1Ug si Jehova misulti kang Moises, nga nagaingon: 2Magpadala ka ug mga tawo, aron sila maniid sa yuta sa Canaan, nga gihatag ko sa mga anak sa Israel: gikan sa tagsa ka banay sa ilang mga ginikanan magpadala kamo ug usa ka tawo, tagsatagsa maoy usa ka principe sa taliwala nila. 3Ug si Moises nagpadala kanila gikan sa kamingawan sa Paran sumala sa gisugo ni Jehova, silang tanan mga pangulo sa mga anak sa Israel. 4Kini mao ang ilang mga ngalan: Sa banay ni Ruben, mao si Sammua, ang anak nga lalake ni Saccur. 5Sa banay ni Simeon, mao si Safat, ang anak nga lalake ni Huri. 6Sa banay ni Juda, mao si Caleb, ang anak nga lalake ni Jephone. 7Sa banay ni Issachar, mao si Igal, ang anak nga lalake ni Joseph. 8Sa banay ni Ephraim, mao si Oseas, ang anak nga lalake ni Nun. 9Sa banay ni Benjamin, mao si Palti ang anak nga lalake ni Raphu. 10Sa banay ni Zabulon, mao si Gaddiel, ang anak nga lalake ni Sodi. 11Sa banay ni Jose, sa banay ni Manases, mao si Gaddi, ang anak nga lalake ni Susi. 12Sa banay ni Dan, mao si Ammiel, ang anak nga lalake ni Gemali. 13Sa banay ni Aser, mao si Setur, ang anak nga lalake ni Michael. 14Sa banay ni Nephtali, mao si Nahabi, ang anak nga lalake ni Bapsi. 15Sa banay ni Gad, mao si Geuel, ang anak nga lalake ni Maki. 16Kini mao ang mga ngalan sa mga tawo nga gipadala ni Moises sa pagpaniid sa yuta. Ug si Moises nagtawag kang Oseas, ang anak nga lalake ni Nun Josue. 17Ug gipadala sila ni Moises sa pagpaniid sa yuta sa Canaan, ug miingon kanila: Tumungas kamo dinhi dapit sa habagatan, ng tumungas kamo ngadto sa kabukiran. 18Ug tan-awon ninyo ang yuta kong unsa kana; ug ang katawohan nga nagapuyo niana, kong sila mga malig-on ba kun mahuyang, kong diriyut sila, kun daghan; 19Ug unsa ang yuta nga ginapuy-an nila kong kini maayo ba kun dautan; ug ang maong mga lungsod nga ginapuy-an nila, kong sa campo ba kun sa kuta; 20Ug kong unsa ang yuta, matambok ba kun kal-anan, kong didto adunay kakahuyan kun wala. Ug magmadasigon kamo, ug magdala kamo sa bunga sa kayutaan. Karon nga panahona mao ang panahon sa mga nahauna nga mga parras. 21Busa sila mitungas, ug gipanid-an nila ang yuta gikan sa kamingawan sa Zin ngadto sa Rehob, hangtud sa ganghaan sa Emath. 22Ug mitungas sila dapit sa habagatan, ug midangat sila hangtud sa Hebron; ug didto nanagpuyo si Aiman, ug si Sesai, ug si Talmai, ang mga anak ni Anac. (Karon ang Hebron natukod sa pito, ka tuig nga una pa kay sa Soan didto sa Egipto). 23Ug midangat sila hangtud sa walog sa Escol, ug didto miputol sila ug usa ka sanga uban ang usa ka bugway nga parras, ug giyayongan nila kini sa usa ka sungkod nga gidala sa duruha ka tawo; nanagdala usab sila ug mga granada ug sa mga igos. 24Kadtong dapita gihinganlan nila ug walog sa Escol, tungod sa bugway sa parras, nga giputol didto sa mga anak sa Israel. 25Ug namauli sila gikan sa pagpaniid sa yuta sa tapus ang kap-atan ka adlaw. 26Ug sila minglakaw, ug mingadto kang Moises, ug kang Aaron, ug sa tibook nga katilingban sa mga anak sa Israel, ngadto sa kamingawan sa Paran, ngadto sa Cades; ug nanagdala sa taho ngadto kanila, ug sa tibook nga katilingban, ug gipakita nila ang bunga sa maong yuta. 27Ug sila nanagsugilon kaniya, ug nanag-ingon: Midangat kami sa yuta, nga imong gipaadtoan kanamo; ug sa pagkatinuod, kini nagapaagay sa gatas ug dugos; ug kini mao ang bunga niini. 28Apan ang katawohan nga nagapuyo niadtong yutaa mga kusgan, ug ang mga kalungsoran mga malig-on ug mga dagku gayud: ug labut pa nakita namo didto ang mga anak ni Anac. 29Si Amalek nagapuyo sa yuta dapit sa Habagatan, ug ang Hetehanon ug ang Jebusehanon ug ang Amorehanon nagapuyo sa yuta sa kabungtoran; ug ang Canaanhon nagapuyo haduol sa dagat, ug sa daplin sa kiliran sa Jordan. 