Numbers 13: Spying Out the Land
Twelve leaders explore Canaan and return with its fruit, but ten of them spread a fearful report that magnifies the giants over the promise of God.
Numbers 13 (WEB)
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Send men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel. Of every tribe of their fathers, you shall send a man, every one a prince among them.”
3 Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran according to the commandment of Yahweh. All of them were men who were heads of the children of Israel.
4 These were their names: Of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
5 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.
6 Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
7 Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.
8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun.
9 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.
10 Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.
11 Of the tribe of Joseph, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
12 Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.
13 Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.
14 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.
15 Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
16 These are the names of the men who Moses sent to spy out the land. Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua.
17 Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way by the South, and go up into the hill country.
18 See the land, what it is; and the people who dwell therein, whether they are strong or weak, whether they are few or many;
19 and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities they are that they dwell in, whether in camps, or in strongholds;
20 and what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is wood therein, or not. Be courageous, and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the time of the first-ripe grapes.
21 So they went up, and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, to the entrance of Hamath.
22 They went up by the South, and came to Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
23 They came to the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bore it on a staff between two. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs.
24 That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the children of Israel cut down from there.
25 They returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days.
26 They went and came to Moses, to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word to them and to all the congregation. They showed them the fruit of the land.
27 They told him, and said, “We came to the land where you sent us. Surely it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
28 However the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the children of Anak there.
29 Amalek dwells in the land of the South. The Hittite, the Jebusite, and the Amorite dwell in the hill country. The Canaanite dwells by the sea, and along the side of the Jordan.”
30 Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it!”
31 But the men who went up with him said, “We aren’t able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.”
32 They brought up an evil report of the land which they had spied out to the children of Israel, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that eats up its inhabitants; and all the people who we saw in it are men of great stature.
33 There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim. We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”
Numbers 13 (KJV)
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.
3 And Moses by the commandment of the Lord sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel.
4 And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
5 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.
6 Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
7 Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.
8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.
9 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.
10 Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.
11 Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
12 Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.
13 Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.
14 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.
15 Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
16 These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.
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 strong holds;
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 firstripe grapes.
21 So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.
22 And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
23 And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.
24 The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.
25 And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.
26 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.
27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.
29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Numbers 13 (ASV)
1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Send thou men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a prince among them.
3 And Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran according to the commandment of Jehovah: all of them men who were heads of the children of Israel.
4 And these were their names: Of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
5 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.
6 Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
7 Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.
8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun.
9 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.
10 Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.
11 Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
12 Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.
13 Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.
14 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.
15 Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
16 These are the names of the men that Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua.
17 And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way by the South, and go up into the hill-country:
18 and see the land, what it is; and the people that dwell therein, whether they are strong or weak, whether they are few or many;
19 and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities they are that they dwell in, whether in camps, or in strongholds;
20 and what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is 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.
21 So they went up, and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, to the entrance of Hamath.
22 And they went up by the South, and came unto Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
23 And they came unto the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it upon a staff between two; they brought also of the pomegranates, and of the figs.
24 That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the children of Israel cut down from thence.
25 And they returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days.
26 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land.
27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us; and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
28 Howbeit the people that dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.
29 Amalek dwelleth in the land of the South: and the Hittite, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, dwell in the hill-country; and the Canaanite dwelleth by the sea, and along by the side of the Jordan.
30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
31 But the men that went up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had spied out unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature.
33 And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Summary
At Yahweh's word, Moses sends twelve men, one leader from each tribe, to spy out the land of Canaan that God is giving to Israel. They explore it for forty days, going up through the South into the hill country, and cut a single cluster of grapes so large that two men carry it on a staff between them, along with pomegranates and figs. Returning to Kadesh, they report truthfully that the land flows with milk and honey, and they show its fruit to prove it. Yet ten of the spies fix their gaze on the obstacles: the people are strong, the cities fortified and large, and the descendants of Anak are there. Caleb stills the people and urges them to go up at once, confident they are well able to overcome it. But the other men contradict him, insisting the people are stronger than Israel, and they spread an evil report of a land that devours its inhabitants. They saw themselves as grasshoppers before the giants, and so, they say, they appeared in the giants' eyes. The same land seen through faith and through fear yields two very different verdicts.
Main Characters
- Moses — The leader who, at Yahweh's command, selects twelve tribal princes and sends them to explore Canaan, charging them to be courageous and bring back fruit.
- Caleb — The spy from Judah who silences the murmuring crowd and declares that Israel is well able to take the land, trusting the promise of God over the size of its enemies.
- Joshua — The spy from Ephraim, renamed by Moses from Hoshea, who with Caleb represents the faithful minority that believes God will give Israel the land.
- The ten spies — The tribal leaders who acknowledge the land's goodness yet spread a fearful, exaggerated report of giants and fortified cities, seeing themselves as grasshoppers.
Key Verse
Numbers 13:30 (WEB)
Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it!”
Lessons Learned
- The same circumstances look entirely different through eyes of faith than through eyes of fear.
- Acknowledging the truth of our obstacles is not the same as doubting the promise of God.
- A faithful minority may have to stand alone against the consensus of the crowd.
- Comparing ourselves to our problems shrinks us; remembering God's word steadies us.
- God's gifts are good even when guarded by giants. The spies confess the land “flows with milk and honey” and bring back its fruit (Numbers 13:27, WEB), proving God's promise is real before the testing begins.
- Fear inflates the obstacle and forgets the Lord. Ten spies call it “a land that eats up its inhabitants” (Numbers 13:32, WEB), magnifying the danger while leaving God out of their calculations entirely.
- Faith answers fear with confidence in God. Caleb insists, “we are well able to overcome it!” (Numbers 13:30, WEB), not because Israel is strong, but because the God who gives the land goes with them.
- How we see ourselves shapes how we act. “We were in our own sight as grasshoppers” (Numbers 13:33, WEB); their low view of themselves and high view of the enemy paralyzed faith before they ever fought.
- What were the spies actually sent to discover, and what did they find?
- All twelve saw the same land. Why did Caleb reach a different conclusion than the other ten?
- How does fear distort the way the ten spies describe both the land and themselves?
- What is the difference between an honest assessment of difficulty and a faithless report?
- Where are you facing a 'giant' that tempts you to forget God's promises, and how might Caleb's confidence reshape your outlook?
- Moses charges them to learn whether the people are strong or weak, the land good or bad, and to bring back its fruit (13:18-20). They find a genuinely good land, rich and fruitful, but also occupied by strong people and fortified cities.
- Caleb and the ten saw the identical evidence, but Caleb reckoned with God while the others reckoned only with the giants (13:30-31). Faith does not deny the danger; it weighs it against the promise and power of the Lord.
- Fear turns a fruitful land into one that “eats up its inhabitants” and turns the spies into grasshoppers (13:32-33). Unbelief exaggerates the threat and shrinks the believer, leaving God out of the picture altogether.
- An honest assessment names the difficulty and then trusts God to meet it; a faithless report names the difficulty and concludes God cannot. Caleb and the ten reported the same facts but drew opposite conclusions because of where they placed their confidence.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name a present 'giant' and to consider how God's past faithfulness and his promises speak to it. As leader, keep the focus on God's character rather than on minimizing real struggles.