4 And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
5 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.
6 Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
7 Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.
8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.
9 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.
10 Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.
11 Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
12 Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.
13 Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.
14 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.
15 Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
4 And these were their names: H8034 of the tribe H4294 of Reuben, H7205 Shammua H8051 the son H1121 of Zaccur. H2139
5 Of the tribe H4294 of Simeon, H8095 Shaphat H8202 the son H1121 of Hori. H2753
6 Of the tribe H4294 of Judah, H3063 Caleb H3612 the son H1121 of Jephunneh. H3312
7 Of the tribe H4294 of Issachar, H3485 Igal H3008 the son H1121 of Joseph. H3130
8 Of the tribe H4294 of Ephraim, H669 Oshea H1954 the son H1121 of Nun. H5126
9 Of the tribe H4294 of Benjamin, H1144 Palti H6406 the son H1121 of Raphu. H7505
10 Of the tribe H4294 of Zebulun, H2074 Gaddiel H1427 the son H1121 of Sodi. H5476
11 Of the tribe H4294 of Joseph, H3130 namely, of the tribe H4294 of Manasseh, H4519 Gaddi H1426 the son H1121 of Susi. H5485
12 Of the tribe H4294 of Dan, H1835 Ammiel H5988 the son H1121 of Gemalli. H1582
13 Of the tribe H4294 of Asher, H836 Sethur H5639 the son H1121 of Michael. H4317
14 Of the tribe H4294 of Naphtali, H5321 Nahbi H5147 the son H1121 of Vophsi. H2058
15 Of the tribe H4294 of Gad, H1410 Geuel H1345 the son H1121 of Machi. H4352
4 And these were their names: Of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
5 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.
6 Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
7 Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.
8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun.
9 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.
10 Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.
11 Of the tribe of Joseph, `namely', of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
12 Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.
13 Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.
14 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.
15 Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
4 and these their names: For the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur.
5 For the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori.
6 For the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh.
7 For the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph.
8 For the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea, son of Nun.
9 For the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu.
10 For the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi.
11 For the tribe of Joseph, (for the tribe of Manasseh,) Gaddi son of Susi.
12 For the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli.
13 For the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael.
14 For the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vopshi.
15 For the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Machi.
4 And these are their names: for the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur;
5 for the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori;
6 for the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh;
7 for the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph;
8 for the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun;
9 for the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu;
10 for the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi;
11 for the tribe of Joseph, for the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi;
12 for the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli;
13 for the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael;
14 for the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi;
15 for the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
4 These were their names: Of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
5 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.
6 Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
7 Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.
8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun.
9 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.
10 Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.
11 Of the tribe of Joseph, [namely], of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
12 Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.
13 Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.
14 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.
15 Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
4 And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua, the son of Zaccur.
5 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat, the son of Hori.
6 Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb, the son of Jephunneh.
7 Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal, the son of Joseph.
8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea, the son of Nun.
9 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti, the son of Raphu.
10 Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel, the son of Sodi.
11 Of the tribe of Joseph, that is of the family of Manasseh, Gaddi, the son of Susi.
12 Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel, the son of Gemalli.
13 Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur, the son of Michael
14 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi, the son of Vophsi.
15 Of the tribe of Gad, Gevel, the son of Machi.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 13
Commentary on Numbers 13 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 13
Nu 13:1-33. The Names of the Men Who Were Sent to Search the Land.
1, 2. The Lord spake unto Moses, Send thou men, that they may search the land, of Canaan—Compare De 1:22, whence it appears, that while the proposal of delegating confidential men from each tribe to explore the land of Canaan emanated from the people who petitioned for it, the measure received the special sanction of God, who granted their request at once as a trial, and a punishment of their distrust.
3. those men were heads of the children of Israel—Not the princes who are named (Nu 10:14-16, 18-20, 22-27), but chiefs, leading men though not of the first rank.
16. Oshea—that is, "a desire of salvation." Jehoshua, by prefixing the name of God, means "divinely appointed," "head of salvation," "Saviour," the same as Jesus [Mt 1:21, Margin].
17. Get you up this way … , and go up into the mountain—Mount Seir (De 1:2), which lay directly from Sinai across the wilderness of Paran, in a northeasterly direction into the southern parts of the promised land.
20. Now the time was the time of the first grapes—This was in August, when the first clusters are gathered. The second are gathered in September, and the third in October. The spies' absence for a period of forty days determines the grapes they brought from Eshcol to have been of the second period.
