Numbers Chapter 13
Spies Sent into Canaan
1 Yahveh told Moses, 2 “Send one leader from each tribe to spy out Canaan that I’m giving to Israel.”
3 Moses sent out these leaders from Paran:
4from Reuben, Shammua Ben-Zaccur;
5 from Simeon, Shaphat Ben-Hori;
6 from Judah, Caleb Ben-Jephunneh;
7 from Issachar, Igal Ben-Joseph;
8 from Ephraim, Hoshea Ben-Nun, (16bthat Moses called Joshua);
9from Benjamin, Palti Ben-Raphu;
10from Zebulun, Gaddiel Ben-Sodi;
11 from Joseph, tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi Ben-Susi;
12 from Dan, Ammiel Ben-Gemalli;
13 from Asher, Sethur Ben-Michael;
14 from Naphtali, Nahbi Ben-Vophsi;
15 from Gad, Geuel Ben-Machi.
Num 13:1-15
16aMoses sent them to spy out the land.
17 He told them,
“Go up into the Negev, then to the hill country. 18 See what the land is like, how strong the people are, how many there are. 19 See if the land is good or bad. See if the towns are like open camps or if they’re fortified. 20 Is the ground lush or with little vegetation? Do they have trees? Bring back some fruit.”
It was the season for the first-ripe grapes.
21 They spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob to Lebo-hamath. 22 After they’d gone up to the Negev, they went to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, descendants of Anak, lived. (Hebron was built 7 years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 They went to the Valley of Eshcol and cut off a branch with a single cluster of grapes. They carried it on a pole between two men along with some pomegranates and figs. 24 They called that place The Valley of Eshcol because of the “cluster” of grapes they cut off there.
Num 13:16-24
The Report of the Spies
25 When they came back after 40 days, 26 they went to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back their report and showed them the fruit from the land:
27 “We went into the land, and it does flow with milk and honey. Here’s some of its fruit. 28 But the people are strong, and the towns are fortified and big. Besides, we saw descendants of Anak there. 29 Amalek lives in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the Jordan.”
30 Caleb quieted the people in front of Moses, “We should certainly go up and take possession of it. We can conquer it.”
31 But the men that had gone up with him said, “We can’t go up against the people. They’re too strong for us.”
32 They gave the people a discouraging report,
“The land overruns its people. They’re big people. 33 We saw the Nephilim [Descendants of Anak are one part of the Nephilim.]; we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what we looked like to them.”
Num 13:25-33