民数记 13
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
打探迦南
13 耶和华对摩西说： 2 “你要派十二位首领，每个支派一位，去打探我要赐给以色列人的迦南。” 3 摩西就按耶和华的吩咐，从巴兰旷野派出了十二位首领。 4 他们的名字如下：吕便支派撒刻的儿子沙姆亚， 5 西缅支派何利的儿子沙法， 6 犹大支派耶孚尼的儿子迦勒， 7 以萨迦支派约色的儿子以迦， 8 以法莲支派嫩的儿子何西阿， 9 便雅悯支派拉孚的儿子帕提， 10 西布伦支派梭底的儿子迦叠， 11 约瑟的子孙、玛拿西支派稣西的儿子迦底， 12 但支派基玛利的儿子亚米利， 13 亚设支派米迦勒的儿子西帖， 14 拿弗他利支派缚西的儿子拿比， 15 迦得支派玛基的儿子臼利。 16 以上是摩西派去打探迦南的人，他称嫩的儿子何西阿为约书亚。
17 摩西派他们去打探迦南，并嘱咐说：“你们先去南地，然后再进山区， 18 打探那地方，看看那里的居民是强是弱，是多是少； 19 那地方是好是坏，人们住的是坚固的城池还是不设防的营地； 20 土地是肥沃还是贫瘠，有没有树木。尽量带些当地的果子回来。”当时是葡萄初熟的季节。
21 于是，他们从荀旷野一直打探到哈马口附近的利合。 22 他们经南地到达希伯仑。希伯仑城比埃及的锁安城还要早建七年，那里住着亚衲人的子孙亚希幔、示筛和挞买。 23 他们来到以实各谷，在那里砍下一根葡萄枝，上面有一串葡萄，由两个人用杠子抬着，又采了一些石榴和无花果。 24 因为他们在那里砍了一串葡萄，所以就称那地方为以实各[a]谷。
25 过了四十天，他们打探完毕，返回营地。 26 他们来到巴兰旷野的加低斯向摩西、亚伦和以色列全体会众汇报，把当地的果子给大家看。 27 他们对摩西说：“我们照你的指示打探了那地方，果然是奶蜜之乡，这些都是那里的果子。 28 但那里的居民很强悍，城邑又大又坚固。我们在那里还见到亚衲人的子孙。 29 亚玛力人住在南地，赫人、耶布斯人和亚摩利人住在山区，迦南人住在海边和约旦河沿岸。” 30 迦勒让站在摩西面前的民众安静，然后说：“我们立刻去占领那地方吧！我们必能取胜。” 31 跟他一起去打探的人却说：“我们不能去攻打那些人，他们比我们强大。” 32 他们还危言耸听，说：“我们去打探的地方是吞吃居民之地，我们看见的人个个身材高大。 33 我们在那里看见了亚衲人的子孙，他们是巨人的后裔，我们跟他们相比就像蚱蜢，他们看我们也像蚱蜢。”
Footnotes
- 13:24 “以实各”意思是“一串”。
民數記 13
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
打探迦南
13 耶和華對摩西說： 2 「你要派十二位首領，每個支派一位，去打探我要賜給以色列人的迦南。」 3 摩西就按耶和華的吩咐，從巴蘭曠野派出了十二位首領。 4 他們的名字如下：呂便支派撒刻的兒子沙姆亞， 5 西緬支派何利的兒子沙法， 6 猶大支派耶孚尼的兒子迦勒， 7 以薩迦支派約色的兒子以迦， 8 以法蓮支派嫩的兒子何西阿， 9 便雅憫支派拉孚的兒子帕提， 10 西布倫支派梭底的兒子迦疊， 11 約瑟的子孫、瑪拿西支派穌西的兒子迦底， 12 但支派基瑪利的兒子亞米利， 13 亞設支派米迦勒的兒子西帖， 14 拿弗他利支派縛西的兒子拿比， 15 迦得支派瑪基的兒子臼利。 16 以上是摩西派去打探迦南的人，他稱嫩的兒子何西阿為約書亞。
17 摩西派他們去打探迦南，並囑咐說：「你們先去南地，然後再進山區， 18 打探那地方，看看那裡的居民是強是弱，是多是少； 19 那地方是好是壞，人們住的是堅固的城池還是不設防的營地； 20 土地是肥沃還是貧瘠，有沒有樹木。儘量帶些當地的果子回來。」當時是葡萄初熟的季節。
21 於是，他們從荀曠野一直打探到哈馬口附近的利合。 22 他們經南地到達希伯崙。希伯崙城比埃及的鎖安城還要早建七年，那裡住著亞衲人的子孫亞希幔、示篩和撻買。 23 他們來到以實各谷，在那裡砍下一根葡萄枝，上面有一串葡萄，由兩個人用杠子抬著，又採了一些石榴和無花果。 24 因為他們在那裡砍了一串葡萄，所以就稱那地方為以實各[a]谷。
25 過了四十天，他們打探完畢，返回營地。 26 他們來到巴蘭曠野的加低斯向摩西、亞倫和以色列全體會眾彙報，把當地的果子給大家看。 27 他們對摩西說：「我們照你的指示打探了那地方，果然是奶蜜之鄉，這些都是那裡的果子。 28 但那裡的居民很強悍，城邑又大又堅固。我們在那裡還見到亞衲人的子孫。 29 亞瑪力人住在南地，赫人、耶布斯人和亞摩利人住在山區，迦南人住在海邊和約旦河沿岸。」 30 迦勒讓站在摩西面前的民眾安靜，然後說：「我們立刻去佔領那地方吧！我們必能取勝。」 31 跟他一起去打探的人卻說：「我們不能去攻打那些人，他們比我們強大。」 32 他們還危言聳聽，說：「我們去打探的地方是吞吃居民之地，我們看見的人個個身材高大。 33 我們在那裡看見了亞衲人的子孫，他們是巨人的後裔，我們跟他們相比就像蚱蜢，他們看我們也像蚱蜢。」
Footnotes
- 13·24 「以實各」意思是「一串」。
Numbers 13
New English Translation
Spies Sent Out
13 [a] The Lord spoke[b] to Moses: 2 “Send out men to investigate[c] the land of Canaan, which I am giving[d] to the Israelites. You are to send one man from each ancestral tribe,[e] each one a leader among them.” 3 So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the command[f] of the Lord. All of them were leaders[g] of the Israelites.
4 Now these were their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur; 5 from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori; 6 from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; 7 from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph; 8 from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun; 9 from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu; 10 from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi; 11 from the tribe[h] of Joseph, namely, the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi son of Susi; 12 from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli; 13 from the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael; 14 from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vopshi; 15 from the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Maki. 16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to investigate the land. And Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun the name Joshua.[i]
