Numbers 13:28

_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._ We saw the children of Anak there. Accustomed to the Egyptians, who, as may be inferred from their mummies, were slight and short of stature, rather puny, the tall muscular appearance of the mountaineers of Hebron must, to the Israelites, have formed a striking contrast. No wonder that they inspired terror; because, combined with an extraordinary stature, they were a fierce, wild, wicked race, engaged in continual warfare. Their gigantic appearance arose from their being distinguished by unusually long necks, like the Patagonians of South America; who are noted for their personal deformity-the upper part of their bodies being of disproportionate length....

26-33 We may wonder that the people of Israel staid forty days for the return of their spies, when they were ready to enter Canaan, under all the assurances of success they could have from the Divine power, and the miracles that had hitherto attended them. But they distrusted God's power and promise. How much we stand in our own light by our unbelief! At length the messengers returned; but the greater part discouraged the people from going forward to Canaan. Justly are the Israelites left to this temptation, for putting confidence in the judgment of men, when they had the word of God to trust in. Though they had found the land as good as God had said, yet they would not believe it to be as sure as he had said, but despaired of having it, though Eternal Truth had engaged it to them. This was the representation of the evil spies. Caleb, however, encouraged them to go forward, though secon...

EXPOSITION THE REBELLION AT KADESH (Numbers 13:1, Numbers 14:1). NUMBERS 13:2 SEND THOU MEN, THAT THEY MAY SEARCH THE LAND. If this account of the mission of the spies be compared with that given in Deuteronomy 1:20-5, it may be seen in a striking instance how entirely different a colour may be put upon the same circumstances by two inspired narratives. No one indeed will affirm that the two records are contradictory, or even inconsistent, and yet they leave an entirely different impression upon the min

NEVERTHELESS THE PEOPLE [BE] STRONG THAT DWELL IN THE LAND,.... Though so plentiful and fruitful and desirable to enjoy, yet this objection lay against all hopes and even attempts to possess it, as they thought; the strength of the people, its present inhabitants, both in body and mind, being persons of a large, and some of a prodigious stature, and to all appearance men of valour and courage; AND THE CITIES [ARE] WALLED AND VERY GREAT; and so inaccessible, and able to hold out a long siege, and repel what force may be brought against them; so that to attack them would be to little purpose: AND MOREOVER WE SAW THE CHILDREN OF ANAK THERE: whom they had heard of before, and so had the congregation of Israel, and many terrible and frightful stories were told of them, and these they now saw with their eyes, and very formidable they appeared to them; this seems to prove that others beside C...

4. AT KADESH-BARNEA AND ISRAEL'S UNBELIEF CHAPTER 13 _ 1. The command to search out the land (Numbers 13:1)_ 2. The names of the spies (Numbers 13:4) 3. Directions given (Numbers 13:17) 4. Their explorations (Numbers 13:21) 5. The report they brought (Numbers 13:26) The crisis is reached with this chapter. The events of the preceding Chapter s are the prelude to the complete failure and disaster. To understand the situation we must consult...

THE ESPIAL OF CANAAN. This narrative is marked by numerous discrepancies, due to its being a fusion of two accounts drawn from JE and P. In the one (JE) the spies start probably from Kadesh (Numbers 13:26; Numbers 32:8, _cf._ Deuteronomy 1:19 f., Joshua 14:7), the survey is limited to the S. of Palestine (Numbers 13:22 f.), and the report of the land is favourable, but of the inhabitants alarming (Numbers 13:27), Caleb alone dissenting from the latter represe

NEVERTHELESS. In spite of the evidence produced. This is the conclusion of _sight,_ not of faith. Note the words "we saw", verses: Numbers 13:28; Numbers 13:32; Numbers 13:33. VERY GREAT. Great in size as well as in wickedness, abnormal, superhuman. See App-23 and App-25. WE SAW. This was "walking by sight, not by faith", 2 Corinthians 5:7....

WE SAW THE CHILDREN OF ANAK THERE— See Numbers 13:32 and Genesis 6:4. This exaggerated account of the cities and of the inhabitants was given with a view to discourage the people from attempting a country thus defended by walls almost impregnable, and by inhabitants as formidable in number as gigantic in size....

C. SURVEY AND REPORT vv. 21-33 TEXT Numbers 13:21. 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 b

THE SENDING OF THE SPIES AND THEIR REPORT 8. Oshea] RV 'Hoshea,' meaning 'help' or 'salvation.' Joshua, or Jehoshua (Numbers 13:16), means 'Jehovah is my help': see on Exodus 17:9....