30Ug gipahilum ni Caleb ang katawohan sa atubangan ni Moises, ug miingon: Manungas kita gilayon, ug managiya niini; kay kita makahimo kaayo sa pagdaug niana. 31Apan ang mga tawo nga mingtungas uban kaniya ming-ingon: Dili kita makahimo sa pagtungas batok niadto nga katawohan; kay sila labi pang kusgan kay kanato. 32Ug sila nanagdala ug dautang taho mahitungod sa yuta nga ilang gipanid-an ngadto sa mga anak sa Israel, nga naga-ingon: Ang yuta nga among hiagian sa pagpaniid, mao ang yuta nga magalamoy sa mga pumoluyo niana; ug ang tanang mga tawo nga among nakita didto maoy mga tawo nga hatag-as kaayo. 33Ug didto nakita namo ang mga higante, ang mga anak nga lalake ni Anac, nga kagikan sa mga higante; ug kami sa among pagtan-aw, daw ingon sa mga dulon lamang : ug mao man kami sa ilang pagtan-aw kanamo.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 Here we have, I. Orders given to send spies to search out the land of Canaan. It is here said, God directed Moses to send them (
Num 13:1,
Num 13:2), but it appears by the repetition of the story afterwards (
Deut 1:22) that the motion came originally from the people; they came to Moses, and said,
We will send men before us; and it was the fruit of their unbelief. They would not take God's word that it was a good land, and that he would, without fail, put them in possession of it. They could not trust the pillar of cloud and fire to show them the way to it, but had a better opinion of their own politics than of God's wisdom. How absurd was it for them to send to spy out a land which God himself had spied out for them, to enquire the way into it when God himself had undertaken to show them the way! But thus we ruin ourselves by giving more credit to the reports and representations of sense than to divine revelation; we walk by sight, not by faith; whereas,
if we will
receive the witness of men, without doubt
the witness of God is greater. The people making this motion to Moses, he (perhaps not aware of the unbelief at the bottom of it) consulted God in the case, who bade him gratify the people in this matter, and send spies before them: Let them walk in their own counsels. Yet God was no way accessory to the sin that followed, for the sending of these spies was so far from being the cause of the sin that if the spies had done their duty, and the people theirs, it might have been the confirmation of their faith, and of good service to them.
II. The persons nominated that were to be employed in this service (
Num 13:4, etc.), one of each tribe, that it might appear to be the act of the people in general; and rulers, person of figure in their respective tribes, some of the rulers of thousands or hundreds, to put the greater credit upon their embassy. This was designed for the best, but it proved to have this ill effect that the quality of the persons occasioned the evil report they brought up to be the more credited and the people to be the more influenced by it. Some think that they are all named for the sake of two good ones that were among them, Caleb and Joshua. Notice is taken of the change of Joshua's name upon this occasion,
Num 13:16. He was Moses's minister, but had been employed, though of the tribe of Ephraim, as general of the forces that were sent out against Amalek. The name by which he was generally called and known in his own tribe was
Oshea, but Moses called him
Joshua, in token of his affection to him and power over him; and now, it should seem, he ordered others to call him so, and fixed that to be his name henceforward.
