131 Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying , 2 " Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan , which I am going to give to the sons of Israel ; you shall send a man from each e of their fathers' tribes , every one a leader among them." 3 So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the command of the Lord , all of them men who were heads of the sons of Israel . 4 These then were their names : from the tribe of Reuben , Shammua the son of Zaccur ; 5 from the tribe of Simeon , Shaphat the son of Hori ; 6 from the tribe of Judah , Caleb the son of Jephunneh ; 7 from the tribe of Issachar , Igal the son of Joseph ; 8 from the tribe of Ephraim , Hoshea the son of Nun ; 9 from the tribe of Benjamin , Palti the son of Raphu ; 10 from the tribe of Zebulun , Gaddiel the son of Sodi ; 11 from the tribe of Joseph , from the tribe of Manasseh , Gaddi the son of Susi ; 12 from the tribe of Dan , Ammiel the son of Gemalli ; 13 from the tribe of Asher , Sethur the son of Michael ; 14 from the tribe of Naphtali , Nahbi the son of Vophsi ; 15 from the tribe of Gad , Geuel the son of Machi . 16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land ; but Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun , Joshua . 17 When Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan , he said to them, "Go up there into the Negev ; then go up into the hill country . 18 "See what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak , whether they are few or many . 19 "How is the land in which they live , is it good or bad ? And how are the cities in which they live , are they like open camps or with fortifications ? 20 " How is the land , is it fat or lean ? Are there trees in it or not? Make an effort then to get some of the fruit of the land ." Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 13:1-20
Commentary on Numbers 13:1-20
(Read Numbers 13:1-20)
A memorable and melancholy history is related in this and the following chapter, of the turning back of Israel from the borders of Canaan, and the sentencing them to wander and perish in the wilderness, for their unbelief and murmuring. It appears, Deuteronomy 1:22, that the motion to search out the land came from the people. They had a better opinion of their own policy than of God's wisdom. Thus we ruin ourselves by believing the reports and representations of sense rather than Divine revelation. We walk by sight not by faith. Moses gave the spies this charge, Be of good courage. It was not only a great undertaking they were put upon, which required good management and resolution; but a great trust was reposed in them, which required that they should be faithful. Courage in such circumstances can only spring from strong faith, which Caleb and Joshua alone possessed.