BibleTools
Numbers 13:30
Compare all
28 Nevertheless the apeople who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of bAnak there.  
29 aThe 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.”  
30 Then aCaleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”  
31 aBut 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.”  
32 aAnd 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 ball the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature.  
33 There we saw the giants (athe descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were blike grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were cin their sight.” 
Commentaries:
Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?
<< Numbers 13:29   Numbers 13:31 >>

What Does Numbers 13:30 Mean?



Numbers 13:30

After the census (Numbers 1), Israel, organized into armies, traveled the rest of the distance to the border of the Promised Land. Scouts spied out the land, and the majority gave a negative report. However, Caleb's response was positive: “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30).

Both Caleb and Joshua knew that with God on their side, they would be victorious in the battle. These righteous men understood God's intent for the clearing of the land to be a cooperative effort between God and Israel. Both parties would fight, and God's side would prevail. Of course, it did not turn out that way. Israel refused to follow God's lead in going to war, and as a consequence they had to wander for 38 years.

David C. Grabbe
Why Did God Command Israel to Go to War?

Related Topics: Consequences of Rejecting God | Consequences of Rejecting God's Lead | Cooperation Between God and Israel | Cooperation with God | Israel's Rejection of God | Israel's Rejection of God's Lead | Why did God Command Israel to Go to War?



Numbers 13:26-33

Notice the spies' timidity even at the beginning of their report, and they become increasingly fearful. If, because of God's promises in Exodus 23, they did not expect confrontation, why do they show so much trepidation? Even Joshua and Caleb expected confrontation. They most certainly did not understand that God's promises in Exodus 23 would be fulfilled without them having to lift so much as a finger to gain the land. They knew they would have to make war against the people of the land.

The underlying problem was that they did not trust that the warfare would be a cooperative effort. In effect, they believed that God could not do it. They did not trust that God would be with them, cooperating with them and fighting on their side against the common enemy, the people of the land. Joshua and Caleb knew there would be combat, but the difference was that they were confident that God would fight for Israel and against the Canaanites.

John W. Ritenbaugh
The Christian Fight (Part One)

Related Topics: Caleb and Joshua | Canaanites | Evil Spies | Fearfulness | God's Promises | Joshua and Caleb | Spiritual Timidity | Timidity | Trepidation | Trusting God | Warfare as Cooperative Effort


 
<< Numbers 13:29   Numbers 13:31 >>

Join 137,316+ readers

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning

Consistent Bible study is hard to start.

The Berean gives you the starting point: one scripture and a focused commentary in your inbox each morning — read it in minutes, or go as deep as you like.

Free, daily, and spam-free. We never share your address. Unsubscribe anytime.

Close
E-mail This Page