Oshea signifies a prayer for salvation,
Save thou; Joshua signifies a promise of salvation,
He will save, in answer to that prayer: so near is the relation between prayers and promises. Prayers prevail for promises, and promises direct and encourage prayers. Some think that Moses designed, by taking the first syllable of the name Jehovah and prefixing it to his name, which turned
Hoshea into
Jehoshua, to put an honour upon him, and to encourage him in this and all his future services with the assurances of God's presence. Yet after this he is called
Hoshea, Deut 32:44.
Jesus is the same name with
Joshua, and it is the name of our Lord Christ, of whom Joshua was a type as successor to Moses, Israel's captain, and conqueror of Canaan. There was another of the same name, who was also a type of Christ,
Zech 6:11. Joshua was the saviour of God's people from the powers of Canaan, but Christ is their Saviour from the powers of hell.
III. The instructions given to those spies. They were sent into the land of Canaan the nearest way, to traverse the country, and to take account of its present state,
Num 13:17. Two heads of enquiry were given them in charge, 1. Concerning the land itself:
See what that is (
Num 13:18, and again,
Num 13:19), see whether it be
good or bad, and (
Num 13:20)
whether it be fat or lean. All parts of the earth do not share alike in the blessing of fruitfulness; some countries are blessed with a richer soil than others. Moses himself was well satisfied that Canaan was a very good land, but he sent these spies to bring an account of it for the satisfaction of the people; as John Baptist sent to Jesus, to ask whether he was the Christ, not to inform himself, but to inform those he sent. They must take notice whether the air was healthful or no, what the soil was, and what the productions; and, for the better satisfaction of the people, they must bring with them some of the fruits. 2. Concerning the inhabitants - their number, few or many - their size and stature, whether strong able-bodied men or weak, - their habitations, whether they lived in tents or houses, whether in open villages or in walled towns, - whether the woods were standing as in those countries that are uncultivated, through the unskillfulness and slothfulness of the inhabitants, or whether the woods were cut down, and the country made champaign, for the convenience of tillage. These were the things they were to enquire about. Perhaps there had not been of late years such commerce between Egypt and Canaan as there was in Jacob's time, else they might have informed themselves of these things without sending men on purpose to search. See the advantage we may derive from books and learning, which acquaint those that are curious and inquisitive with the state of foreign countries, at a much greater distance than Canaan was now from Israel, without this trouble and expense.
IV. Moses dismisses the spies with this charge,
Be of good courage, intimating, not only that they should be themselves encouraged against the difficulties of this expedition, but that they should bring an encouraging account to the people and make the best of every thing. It was not only a great undertaking they were put upon, which required good management and resolution, but it was a great trust that was reposed in them, which required that they should be faithful.
21 We have here a short account of the survey which the spies made of the promised land. 1. They went quite through it, from Zin in the south, to Rehob, near Hamath, in the north,
Num 13:21. See
Num 34:3,
Num 34:8. It is probable that they did not go altogether in a body, lest they should be suspected and taken up, which there would be the more danger of if the Canaanites knew (and one would think they could not but know) how near the Israelites were to them; but they divided themselves into several companies, and so passed unsuspected, as way-faring men. 2. They took particular notice of Hebron (
Num 13:22), probably because near there was the field of Machpelah, where the patriarchs were buried (
Gen 23:2), whose dead bodies did, as it were, keep possession of that land for their posterity. To this sepulchre they made a particular visit, and found the adjoining city in the possession of the sons of Anak, who are here named. In that place where they expected the greatest encouragements they met with the greatest discouragements. Where the bodies of their ancestors kept possession for them the giants kept possession against them.