The Spies’ Instructions
17 When Moses sent[j] them to investigate the land of Canaan, he told them, “Go up through the Negev,[k] and then go up into the hill country 18 and see[l] what the land is like,[m] and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, few or many, 19 and whether the land they live in is good or bad, and whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or fortified cities, 20 and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether or not there are forests in it. And be brave,[n] and bring back some of the fruit of the land.” Now it was the time of year[o] for the first ripe grapes.[p]
The Spies’ Activities
21 So they went up and investigated the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob,[q] at Lebo Hamath. 22 When they went up through the Negev, they[r] came[s] to Hebron where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai,[t] descendants of Anak, were living. (Now Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan[u] in Egypt.) 23 When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a staff[v] between two men, as well as some of the pomegranates and the figs. 24 That place was called[w] the Eshcol Valley,[x] because of the cluster[y] of grapes that the Israelites cut from there. 25 They returned from investigating the land after forty days.
The Spies’ Reports
26 They came back[z] to Moses and Aaron and to the whole community of the Israelites in the wilderness of Paran at Kadesh.[aa] They reported[ab] to the whole community and showed the fruit of the land. 27 They told Moses,[ac] “We went to the land where you sent us.[ad] It is indeed flowing with milk and honey,[ae] and this is its fruit. 28 But[af] the inhabitants[ag] are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the land of the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the banks[ah] of the Jordan.”[ai]
30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses, saying, “Let us go up[aj] and occupy it,[ak] for we are well able to conquer it.”[al] 31 But the men[am] who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against these people, because they are stronger than we are!” 32 Then they presented the Israelites with a discouraging report[an] of the land they had investigated, saying, “The land that we passed through[ao] to investigate is a land that devours[ap] its inhabitants.[aq] All the people we saw there[ar] are of great stature. 33 We even saw the Nephilim[as] there (the descendants of Anak came from the Nephilim), and we seemed like grasshoppers both to ourselves[at] and to them.”[au]
Footnotes
- Numbers 13:1 sn Chapter 13 provides the names of the spies sent into the land (vv. 1-16), their instructions (vv. 17-20), their activities (vv. 21-25), and their reports (vv. 26-33). It is a chapter that serves as a good lesson on faith, for some of the spies walked by faith, and some by sight.
