Num 13:25-14:12 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Num 13:25-29: 13:25-29 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.

Summary for Num 13:25-29: 13:25-29 ^a 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 ^b 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 ^c 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 ^d; Isa 55:1 ^e; Joel 3:18 ^f). Honey provided sweetness (see Pss 19:10 ^g; 119:103 ^h; Ezek 3:3 ⁱ; Rev 10:9-10 ^j). The phrase thus refers to a highly desirable destination, a land with an abundance of food and resources (cp. Num 16:13-14 ^k; see also Exod 3:8 ^l; Deut 6:3 ^m; 26:15 ⁿ; Jer 11:4-5 ^o; Ezek 20:6 ^p). The New Testament emphasizes the spiritual nature of God’s promises, pointing to a promised inheritance in heaven (see Rom 9:6-8 ^q; Gal 6:14-16 ^r; Rev 21:1-2 ^s).
13:29 ^t The spies answer the question of 13:18 ^u. Many ethnic groups occupied ancient Canaan.
13:30 ^v Caleb and Joshua (see 14:6 ^w, 10 ^x, 30 ^y) were more optimistic in their assessment of the land than the other spies were (cp. 14:31-33 ^z).
13:33 ^aa giants: See study note on Gen 6:4.

‏ Numbers 14:1-12

Summary for Num 14:1-45: 14:1-45 ^ab 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 ^ac 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 ^ad) and the hardship of the wilderness (Num 11:1 ^ae)!
14:5 ^af Moses and Aaron prostrated themselves out of humility, fear, grief, and anguish.
14:6 ^ag 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 ^ah 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 ^ai).
14:10 ^aj 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 ^ak; Ezek 1 ^al) appeared at the Tabernacle, the site of divine communication.
14:11 ^am 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 ^an; Matt 11:21 ^ao; Luke 10:13 ^ap).
14:12 ^aq God is patient, but he will not tolerate outright rebellion from his people (cp. Exod 32:7-10 ^ar). 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 ^as; 12:3 ^at, 25 ^au; cp. Ps 95:8-11 ^av).