John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 13:1-33
The Sending of the Spies and their Report8. Oshea] RV ’Hoshea,’ meaning ’help’ or ’salvation.’ Joshua, or Jehoshua (Numbers 13:16), means ’Jehovah is my help’: see on Exodus 17:9.17. Southward] RV by (RM ’into’) the South’: lit. ’into the Negeb’: see on Genesis 12:9. The spies, however, really went northward on this occasion, first through the Negeb, and then through the mountainous district lying N. of it, here called ’the mountain,’ afterwards the ’hill-country of Judah,’ to the W. of the... read more
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Numbers 13:26-33
The report of the spies 13:26-33The spies reported that the land was indeed as fruitful as they had heard (Numbers 13:27), "nevertheless . . ." (Numbers 13:28). Everything the spies said from this word on was uncalled for. [Note: See J. A. Beck, "Geography and the Narrative Shape of Numbers 13," Bibliotheca Sacra 157:627 (July-September 2000):271-80.] Their commission had been to view the land and to report back on what they saw. It was not their job to determine if the Israelites could... read more