- Numbers 13:1 tn The verse starts with the vav (ו) consecutive on the verb: “and….”
- Numbers 13:2 tn The imperfect tense with the conjunction is here subordinated to the preceding imperative to form the purpose clause. It can thus be translated “send…to investigate.”
- Numbers 13:2 tn The participle here should be given a future interpretation, meaning “which I am about to give” or “which I am going to give.”
- Numbers 13:2 tn Heb “one man one man of the tribe of his fathers.”
- Numbers 13:3 tn Heb “mouth.”
- Numbers 13:3 tn Heb “heads.”
- Numbers 13:11 tc Some scholars emend “tribe” to “sons.” Cf. Num 1:10.
- Numbers 13:16 sn The difference in the names is slight, a change from “he saves” to “the Lord saves.” The Greek text of the OT used Iesoun for Hebrew Yeshua.
- Numbers 13:17 tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive is here subordinated to the next verb of the same formation to express a temporal clause.
- Numbers 13:17 tn The instructions had them first go up into the southern desert of the land, and after passing through that, into the hill country of the Canaanites. The text could be rendered “into the Negev” as well as “through the Negev.”
- Numbers 13:18 tn The form is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive; the word therefore carries the volitional mood of the preceding imperatives. It may be either another imperative, or it may be subordinated as a purpose clause.
- Numbers 13:18 tn Heb “see the land, what it is.”
- Numbers 13:20 tn The verb is the Hitpael perfect with vav (ו) consecutive, from the root חָזַק (khazaq, “to be strong”). Here it could mean “strengthen yourselves” or “be courageous” or “determined.” See further uses in 2 Sam 10:12; 1 Kgs 20:22; 1 Chr 19:13.
- Numbers 13:20 tn Heb “Now the days were the days of.”
- Numbers 13:20 sn The reference to the first ripe grapes would put the time somewhere at the end of July.
- Numbers 13:21 sn Zin is on the southern edge of the land, but Rehob is far north, near Mount Hermon. The spies covered all the land.
- Numbers 13:22 tc The MT has the singular, but the ancient versions and Smr have the plural.
- Numbers 13:22 tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive is here subordinated to the following clause. The first verse gave the account of their journey over the whole land; this section focuses on what happened in the area of Hebron, which would be the basis for the false report.
- Numbers 13:22 sn These names are thought to be three clans that were in the Hebron area (see Josh 15:14; Judg 1:20). To call them descendants of Anak is usually taken to mean that they were large or tall people (2 Sam 21:18-22). They were ultimately driven out by Caleb.
- Numbers 13:22 sn The text now provides a brief historical aside for the readers. Zoan was probably the city of Tanis, although that is disputed today by some scholars. It was known in Egypt in the New Kingdom as “the fields of Tanis,” which corresponded to the “fields of Zoar” in the Hebrew Bible (Ps 78:12, 43).
- Numbers 13:23 tn The word is related etymologically to the verb for “slip, slide, bend, totter.” This would fit the use very well. A pole that would not bend would be hard to use to carry things, but a pole or stave that was flexible would serve well.
- Numbers 13:24 tn The verb is rendered as a passive because there is no expressed subject.
- Numbers 13:24 tn Or “Wadi Eshcol.” The translation “brook” is too generous; the Hebrew term refers to a river bed, a ravine or valley through which torrents of rain would rush in the rainy season; at other times it might be completely dry.
- Numbers 13:24 tn The word “Eshcol” is drawn from the Hebrew expression concerning the “cluster of grapes.” The word is probably retained in the name Burj Haskeh, two miles north of Damascus.
- Numbers 13:26 tn The construction literally has “and they went and they entered,” which may be smoothed out as a verbal hendiadys, the one verb modifying the other.
- Numbers 13:26 sn Kadesh is Ain Qadeis, about 50 miles (83 km) south of Beer Sheba. It is called Kadesh Barnea in Num 32:8.
