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26 they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh, and brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the land’s fruit. 27 They reported to Moses and said, “We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does [a]flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 But the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are [b]fortified (walled) and very large; moreover, we saw there the descendants of Anak [people of great stature and courage]. 29 [The people descended from] Amalek live in the land of the Negev (South country); the Hittite, the Jebusite, and the Amorite live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the [Dead] Sea and along the side of the Jordan.”

30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession of it; for we will certainly conquer it.” 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people [of Canaan], for they are too strong for us.” 32 So they gave the Israelites a bad report about the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we went, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants. And all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 There we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 13:27 This phrase referred to the abundant fertility of the land of Canaan. Milk (typically that of goats and sheep) was associated with abundance; “honey” referred mainly to syrups made from dates or grapes and was the epitome of sweetness. Bees’ honey was very rare and was considered the choicest of foods.
  2. Numbers 13:28 The spies probably had not seen walled cities before, having lived their childhood in Goshen in Egypt. Those who forgot God’s power to help them naturally found the situation formidable.

26 they went on and came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, [a]in the wilderness of Paran at (A)Kadesh; and they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 So they reported to him and said, “We came into the land where you sent us, and (B)it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and (C)this is its fruit. 28 Nevertheless, (D)the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And indeed, we saw (E)the [b]descendants of Anak there! 29 Amalek is living in the land of (F)the Negev, the Hittites, the Jebusites, and (G)the Amorites are living in the hill country, and (H)the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan.”

30 Then Caleb quieted the people [c]before Moses and said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will certainly prevail over it.” 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “(I)We are not able to go up against the people, because they are too strong for us.” 32 So they brought (J)a bad report of the land which they had spied out to the sons of Israel, saying, “The land through which we have gone to spy out is (K)a land that devours its inhabitants; and (L)all the people whom we saw in it are people of great stature. 33 We also saw the [d](M)Nephilim there (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and (N)we were like [e]grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 13:26 Lit to
  2. Numbers 13:28 Lit sons
  3. Numbers 13:30 Lit toward
  4. Numbers 13:33 Lit fallen ones; LXX giants
  5. Numbers 13:33 Or locusts

Report on the Exploration

26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh(A) in the Desert of Paran.(B) There they reported to them(C) and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land.(D) 27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey!(E) Here is its fruit.(F) 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.(G) We even saw descendants of Anak(H) there.(I) 29 The Amalekites(J) live in the Negev; the Hittites,(K) Jebusites(L) and Amorites(M) live in the hill country;(N) and the Canaanites(O) live near the sea and along the Jordan.(P)

30 Then Caleb(Q) silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”(R) 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report(S) about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours(T) those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.(U) 33 We saw the Nephilim(V) there (the descendants of Anak(W) come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers(X) in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

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