Chapter 13

1 The names of the men who were sent to search the land. 17 Their instructions. 21 Their acts. 26 Their relation.

1. The Lord spake. It is plain from Deut. 1:22 that God here complies with a request made originally by the people.

2. Canaan. Promised to Abraham (Gen. 17:8), to Jacob (Gen. 48:3, 4; Ps. 105:10, 11), and to Moses (Ex. 6:4). God warned the Israelites to obey His laws and not defile the land lest they, like the earlier inhabitants, be cast out of it (Lev. 18:3, 24–28; cf. Eze. 16:29).

3. The commandment. This was given to Moses in “the time of the firstripe grapes” (v. 20), which would date this incident in about the fifth month of the second year after Israel left Egypt.

From the wilderness of Paran. That is, from Kadesh-barnea (Num. 32:8; Deut. 1:19–22; 9:23; Joshua 14:7).

Heads. The rulers of hundreds and thousands (Ex. 18:25), and princes of the tribes (Num. 1:16), were so called. But these were evidently tribal “heads” of a lower category.

16. Jehoshua. This name may have been given to Oshea of the tribe of Ephraim (v. 8) shortly after the children of Israelleft Egypt; otherwise, it is used by anticipation in Ex. 17:9. The name Oshea means “salvation,” and Joshua, and abbreviated form of Jehoshua, “Jehovah is salvation.” Bible names are usually significant (see Rev. 2:13, 17; 3:12; 14:1; 19:12, 13, 16; 21:12, 14; 22:4).

17. Southward. Literally, “into the Negeb,” the south country of Palestine (see on Gen. 12:9). The spies actually went northward from Kadesh to reach the “south” country. This word, from a root meaning “dry” or “parched,” is generally applied to the desert country on the southern border of Palestine. This was a transition area between the southern desert and more arable land to the north, and therefore good for cattle grazing. This area is known by the same name today. In view of the fact that the Negeb lay to the south of Palestine, the word came to be the usual Hebrew term for “south,” as it is commonly translated in the KJV.

The mountain. The hill country of central Palestine (see on v. 29).

20. Fat. That is, productive (see Neh. 9:25, 35).

21. Wilderness of Zin. This should not be confused with the Wilderness of Sin, near Mt. Sinai (Ex. 16:1). Kadesh was situated in the Wilderness of Zin (Num. 20:1; 27:14; 33:36; 34:3, 4; Deut. 32:51; Joshua 15:1, 3), which was either included in or merged into the Wilderness of Paran (see ch. 13:3).

Unto Rehob. This could have been either the Rehob near the Sea of Galilee, or another, farther north, near the Orontes River.

22. By the south. Into the Negeb (see v. 17).

Hebron. A city about 20 mi. south of Jerusalem (Judges 1:10).

Children of Anak. The name is thought by some to mean “the children of the neck,” and so to infer that they were a long-necked people. The root word is translated “chain,” that is, a chain for the neck (Judges 8:26; Prov. 1:9; S. of Sol. 4:9). The inference is that these people around Hebron were tall, wiry men (see Deut. 1:28; 9:2).

23. Brook of Eshcol. ХEshcol means “cluster.” The same word appears in Gen. 40:10; Deut. 32:32; Isa. 65:8; Micah 7:1.

27. Milk and honey. A general term of plenty (see on Ex. 3:8; cf. 13:5; 33:3). Palestine was then far less dry and bare than it is today (see on Gen. 12:6).

28. Nevertheless. The word here translated “nevertheless” is one that suggests something impossible to man. Its use here implies their lack of faith and reveals their sin. Had they merely stated the facts of the situation, they would have done all that was required of them, but in giving this word they interposed their private opinion that the task ahead was more than the strength of Israel could accomplish.

29. The Amalekites. Descendants of Esau (see on Gen. 36:12); they were a nomadic tribe of the desert country to the south of Palestine. For their first attack on Israel, see Ex. 17:8–16.

Hittites. Subjects of a powerful empire (see on Gen. 10:15).

Jebusites. A relatively unimportant people in the vicinity of Jerusalem, later conquered by David (2 Sam. 5:6; see on Gen. 10:16).

Amorites. Remnants of a formerly powerful people. They were encountered in the hill country spoken of in Deut. 1:19, 44, and in other places (see on Gen. 10:16).

By the sea. That is, by the Mediterranean.

The coast of Jordan. Along, or literally, “by the hand of” the Jordan (see ch. 2:17).

30. Caleb. Perhaps Joshua was more of a warrior than a public speaker (see ch. 14:6).

32. An evil report. The message given was most disheartening, though not necessarily false so far as the facts were concerned. The word translated “brought up” signifies “to invent,” to “spread around.” Appearances no doubt seemed to justify the evil report. From a human point of view the conquest of Canaan may have seemed impossible. But God had promised the land to them and commanded them to enter in and subdue it. Their failure to do so at this time reflected doubt as to the power of God to give it to them. Paul’s eloquent plea for faith refers to the sad experience in Kadesh-barnea as a lesson fraught with meaning for Christians (Heb. 3:8 to 4:16).

Eateth up the inhabitants. The meaning of the expression thus translated is not clear. It can scarcely refer to the poverty of the land, since it had just been described as flowing with milk and honey (v. 27). It was a contradiction of theirreport that Canaan was a fertile land (v. 27). Reference to the superior physique of the giants would also seem to give the lie to their report.

Men of a great stature. Amos 2:9 describes the Amorites as tall like cedars and strong as oaks.

33. Giants. The word translated “giants” could be from the verb “to fall.” The same word is used in Gen. 6:4. This may refer to men who fall by the sword, and so refer to the land eating up the inhabitants (v. 32), or, it may mean men whose giant stature causes the hearts of others to fall through fear (see on Gen. 6:4). The related verb is used to express violent death (1 Sam. 4:10; 14:13).

As grasshoppers. In Isa. 40:22 the same expression is used of men in the sight of God. Such word pictures are common in Semitic languages (1 Sam. 24:14; 26:20; 1 Kings 20:27).

Ellen G. White comments

1-33PP 387-389; 4T 148-150

1, 2 SR 158; 4T 148

2     PP 387

7     4T 148

17-25PP 387

23-29SR 158

25-274T 148

27   PP 387; 5T 376

28   4T 148; 5T 376

28, 29  PP 388

30   ML 310; 4T 149; 5T 130, 134, 303, 376, 383

30, 31  Ed 149; EW 14

30-33PP 388; SR 159

31   4T 149; 5T 377

32   PP 389

32, 33  4T 148; 5T 377

33   4T 150