They ascended by the south, and came to Hebron, that is, Caleb, say the Jews, in particular, for to his being there we find express reference,
Josh 14:9,
Josh 14:12,
Josh 14:13. But that others of the spies were there too appears by their description of the Anakim, v. 33. 3. They brought a bunch of grapes with them, and some other of the fruits of the land, as a proof of the extraordinary goodness of the country. Probably they furnished themselves with these fruits when they were leaving the country and returning. The cluster of grapes was so large and so heavy that they hung it upon a bar, and carried it between two of them,
Num 13:23,
Num 13:24. The place whence they took it was, from this circumstance, called the
valley of the cluster, that famous cluster which was to Israel both the earnest and the specimen of all the fruits of Canaan. Such are the present comforts which we have in communion with God, foretastes of the fulness of joy we expect in the heavenly Canaan. We may see by them what heaven is.
26 It is a wonder how the people of Israel had patience to stay forty days for the return of their spies, when they were just ready to enter Canaan, under all the assurances of success they could have from the divine power, and a constant series of miracles that had hitherto attended them; but they distrusted God's power and promise, and were willing to be held in suspense by their own counsels, rather than be brought to a certainty by God's covenant. How much do we stand in our own light by our unbelief! Well, at length the messengers return, but they agree not in their report.
I. The major part discourage the people from going forward to Canaan; and justly are the Israelites left to this temptation, for putting so much confidence in the judgment of men, when they had the word of God to trust to. It is a righteous thing with God to give those up to strong delusions who will not receive his truth in the love of it.
1. Observe their report. (1.) They could not deny but that the land of Canaan was a very fruitful land; the bunch of grapes they brought with them was an ocular demonstration of it,
Num 13:27. God had promised them a land flowing with milk and honey, and the evil spies themselves own that it is such a land. Thus even out of the mouth of adversaries will God be glorified and the truth of his promise attested. And yet afterwards they contradict themselves, when they say (
Num 13:32),
It is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; as if, though it had milk, and honey, and grapes, yet it wanted other necessary provision; some think that there was a great plague in the country at the time they surveyed it, which they ought to have imputed to the wisdom of the divine Providence, which thus lessened the numbers of their enemies, to facilitate their conquests; but they invidiously imputed it to the unwholesomeness of the air, and thence took occasion to disparage the country. For this unreasonable fear of a plague in Canaan, they were justly cut off immediately by a
plague in the wilderness, Num 14:37. But, (2.) They represented the conquest of it as altogether impracticable, and that it was to no purpose to attempt it. The people are strong (
Num 13:28), men of a
great stature (
Num 13:32),
stronger than we, Num 13:31. The cities are represented as impregnable fortresses: they
are walled and
very great, Num 13:28. But nothing served their ill purpose more than a description of the giants, on whom they lay a great stress:
We saw the children of Anak there (
Num 13:28), and again, we
saw the giants, those men of a prodigious size, the
sons of Anak, who
come of the giants, Num 13:33. They spoke as if they were ready to tremble at the mention of them, as they had done at the sight of them. O these tremendous giants! when we were near them,
we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, not only little and weak, but trembling and daunted. Compare
Job 39:20,
Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? Nay, and
so we were in their sight; they looked upon us with as much scorn and disdain as we did upon them with fear and trembling. So that upon the whole matter they gave it in as their judgment,
We are not able to go up against them (
Num 13:31), and therefore must think of taking some other course.
