New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Numbers 13
1
The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
2
"Send some men to check out the land of Canaan. I am giving it to the people of Israel. Send one leader from each of Israel's tribes."
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 32:8
Numbers 34:18
Deuteronomy 1:15
Numbers 1:4
References Israel
Exodus 18:25
Numbers 11:16
3
So Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. He sent them as the Lord had commanded. All of them were leaders of the people of Israel.
Reference
4
Here are their names. There was Shammua from the tribe of Reuben. Shammua was the son of Zaccur.
People
11
There was Gaddi from the tribe of Manasseh. Gaddi was the son of Susi. Manasseh was a tribe of Joseph.
People
16
Those are the men Moses sent to check out the land. He gave the name Joshua to Hoshea, the son of Nun.
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 13:8
17
Moses sent them to check out Canaan. He said, "Go up through the Negev Desert. Go on into the central hill country.
Reference
18
See what the land is like. See whether the people who live there are strong or weak. See whether they are few or many.
19
"What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Do the towns have high walls around them or not?
20
How is the soil? Is it rich land or poor land? Are there trees on it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land." It was the season for the first ripe grapes.
Reference
21
So the men went up and checked out the land. They went from the Desert of Zin as far as Rehob. It was in the direction of Lebo Hamath.
Reference
📍 Locations
22
They went up through the Negev Desert and came to Hebron. That's where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai lived. They belonged to the family line of Anak. Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan. Zoan was a city in Egypt.
Reference
📍 Zoan
People
23
The men came to the Valley of Eshcol. There they cut off a branch that had a single bunch of grapes on it. Two of them carried it on a pole between them. They carried some pomegranates and figs along with it.
Reference
📍 Valley of Eshcol
24
That place was called the Valley of Eshcol. That's because the men of Israel cut off a bunch of grapes there.
📍 Valley of Eshcol
25
At the end of 40 days, the men returned from checking out the land.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 34:28
26
The men came back to Moses, Aaron and the whole community of Israel. The people were at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There the men reported to Moses and Aaron and all of the people. They showed them the fruit of the land.
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 32:8
Deuteronomy 1:19
Numbers 33:36
Numbers 20:16
References Israel
Numbers 20:1
27
They gave Moses their report. They said, "We went into the land you sent us to. It really does have plenty of milk and honey! Here's some fruit from the land.
Reference
28
"But the people who live there are powerful. Their cities have high walls around them and are very large. We even saw members of the family line of Anak there.
Reference
29
The Amalekites live in the Negev Desert. The Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the central hill country. The Canaanites live near the Mediterranean Sea. They also live along the Jordan River."
Reference
30
Then Caleb interrupted the men who were speaking to Moses. He said, "We should go up and take the land. We can certainly do it."
Reference
31
But the men who had gone up with him spoke. They said, "We can't attack those people. They are stronger than we are."
Reference
32
The men spread a bad report about the land among the people of Israel. They said, "The land we checked out destroys those who live in it. All of the people we saw there are very big and tall.
Reference
Chapter Summary
Numbers 13 describes how Moses sent out twelve men to spy the land of Canaan. For each tribe of Israel, one man was sent to investigate the land God promised to give them. They wandered around the land for forty days and returned with fruit and a report about the people and the cities on the land. The twelve spies returned with a unanimous report that the land was fruitful, yet ten men spoke on the strength of the people who live in the canaanian land and discouraged Israel. Only Caleb and Joshua returned believing that Israel should claim the land.
The chapter opens up with the Lord commanding Moses to send men to explore the land of Canaan. It was the land which God promised to give to the children of Israel. Moses obeys and chooses twelve men from the tribes of Israel.
From the tribe of Ephraim, there is Hoshea, the son of Nun. From the tribe of Judah, Caleb is the son of Jephunneh. Moses names Hoshea as Joshua. The two men are going to be important figures as they are among the few that return believing that Israel should take on Canaan.
Moses instructs the twelve men before sending them off. He instructs them to go in all the land of Canaan, scout what it is like, see whether the people living in are strong and weak, numerous or few, and see if the land is good or bad.
They are to see the condition of the cities and decide whether they are open camps or heavily fortified. Moses tells them to observe the goodness of the land and to bring back some of its fruit if they can.
