Numbers Chapter 13
Spies Are Sent into Canaan
A. Spies are chosen and commissioned.
(Numbers 13:1–3)
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.” So Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran according to the command of the Lord, all of them men who were heads of the children of Israel.
God commanded Moses to send men to spy out the land of Canaan, the land which He had promised to give to the children of Israel. This was a reconnaissance mission meant to gather intelligence on the condition of the land and its inhabitants. These men were not to decide if Israel could take the land, for God had already promised victory. Rather, their task was to observe and report on what they saw, confirming the goodness of what God had already declared. Each tribe sent one man, so the mission represented the entire nation of Israel. The spies were to see the land, its produce, and its defenses, then bring back a truthful account.
Moses was instructed to select men who were leaders among the people, men of reputation and influence. Their credibility would ensure that the report was taken seriously upon their return. According to Deuteronomy 1:20–25, the idea to send spies originally came from the people rather than from God. Moses said, “Look, the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 1:21). Yet, the people responded, “Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us” (Deuteronomy 1:22). Moses agreed to this, saying, “The plan pleased me well” (Deuteronomy 1:23). Though God ultimately gave permission, it was the people’s request born from uncertainty and hesitation that initiated the mission.
This act of hesitation demonstrated a lack of faith. God had already told them what the land was like and had promised it to them. By asking for confirmation, they were seeking human assurance instead of resting in divine promise. Nevertheless, God permitted the plan, using it as a test of faith. It revealed whether Israel would trust His word or fear the obstacles before them.
(Numbers 13:4–16)
Now these were their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur; from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori; from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph; from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun; from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu; from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi; from the tribe of Joseph, that is, from the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi; from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli; from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael; from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi; from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua.
From each tribe, one man was chosen to represent his people. The inclusion of every tribe demonstrated that the whole nation bore collective responsibility for the mission and would share in its consequences. Among the men chosen were two who would later stand out: Caleb from the tribe of Judah and Hoshea, later called Joshua, from the tribe of Ephraim. Joshua’s name originally meant “salvation,” but Moses changed it to Yehoshua (“Yahweh is salvation”). This name change was significant, symbolizing Joshua’s divine calling and prefiguring the name of Jesus, who is our eternal salvation. In this way, the story subtly foreshadows the greater Deliverer who would one day lead His people into the true promised rest.
(Numbers 13:17–20)
Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.
Moses gave clear and practical instructions to the spies. They were to examine the people, the cities, the fertility of the land, and its resources. Their mission covered both military and agricultural intelligence. However, Moses’ directions reflect a trace of human uncertainty. God had already declared the land “good and large, a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8), yet Moses still instructed them to see whether it was good or bad, rich or poor. This reveals how easily human reasoning can cloud faith, even among great leaders. Still, Moses’ charge to “be of good courage” indicated that he knew the journey would require faith and strength. The spies were also told to bring back fruit as proof of the land’s bounty, and since it was the season of the first ripe grapes, they would find abundant evidence of God’s provision.
Though the mission was intended to confirm God’s blessings, it would instead expose Israel’s unbelief. The spies were meant to bring back encouragement, but their report would soon reveal the heart of a nation still ruled by fear rather than faith. God was not testing the land, but the people who would inherit it.
B. The Report of the Spies
(Numbers 13:21–25)
So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, near the entrance of Hamath. And they went up through the South and came to Hebron; Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) Then they came to the Valley of Eshcol, and there cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes; they carried it between two of them on a pole. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs. The place was called the Valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the men of Israel cut down there. And they returned from spying out the land after forty days.
The twelve spies traveled throughout the land of Canaan, beginning in the Wilderness of Zin and extending northward to Rehob near Hamath. Their journey took them through the South, or Negev, and to Hebron, one of the most ancient and significant cities in the region. Hebron was noted to have existed before Zoan in Egypt, demonstrating its long-standing importance. This city was also the home of the descendants of Anak, men of great stature and renown. The mention of Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai introduces the Anakim, a race of giants that would later terrify Israel.
When the spies reached the Valley of Eshcol, they encountered extraordinary fruit, cutting down a cluster of grapes so large that it required two men to carry it on a pole. Alongside these grapes, they brought back pomegranates and figs, all of which testified to the fertility and richness of the land. The Valley of Eshcol (“Cluster”) was named in honor of this event, a reminder of the land’s abundance.
Their journey lasted forty days, a period often symbolic of testing and divine examination throughout Scripture. Just as the rains of Noah’s flood lasted forty days, Moses fasted forty days on Mount Sinai, and later, Israel would wander forty years in the wilderness, so too this reconnaissance lasted forty days as a test of faith and obedience. God used this time to reveal what was truly in their hearts. The spies saw firsthand the fulfillment of God’s promise, yet their faith would be weighed against their fears.
(Numbers 13:26–29)
Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.”