2. Now, even if they had been to judge only by human probabilities, they could not have been excused from the imputation of cowardice. Were not the hosts of Israel very numerous? 600,000 effective men, well marshalled and modelled, closely embodied, and entirely united in interest and affection, constituted as formidable an army as perhaps was ever brought into the field; many a less has done more than perhaps the conquering of Canaan was, witness Alexander's army. Moses, their commander-in-chief, was wise and brave; and if the people had put on resolution, and behaved themselves valiantly, what could have stood before them? It is true the Canaanites were strong, but they were dispersed (
Num 13:29):
Some dwell in the south and others in the mountains; so that by reason of their distance they could not soon get together, and by reason of their divided interests they could not long keep together, to oppose Israel. The country being plentiful would subsist an army, and, though the cities were walled, if they could beat them in the field the strong-holds would fall of course into their hands. And, lastly, as for the giants, their overgrown stature would but make them the better mark, and the bulkiest men have not always the best mettle.
3. But, though they deserved to be posted for cowards, this was not the worst, the scripture brands them for unbelievers. It was not any human probabilities they were required to depend upon, but, (1.) They had the manifest and sensible tokens of God's presence with them, and the engagement of his power for them. The Canaanites were stronger than Israel; suppose they were, but were they stronger than the God of Israel? We are not able to deal with them, but is not God Almighty able? Have we not him in the midst of us? Does not he go before us? And is any thing too hard for him? Were we as grasshoppers before the giants, and are not they less than grasshoppers before God? Their cities are walled against us, but can they be walled against heaven? Besides this, (2.) They had had very great experience of the length and strength of God's arm, lifted up and made bare on their behalf. Were not the Egyptians as much stronger than they as the Canaanites were? And yet, without a sword drawn by Israel or a stroke struck, the chariots and horsemen of Egypt were quite routed and ruined; the Amalekites took them at great disadvantages, and yet they were discomfited. Miracles were at this time their daily bread; were there nothing else, an army so well victualled as theirs was, so constantly, so plentifully, and all on free cost, would have a might advantage against any other force. Nay, (3.) They had particular promises made them of victory and success in their wars against the Canaanites. God had given Abraham all possible assurances that he would put his seed into possession of that land,
Gen 15:18;
Gen 17:8. He had expressly promised them by Moses that he would
drive out the Canaanites from
before them (
Exod 33:2), and that he would do it
by little and little, Exod 23:30. And, after all this, for them to say,
We are not able to go up against them, was in effect to say, God himself is not able to make his words good. It was in effect to give him the lie, and to tell him he had undertaken more than he could perform. We have a short account of their sin, with which they infected the whole congregation,
Pss 106:24. They
despised the land, they believed not his word. Though, upon search, they had found it as good as he had said,
a land flowing with milk and honey, yet they would not believe it as sure as he had said, but despaired of having it, though eternal truth itself had engaged it to them. And now this is the representation of the evil spies.
II. Caleb encouraged them to go forward, though he was seconded by Joshua only (
Num 13:30):
Caleb stilled the people, whom he saw already put into a ferment even
before Moses himself, whose shining face could not daunt them, when they began to grow unruly.
Caleb signifies
all heart, and he answered his name, was hearty himself, and would have made the people so if they would have hearkened to him. If Joshua had begun to stem the tide, he would have been suspected of partiality to Moses, whose minister he was; and therefore he prudently left it to Caleb's management at first, who was of the tribe of Judah, the leading tribe, and therefore the fittest to be heard. Caleb had seen and observed the strength of the inhabitants as much as his fellows, and upon the whole matter, 1. He speaks very confidently of success:
We are well able to overcome them, as strong as they are. 2. He animates the people to go on, and, his lot lying in the van, he speaks as one resolved to lead them on with bravery:
Let us go up at once, one bold step, one bold stroke more, will do our business; it is all our own if we have but courage to make it so:
Let us go up and possess it. He does not say, Let us go up and conquer it; he looks upon that to be as good as done already; but, Let us go up and possess it; there is nothing to be done but to enter, and take the possession which God our great Lord is ready to give us. Note,
The righteous are bold as a lion. Difficulties that lie in the way of salvation dwindle and vanish before a lively active faith in the power and promise of God.
All things are possible, if they be but promised,
to him that believes.