- Numbers 13:26 tn Heb “They brought back word”; the verb is the Hiphil preterite of שׁוּב (shuv).
- Numbers 13:27 tn Heb “told him and said.” The referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Numbers 13:27 tn The relative clause modifies “the land.” It is constructed with the relative and the verb: “where you sent us.”
- Numbers 13:27 sn This is the common expression for the material abundance of the land (see further, F. C. Fensham, “An Ancient Tradition of the Fertility of Palestine,” PEQ 98 [1966]: 166-67).
- Numbers 13:28 tn The word (אֶפֶס, ʾefes) forms a very strong adversative. The land was indeed rich and fruitful, but….”
- Numbers 13:28 tn Heb “the people who are living in the land.”
- Numbers 13:29 tn Heb “by the side [hand] of.”
- Numbers 13:29 sn For more discussion on these people groups, see D. J. Wiseman, ed., Peoples of Old Testament Times.
- Numbers 13:30 tn The construction is emphatic, using the cohortative with the infinitive absolute to strengthen it: עָלֹה נַעֲלֶה (ʿaloh naʿaleh, “let us go up”) with the sense of certainty and immediacy.
- Numbers 13:30 tn The perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive brings the cohortative idea forward: “and let us possess it”; it may also be subordinated to form a purpose or result idea.
- Numbers 13:30 tn Here again the confidence of Caleb is expressed with the infinitive absolute and the imperfect tense: יָכוֹל נוּכַל (yakhol nukhal), “we are fully able” to do this. The verb יָכַל (yakhal) followed by the preposition lamed means “to prevail over, to conquer.”
- Numbers 13:31 tn The vav (ו) disjunctive on the noun at the beginning of the clause forms a strong adversative clause here.
- Numbers 13:32 tn Or “an evil report,” i.e., one that was a defamation of the grace of God.
- Numbers 13:32 tn Heb “which we passed over in it”; the pronoun on the preposition serves as a resumptive pronoun for the relative, and need not be translated literally.
- Numbers 13:32 tn The verb is the feminine singular participle from אָכַל (ʾakhal); it modifies the land as a “devouring land,” a bold figure for the difficulty of living in the place.
- Numbers 13:32 sn The expression has been interpreted in a number of ways by commentators, such as that the land was infertile, that the Canaanites were cannibals, that it was a land filled with warlike dissensions, or that it denotes a land geared for battle. It may be that they intended the land to seem infertile and insecure.
- Numbers 13:32 tn Heb “in its midst.”
- Numbers 13:33 tc The Greek version uses γίγαντας (gigantas, “giants”) to translate “the Nephilim,” but it does not retain the clause “the sons of Anak are from the Nephilim.”sn The Nephilim are the legendary giants of antiquity. They are first discussed in Gen 6:4. This forms part of the pessimism of the spies’ report.
- Numbers 13:33 tn Heb “in our eyes.”
- Numbers 13:33 tn Heb “in their eyes.”
Numbers 13
Modern English Version
Spying in Canaan
13 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Send men that they may explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel. Of every tribe of their fathers you will send a man, each one a chief among them.”
3 And Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran according to the Lord. All those men were heads of the children of Israel. 4 These were their names:
of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zakkur;
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 Maki.
16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to explore the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua.
17 Moses sent them to explore the land of Canaan and said to them, “Go up to this southland, and go up into the mountain. 18 And see what the land is, and the people that dwell in it, whether they are strong or weak, few or many; 19 and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad, and what cities are that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in fortifications; 20 and what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is wood in it or not. And you 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 explored the land from the Wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo Hamath. 22 They went up by the Negev and came to 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 to the Valley of Eshkol, and cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them, and they brought some of the pomegranates and of the figs. 24 The place was called the Valley of Eshkol because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from there. 25 They returned from exploring the land after forty days.
The Spies’ Report
26 And they returned and came to Moses and to Aaron and to all the assembly of the children of Israel, to the Wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh, and brought back word to them and to the entire assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They reported to him and said, “We came to the land where you sent us, and surely it flows with milk and honey, and this is the fruit of it. 28 However, the people are strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are fortified and very great, and also we saw the children of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negev, and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains, and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and by the edge of the Jordan.”
30 Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are able to overcome it.”
31 But the men that went up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people because they are stronger than we.” 32 They gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come from the giants, and in our eyes we were like grasshoppers, and so we were in their eyes.”
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