Upon their return to Kadesh, the spies presented their report to Moses, Aaron, and the entire congregation. They displayed the fruit they had brought, tangible proof of the land’s bounty. Their initial words confirmed the truth of God’s promise: “It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.” This acknowledgment affirmed that what God had declared centuries earlier to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was indeed true.
However, their testimony quickly turned from faith to fear. The ominous word “Nevertheless” marked the turning point of their report. It revealed that their evaluation was rooted in human perception rather than divine promise. They admitted the land was good but immediately followed with reasons why it could not be possessed. They described the people as strong, the cities as fortified and very large, and the inhabitants as descendants of Anak—the same giants they had encountered near Hebron. To them, the land was not merely challenging but insurmountable.
The spies also noted the presence of formidable enemies surrounding the region: the Amalekites in the south, the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites in the mountains, and the Canaanites along the sea and the Jordan River. In their estimation, the entire land was occupied and impenetrable, leaving no room for hope.
Their words revealed a deep spiritual failure. They acknowledged that God’s word was true—“It truly flows with milk and honey”—yet they concluded that His promise was not enough to overcome the obstacles before them. The proper response should have been faith-filled confidence: “Nevertheless, God is faithful.” Instead, they said, “Nevertheless, the people are strong.” Their unbelief nullified their confession of truth.
When faith is replaced by fear, facts become fuel for disobedience. The spies’ report was technically accurate but spiritually bankrupt. Their focus on the strength of men, rather than the strength of God, set the stage for national rebellion. Though they had seen the proof of God’s blessing in the land’s fruit, they refused to believe that the same God who delivered them from Egypt could deliver them into Canaan.
The forty days of exploration revealed not the weakness of Israel’s enemies but the weakness of Israel’s faith. God had tested their trust, and they had failed.
C. Caleb’s Faithful Objection and the Unbelieving Response of the Others
(Numbers 13:30)
Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”
In the midst of growing panic and murmuring among the Israelites, Caleb, a man of unwavering faith, stood firm and silenced the people before Moses. He called them to immediate obedience, saying, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” His words reflect the faith of a man who trusted in the promises and power of God rather than in the size or strength of their enemies. Caleb’s confidence was not based on human might or numbers but on divine assurance. He had seen the same giants and fortified cities as the other spies, yet his faith interpreted those realities differently.
Caleb believed that God’s word was sufficient. His response demonstrates a heart that remembered how God had defeated Pharaoh, parted the Red Sea, and sustained Israel in the wilderness. The same God who brought them out of Egypt could surely bring them into Canaan. Caleb’s words echo the truth of Romans 3:4: “Let God be true, but every man a liar.” In other words, no matter how persuasive the voices of fear might be, God’s word must always prevail over human reasoning.
Caleb’s courage stands as a timeless example of biblical faith—faith that acts immediately, without hesitation, and trusts God’s promises even when circumstances seem impossible. He did not say, “Let us prepare and see,” but rather, “Let us go up at once.” Faith is not content to delay obedience; it acts now, because faith understands that victory depends not on human strength but on divine command.
(Numbers 13:31–33)
But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And 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. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”
The faithless spies contradicted Caleb with a report of fear, doubt, and distortion. Their words reveal a mixture of truth, exaggeration, and outright falsehood. It was true that the Canaanites were strong and their cities fortified, but to say, “We are not able to go up against the people” was a lie, because God Himself had promised victory. Their focus on human ability, rather than divine power, turned truth into unbelief.
They went further, corrupting the report with exaggerations and deceit. They said the land “devours its inhabitants,” a clear falsehood, since they themselves had just survived forty days in it and brought back its rich fruit as evidence of abundance. They claimed, “All the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature,” which was an overstatement born out of fear. Though there were giants, not all Canaanites were such. Finally, they said, “We were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” This was both an exaggeration and a confession of their unbelief. The problem was not the giants’ size but their own smallness of faith.
Unbelief often cloaks itself in reason and pretends to be practical or realistic. The spies presented their case as a “factual” report, yet faith sees beyond visible circumstances to the promises of God. The truth is that unbelief is not based on reality but on distortion. The most reasonable and grounded response in any situation is to trust God’s word, for He alone defines what is truly possible.
Two men—Caleb and Joshua—saw the same land, the same giants, and the same cities, yet their conclusions were completely different. This contrast proves that faith or unbelief does not arise from external circumstances but from the heart. When the heart trusts God, obstacles become opportunities. When the heart doubts God, blessings become burdens. Caleb’s faith elevated God above the giants; the other spies’ unbelief elevated the giants above God.
Thus, this moment revealed the true condition of Israel’s heart. They had seen God’s power but failed to let it transform their perspective. Their faith was replaced by fear, and their fear produced rebellion. This report marked the turning point where the nation stood on the threshold of promise yet turned back because of unbelief.
