26 they proceeded to come to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Paran , at Kadesh ; and they brought back word to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land . 27 Thus they told him, and said , "We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey , and this is its fruit . 28 "Nevertheless e , the people who live in the land are strong , and the cities are fortified and very large ; and moreover , we saw the descendants of Anak there . 29 "Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country , and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan ." 30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said , "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it." 31 But the men who had gone up with him said , " We are not able to go up against the people , for they are too strong for us." 32 So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying , "The land through which we have gone , in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants ; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size . 33 "There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim ); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight , and so we were in their sight ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 13:26-33
Commentary on Numbers 13:26-33
(Read Numbers 13:26-33)
We may wonder that the people of Israel staid forty days for the return of their spies, when they were ready to enter Canaan, under all the assurances of success they could have from the Divine power, and the miracles that had hitherto attended them. But they distrusted God's power and promise. How much we stand in our own light by our unbelief! At length the messengers returned; but the greater part discouraged the people from going forward to Canaan. Justly are the Israelites left to this temptation, for putting confidence in the judgment of men, when they had the word of God to trust in. Though they had found the land as good as God had said, yet they would not believe it to be as sure as he had said, but despaired of having it, though Eternal Truth had engaged it to them. This was the representation of the evil spies. Caleb, however, encouraged them to go forward, though seconded by Joshua only. He does not say, Let us go up and conquer it; but, Let us go and possess it. Difficulties that are in the way of salvation, dwindle and vanish before a lively, active faith in the power and promise of God. All things are possible, if they are promised, to him that believes; but carnal sense and carnal professors are not to be trusted. Unbelief overlooks the promises and power of God, magnifies every danger and difficulty, and fills the heart with discouragement. May the Lord help us to believe! we shall then find all things possible.