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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Numbers 13:1-20

Here we have, I. Orders given to send spies to search out the land of Canaan. It is here said, God directed Moses to send them (Num. 13:1; 2), but it appears by the repetition of the story afterwards (Deut. 1:22) that the motion came originally from the people; they came to Moses, and said, We will send men before us; and it was the fruit of their unbelief. They would not take God's word that it was a good land, and that he would, without fail, put them in possession of it. They could not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 13:10

Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi. See Gill on Numbers 13:4 . read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Numbers 13:1-33

The twelve spies (13:1-33)Israel pushed on towards the promised land. The long and tiresome journey through the wilderness of Paran was relieved by stoppages at various points where the people set up camp for a few days (see 10:12; 11:35; 12:16; 13:3). As they moved nearer to Canaan, Moses sent twelve spies, one from each tribe, to see what they could find out about the country - its terrain, its people, its defences and its productivity (13:1-20). The spies probably split up, going in... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Numbers 13:1-25

The sending of the 12 spies into Canaan 13:1-25When the people arrived at Kadesh the Lord told them to go up and take possession of the land He had promised them (Deuteronomy 1:19-21). Kadesh stood in the Desert of Zin, which was a section of the great Paran wilderness. The people asked Moses if they could send spies ahead of them. They did so, "that they may search out the land for us, and bring back to us word of the way by which we should go up, and the cities which we shall enter"... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Numbers 13:1-33

The failure of the first generation chs. 13-14The events recorded in chapters 13 and 14 took place while Israel was at Kadesh. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Numbers 13:3-16

The men named as the spies were not the same as the tribal princes (conveners; Numbers 1:5-15; Numbers 7:12; et al.). Their personal qualifications for this mission may have been the basis for their selection."The name [Joshua, Numbers 13:16] describes a special role that Moses wished Joshua to have when he renamed him in Numbers 13:16. Joshua’s earlier name, Hoshea, simply means ’he has saved’. In the name Hoshea, the person or god who saves is not made clear. Moses specified the LORD as the... read more

John Dummelow

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

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Numbers 13:1-33

A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey Numbers 13:27 The idea suggested is, that the true disciples of the Lord Jesus are expected to show to the world some illustration of the heavenly country to which they are journeying. In a sense they have been there, and have come back. But in what sense? I. The idea with many persons is, that the future condition of man is so completely different from this, that it is out of the question to attempt to form a conception of it. Heaven, they think, is... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Numbers 13:1-33

THE SPIES AND THEIR REPORTNumbers 13:1-33; Numbers 14:1-10Two narratives at least appear to be united in the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters. From Numbers 13:17; Numbers 13:22-23, we learn that the spies were despatched by way of the south, and that they went to Hebron and a little beyond, as far as the valley of Eshcol. But Numbers 13:21 states that they spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin, south of the Dead Sea, to the entering in of Hamath. The latter statement implies that they... read more

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