Numbers 13:17-20

B. THEIR INSTRUCTIONS vv. 17-20
TEXT

Numbers 13:17. And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain: 18. And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; 19. And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strongholds. 20. And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 13:17. As Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, he said unto them, Go up this way by the South; then go up into the high land. 18. Look over the country as it is, and the people who dwell in it, whether they are strong or weak, few or many. 19. And examine the land in which they dwell, whether in tents or in fortified cities; 20. and learn how the land is, whether it is fertile or poor, whether there are trees there or not. Be courageous and bring back some of the fruit of the land. Now it was the time of the first ripe grapes.

COMMENTARY

The spies did not leave Kadesh to travel in a southerly direction, although the King James and other translations seem to say this. More accurately, the text sends them into the Negev, which is the southern portion of the land later to be given Judah. The territory is poor and barren. By contrast the remainder of Canaan would seem ideal for occupation. The Negev, excepting in the few areas where springs water narrow rivulets and fields, is virtually uninhabitable. Beyond the Negev, traveling northward, the spies would come into the southern hill country, the hills of Judea, which are suitable for both cultivation and grazing. This hill country extends from the Negev to the northernmost parts of Canaan, and continues far beyond as the Lebanon Mountains. It is the very backbone of the country.
Not only are the men to examine the land itself; they are instructed to appraise the residents. Are they strong or weak? Have they fortified cities? Is the land settled heavily or sparsely? Do the people appear to be timid or bold? Do they till the land well? Is the soil productive? Is it well provided with useful trees? All these and many more important observations might be made without any overt actions, in a walk-through kind of trip. Grapes first ripen in Palestine in late July or early August; they are usually harvested a month later.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

235.

Look up a reliable article on the Negev. Learn about the terrain, when and by whom it has been inhabited, and how it figured in later Israelite history.

236.

What major types of information were the spies to seek? Which of the items are most important, among those things they are to observe?

237.

Why did the Israelites not simply march into the land, trusting in the Lord to deliver it into their hands?

238.

Besides the first ripened grapes, what other fruits might the spies have expected to find at this season?