Numbers 13

King James Version

Full text for Numbers Chapter 13

1¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.

3And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men [were] heads of the children of Israel.

4And these [were] their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.

5Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.

6Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

7Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.

8Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.

9Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.

10Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.

11Of the tribe of Joseph, [namely], of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.

12Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.

13Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.

14Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.

15Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.

16These [are] the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.

17And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this [way] southward, and go up into the mountain:

18And see the land, what it [is]; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they [be] strong or weak, few or many;

19And what the land [is] that they dwell in, whether it [be] good or bad; and what cities [they be] that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;

20And what the land [is], whether it [be] fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time [was] the time of the firstripe grapes.

21¶ So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.

22And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, [were]. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

23And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and [they brought] of the pomegranates, and of the figs.

24The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.

25And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.

26¶ And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.

27And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this [is] the fruit of it.

28Nevertheless the people [be] strong that dwell in the land, and the cities [are] walled, [and] very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

29The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.

30And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

31But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they [are] stronger than we.

32And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, [is] a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it [are] men of a great stature.

33And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, [which come] of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The LORD commanded Moses to send twelve leaders, one from each tribe, to spy out the land of Canaan. After forty days, they returned with fruit, confirming the land's fertility, but ten of the spies reported that the inhabitants were strong giants and the cities were greatly fortified. Caleb, however, urged the people to go up and possess the land, believing they were well able to overcome it.

Medium Summary

At the LORD's command, Moses dispatched twelve men, one ruler from each of the Israelite tribes, to explore the promised land of Canaan. Among them was Oshea, whom Moses renamed Jehoshua. The spies were instructed to assess the land's quality, the strength of its inhabitants, and the nature of their cities, and to bring back some of its produce. After forty days, they returned to Kadesh, presenting a cluster of grapes, pomegranates, and figs as evidence of the land's bounty, confirming it indeed flowed with "milk and honey." However, ten of the spies delivered a fearful report, emphasizing the formidable strength of the people, the immense walled cities, and the presence of the "children of Anak," whom they described as giants. Caleb alone urged the congregation to immediately ascend and possess the land, asserting Israel's capability to conquer it, but the majority of the spies insisted on their inability to overcome such powerful adversaries.

Long Summary

In Numbers chapter 13, the LORD instructed Moses to send twelve men, one ruler from each of the tribes of Israel, to reconnoitre the land of Canaan, which He intended to give to His people. Moses, acting upon this divine command, sent these men from the wilderness of Paran, including Caleb from Judah and Oshea, whom Moses renamed Jehoshua, from Ephraim. Their mission was to ascertain the nature of the land—whether it was good or bad, fat or lean—and to observe its inhabitants, noting if they were strong or weak, few or many. They were also to examine the cities, whether they were tents or strongholds, and to bring back some of the land's fruit, as it was the season of the firstripe grapes. The spies journeyed northward, exploring the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, and ascended through the south to Hebron, where the children of Anak resided. They reached the brook of Eshcol, where they cut down a single branch bearing a cluster of grapes so large it required two men to carry it on a staff, along with pomegranates and figs. After forty days of exploration, they returned to Moses, Aaron, and the entire congregation at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They presented the fruit as proof of the land's fertility, affirming that it indeed "floweth with milk and honey." However, their report was largely negative regarding the inhabitants. They described the people as strong, the cities as walled and very great, and specifically mentioned seeing the formidable "children of Anak." They detailed the dwelling places of various tribes, including Amalekites, Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, and Canaanites. While the majority expressed fear and doubt, Caleb interjected, attempting to quiet the people before Moses, and declared confidently that Israel was "well able to overcome it." Nevertheless, the other spies contradicted him, insisting that the inhabitants were stronger than they, bringing an "evil report" that the land "eateth up the inhabitants thereof" and that they saw giants, feeling like mere grasshoppers in comparison. This chapter sets the stage for the congregation's subsequent rebellion and divine judgment.

Core Concepts

  • Divine Command for ReconnaissanceThe LORD explicitly commands Moses to send spies into Canaan, emphasizing His intention to give the land to Israel, initiating the mission.
  • The Twelve SpiesRepresentatives, one ruler from each of the twelve tribes, are chosen and named to undertake the critical task of surveying the promised land.
  • Moses Renames Oshea to JehoshuaA significant detail where Moses bestows a new name, Jehoshua (meaning "The LORD is salvation"), upon Oshea, highlighting his future leadership role.
  • The Land's Bounty and ChallengesThe spies confirm Canaan's fertility by bringing back impressive fruit, but also report formidable inhabitants, including giants (children of Anak), and heavily fortified cities.
  • Conflicting Reports and Caleb's FaithWhile ten spies deliver a fearful "evil report" emphasizing the insurmountable strength of the inhabitants, Caleb stands apart, urging immediate possession of the land based on faith in Israel's ability to conquer.
  • Giants and Self-PerceptionThe fearful spies describe the inhabitants, particularly the "children of Anak," as giants, leading them to perceive themselves as "grasshoppers" in comparison, illustrating their profound sense of inadequacy.