 af; 119:103 ag; Ezek 3:3 ah; Rev 10:9-10 ai). The phrase thus refers to a highly desirable destination, a land with an abundance of food and resources (cp. Num 16:13-14 aj; see also Exod 3:8 ak; Deut 6:3 al; 26:15 am; Jer 11:4-5 an; Ezek 20:6 ao). The New Testament emphasizes the spiritual nature of God’s promises, pointing to a promised inheritance in heaven (see Rom 9:6-8 ap; Gal 6:14-16 aq; Rev 21:1-2 ar).
13:29 as The spies answer the question of 13:18 at. Many ethnic groups occupied ancient Canaan.
13:30 au Caleb and Joshua (see 14:6 av, 10 aw, 30 ax) were more optimistic in their assessment of the land than the other spies were (cp. 14:31-33 ay).
13:33 az giants: See study note on Gen 6:4.
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