The twelve men go from the wilderness of Zin toward Rehob toward the entrance of Hamath and explore the land of Canaan. They go to Hebron and encounter the Anakim, descendants of Anak. These people are described as men of great stature.
They come to the valley of Eshcol, where they cut down a huge branch containing a large bunch of grapes. It took two men to carry the cluster of grapes between them on a staff. They also take some pomegranates and figs. The bunch of grapes is enough to prove that the land is abundant.
The twelve men spend forty days exploring the land of Canaan. They return to Moses, Aaron, and the congregation of Israel and show them the fruit they have brought back. They tell the congregation of the goodness of Canaan and the fruitfulness of the land. Their report serves to confirm what God said about Canaan.
Now their report turns against Canaan as they talk about the strong people inhabiting the land. The cities are heavily fortified and very big. They describe seeing the Anakim, men of great stature.
Caleb responds to the discouraging report by telling the people of Israel to take up and possess Canaan because they can surely overcome the inhabitants. Caleb does not deny the report that the land has strong people and heavily fortified cities. However, he believes that should not stop Israel from taking up Canaan.
The other spies disagree with Caleb. They tell the people of Israel that they cannot possess Canaan because the people living there are stronger. The other spies begin to sow doubt in Israel's ability to possess Canaan. Their report begins to gain ground.
The spies continue describing Canaan as a land rife with dangers. They describe the people of Canaan as giants and the Anakim as men who are as big as palm trees. The Israelites should not even think of going up to fight the people of Canaan because they are like grasshoppers in comparison to them. The land devours its inhabitants and is not for Israel to possess.
The people of Israel are now discouraged by the report of the ten spies. Their thoughts have turned away from thinking about the fruit of Canaan and God's promise of giving it to them. Instead, they begin to realize that the people living in Canaan are more powerful. The ten spies have persuaded many of Israel to believe them.
The different accounts of the twelve spies are telling. They all witnessed the same thing, yet some spoke one way, and others spoke another way. They saw the same land, the same fortified cities, the same numerous people, the same strongly built cities, and the same great statured Anakim people. They each saw the same good and fruitful land with trees bearing large fruit. The differences were in the interpretation of what they saw.
Caleb and Joshua will continue to believe what God promised Israel, while the rest of the spies focus on the problems in possessing Canaan. Numbers 13 closes right before Israel comes out with a response to what the spies said. However, the ten men have already influenced many Israelites to believe what they said.
The chapter introduces us to the character of Joshua. Before the spies were sent to Canaan, Moses changes the name of Hoshea to Joshua. Soon after this, Joshua will become the leader who takes Israel into the Promised Land after Moses. Right now, he is one of the twelve men sent to spy Canaan.
The forty-day journey allows the spies to scout the land of Canaan and bring back their report. They do not return empty-handed but bring fruit that proves their assertion that Canaan is fruitful. Yet the size of the fruit is not enough to outweigh the discouraging statements the ten spies made about Canaan's inhabitants.
Numbers 13 shows that the fear one man feels can easily influence the way another man looks at things. God had brought Israel out of Egypt, protected them in the wilderness, fed them with manna, and guided them. They had seen God's power in delivering them from captivity. Yet when the people saw Canaan's fortified cities and strong people, many feared the people of Canaan.
The chapter does not indicate that the land of Canaan was an easy land to possess. The spies were right about Canaan having strong people and heavily fortified cities. However, Caleb and Joshua continued to believe that Israel could possess Canaan because God promised the land to them.
Numbers 13 ends the chapter with Israel at a crossroads. The people have seen the land God promised to them and the fruitfulness of the land. Yet they must choose whether to believe God's promise or the words of the ten men who spoke against the promise of God. The next chapter will speak of the disaster that happened as a result of the Israelites choosing to listen to the words of the ten men.
The chapter opens up with the Lord commanding Moses to send men to explore the land of Canaan. It was the land which God promised to give to the children of Israel. Moses obeys and chooses twelve men from the tribes of Israel.
From the tribe of Ephraim, there is Hoshea, the son of Nun. From the tribe of Judah, Caleb is the son of Jephunneh. Moses names Hoshea as Joshua. The two men are going to be important figures as they are among the few that return believing that Israel should take on Canaan.
