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.
Numbers 14:1-38
Summary for Num 14:1-45: 14:1-45 ba The testimony of the faithful spies Joshua and Caleb was rejected, and rebellion spread through the entire community. Only Moses’ intervention saved Israel from complete destruction. Those who failed to obey God died during a forty-year wilderness sojourn.Summary for Num 14:3-4: 14:3-4 bb The threats about which they complained were real, but the Israelites should have trusted the Lord. In the ancient Near East, women and children were often taken as plunder in the aftermath of battle.
• return to Egypt: How quickly the Israelites forgot their bondage (Exod 2:23-24 bc) and the hardship of the wilderness (Num 11:1 bd)!
14:5 be Moses and Aaron prostrated themselves out of humility, fear, grief, and anguish.
14:6 bf Joshua and Caleb joined in the effort to reverse the rebellion and avert God’s wrath; they tore their clothing in a gesture of grief.
Summary for Num 14:7-9: 14:7-9 bg Joshua and Caleb understood that Israel’s lack of courage and their criticism of Moses and Aaron were rebellion against the Lord, and they knew what results this would produce.
• the Lord is with us: This was the source of their confidence (cp. Rom 8:31 bh).
14:10 bi Joshua and Caleb, with their encouragement and expression of trust in God, brought even more opposition; the protests against the leaders were converted into threats of violence against the faithful spies. All of the Israelites’ objections came to a sudden stop when the Lord’s glorious presence (Hebrew kabod; see Exod 24:15-18 bj; Ezek 1 bk) appeared at the Tabernacle, the site of divine communication.
14:11 bl God marveled that Israel had not yet learned to trust him, even after he had miraculously rescued them from slavery and provided for their needs as they traveled in the wilderness (cp. Deut 4:32-40 bm; Matt 11:21 bn; Luke 10:13 bo).
14:12 bp God is patient, but he will not tolerate outright rebellion from his people (cp. Exod 32:7-10 bq). The writer of Hebrews refers to this episode in his effort to strengthen the faith of Christians whose trust in the Good News was wavering (Heb 3:7-19 br; 12:3 bs, 25 bt; cp. Ps 95:8-11 bu).
Summary for Num 14:13-25: 14:13-25 bv Moses interceded on behalf of his people, reminding God that his reputation was bound up with that of Israel and appealing to his faithfulness.
Summary for Num 14:17-18: 14:17-18 bw Moses had used this same argument earlier when he sought pardon for Israel’s rebellion (Exod 32:10-14 bx). Moses knew that God would not let the Israelites off without punishment (Deut 7:9-10 by).
14:19 bz Israel’s history since leaving Egypt had been a series of transgressions forgiven by the Lord (chs 11–12 ca; Exod 15:22-27 cb; 17:1-7 cc; 32:1-14 cd; Lev 10 ce).
Summary for Num 14:20-25: 14:20-25 cf As a result of Moses’ argument, the Lord pardoned Israel’s rebellion and did not obliterate them, but the obstinate adult generation would never see the Promised Land.
14:22 cg The people’s lack of obedience and faith was a refusal to listen to God’s voice, since they were eyewitnesses of the Lord’s glorious presence (see study note on 14:10) and miraculous signs (Exod 4:29-31 ch; 7:1–11:10 ci; 14:15-31 cj; 16:1–17:13 ck).
Summary for Num 14:23-25: 14:23-25 cl Having turned their backs on the Promised Land, the Israelites were now ordered to march the other way.
• The Red Sea could refer to bodies of water on either side of the Sinai Peninsula (the Gulf of Aqaba or the Gulf of Suez).
14:28 cm Israel’s disobedience brought on the consequences they feared would come from obeying.
14:34 cn each day: Cp. 13:25 co.
• to have me for an enemy: Cp. Ezek 5:8 cp; 21:3 cq.
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