21-24. So they … searched the land—They advanced from south to north, reconnoitering the whole land.
the wilderness of Zin—a long level plain, or deep valley of sand, the monotony of which is relieved by a few tamarisk and rethem trees. Under the names of El Ghor and El Araba, it forms the continuation of the Jordan valley, extending from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Akaba.
Rehob—or, Beth-rehob, was a city and district situated, according to some, eastward of Sidon; and, according to others, it is the same as El Hule, an extensive and fertile champaign country, at the foot of Anti-libanus, a few leagues below Paneas.
as men come to Hamath—or, "the entering in of Hamath" (2Ki 14:25), now the valley of Balbeck, a mountain pass or opening in the northern frontier, which formed the extreme limit in that direction of the inheritance of Israel. From the mention of these places, the route of the scouts appears to have been along the course of the Jordan in their advance; and their return was by the western border through the territories of the Sidonians and Philistines.
22. unto Hebron—situated in the heart of the mountains of Judah, in the southern extremity of Palestine. The town or "cities of Hebron," as it is expressed in the Hebrew, consists of a number of sheikdoms distinct from each other, standing at the foot of one of those hills that form a bowl round and enclose it. "The children of Anak" mentioned in this verse seem to have been also chiefs of townships; and this coincidence of polity, existing in ages so distant from each other, is remarkable [Vere Monro]. Hebron (Kirjath Arba, Ge 23:2) was one of the oldest cities in the world.
Zoan—(the Tanis of the Greeks) was situated on one of the eastern branches of the Nile, near the lake Menzala, and was the early royal residence of the Pharaohs. It boasted a higher antiquity than any other city in Egypt. Its name, which signifies flat and level, is descriptive of its situation in the low grounds of the Delta.
23. they came unto the brook of Eshcol—that is, "the torrent of the cluster." Its location was a little to the southwest of Hebron. The valley and its sloping hills are still covered with vineyards, the character of whose fruit corresponds to its ancient celebrity.
and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes—The grapes reared in this locality are still as magnificent as formerly—they are said by one to be equal in size to prunes, and compared by another to a man's thumb. One cluster sometimes weighs ten or twelve pounds. The mode of carrying the cluster cut down by the spies, though not necessary from its weight, was evidently adopted to preserve it entire as a specimen of the productions of the promised land; and the impression made by the sight of it would be all the greater because the Israelites were familiar only with the scanty vines and small grapes of Egypt.
26. they came … to Kadesh—an important encampment of the Israelites. But its exact situation is not definitely known, nor is it determined whether it is the same or a different place from Kadesh-barnea. It is supposed to be identical with Ain-el-Weibeh, a famous spring on the eastern side of the desert [Robinson], or also with Petra [Stanley].
27, 28. they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey—The report was given publicly in the audience of the people, and it was artfully arranged to begin their narrative with commendations of the natural fertility of the country in order that their subsequent slanders might the more readily receive credit.
29. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south—Their territory lay between the Dead and the Red Seas, skirting the borders of Canaan.
Hittites … dwell in the mountains—Their settlements were in the southern and mountainous part of Palestine (Ge 23:7).
the Canaanites dwell by the sea—The remnant of the original inhabitants, who had been dispossessed by the Philistines, were divided into two nomadic hordes—one settled eastward near the Jordan; the other westward, by the Mediterranean.
32. a land that eateth up the inhabitants—that is, an unhealthy climate and country. Jewish writers say that in the course of their travels they saw a great many funerals, vast numbers of the Canaanites being cut off at that time, in the providence of God, by a plague or the hornet (Jos 24:12).
men of a great stature—This was evidently a false and exaggerated report, representing, from timidity or malicious artifice, what was true of a few as descriptive of the people generally.
33. there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak—The name is derived from the son of Arba, a great man among the Arabians (Jos 15:14), who probably obtained his appellation from wearing a splendid collar or chain round his neck, as the word imports. The epithet "giant" evidently refers here to stature. (See on Ge 6:4). And it is probable the Anakims were a distinguished family, or perhaps a select body of warriors, chosen for their extraordinary size.
we were in our own sight as grasshoppers—a strong Orientalism, by which the treacherous spies gave an exaggerated report of the physical strength of the people of Canaan.