Moses instructs the twelve men before sending them off. He instructs them to go in all the land of Canaan, scout what it is like, see whether the people living in are strong and weak, numerous or few, and see if the land is good or bad.
They are to see the condition of the cities and decide whether they are open camps or heavily fortified. Moses tells them to observe the goodness of the land and to bring back some of its fruit if they can.
The twelve men go from the wilderness of Zin toward Rehob toward the entrance of Hamath and explore the land of Canaan. They go to Hebron and encounter the Anakim, descendants of Anak. These people are described as men of great stature.
They come to the valley of Eshcol, where they cut down a huge branch containing a large bunch of grapes. It took two men to carry the cluster of grapes between them on a staff. They also take some pomegranates and figs. The bunch of grapes is enough to prove that the land is abundant.
The twelve men spend forty days exploring the land of Canaan. They return to Moses, Aaron, and the congregation of Israel and show them the fruit they have brought back. They tell the congregation of the goodness of Canaan and the fruitfulness of the land. Their report serves to confirm what God said about Canaan.
Now their report turns against Canaan as they talk about the strong people inhabiting the land. The cities are heavily fortified and very big. They describe seeing the Anakim, men of great stature.
Caleb responds to the discouraging report by telling the people of Israel to take up and possess Canaan because they can surely overcome the inhabitants. Caleb does not deny the report that the land has strong people and heavily fortified cities. However, he believes that should not stop Israel from taking up Canaan.
The other spies disagree with Caleb. They tell the people of Israel that they cannot possess Canaan because the people living there are stronger. The other spies begin to sow doubt in Israel's ability to possess Canaan. Their report begins to gain ground.
The spies continue describing Canaan as a land rife with dangers. They describe the people of Canaan as giants and the Anakim as men who are as big as palm trees. The Israelites should not even think of going up to fight the people of Canaan because they are like grasshoppers in comparison to them. The land devours its inhabitants and is not for Israel to possess.
The people of Israel are now discouraged by the report of the ten spies. Their thoughts have turned away from thinking about the fruit of Canaan and God's promise of giving it to them. Instead, they begin to realize that the people living in Canaan are more powerful. The ten spies have persuaded many of Israel to believe them.
The different accounts of the twelve spies are telling. They all witnessed the same thing, yet some spoke one way, and others spoke another way. They saw the same land, the same fortified cities, the same numerous people, the same strongly built cities, and the same great statured Anakim people. They each saw the same good and fruitful land with trees bearing large fruit. The differences were in the interpretation of what they saw.
Caleb and Joshua will continue to believe what God promised Israel, while the rest of the spies focus on the problems in possessing Canaan. Numbers 13 closes right before Israel comes out with a response to what the spies said. However, the ten men have already influenced many Israelites to believe what they said.
The chapter introduces us to the character of Joshua. Before the spies were sent to Canaan, Moses changes the name of Hoshea to Joshua. Soon after this, Joshua will become the leader who takes Israel into the Promised Land after Moses. Right now, he is one of the twelve men sent to spy Canaan.
The forty-day journey allows the spies to scout the land of Canaan and bring back their report. They do not return empty-handed but bring fruit that proves their assertion that Canaan is fruitful. Yet the size of the fruit is not enough to outweigh the discouraging statements the ten spies made about Canaan's inhabitants.
Numbers 13 shows that the fear one man feels can easily influence the way another man looks at things. God had brought Israel out of Egypt, protected them in the wilderness, fed them with manna, and guided them. They had seen God's power in delivering them from captivity. Yet when the people saw Canaan's fortified cities and strong people, many feared the people of Canaan.
The chapter does not indicate that the land of Canaan was an easy land to possess. The spies were right about Canaan having strong people and heavily fortified cities. However, Caleb and Joshua continued to believe that Israel could possess Canaan because God promised the land to them.
Numbers 13 ends the chapter with Israel at a crossroads. The people have seen the land God promised to them and the fruitfulness of the land. Yet they must choose whether to believe God's promise or the words of the ten men who spoke against the promise of God. The next chapter will speak of the disaster that happened as a result of the Israelites choosing to listen to the words of the ten men.