to spy out the land: and Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua. "And Moses sent them to search the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Go up this way southward, and go up into the mountain. 18 And see the land what it is, and the people that dwelleth thereon, whether they be strong or weak, whether they be few or many. 19 And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad, and what the cities be that they dwell in: whether in tents or in strong-holds. 20 And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein or not and be ye of good courage, and take of the fruit of the land; (Now the days were the days of the first ripe grapes.) " And they went up made king himself, his first name is restored: nevertheless, through all the scripture he is called Joshua, because he was accustomed thereto already." By this reason, the change of his name should seem to diminish from his dignity; whereas it was changed for his honour; as were the names of Abram, Sarai, Jacob, and others, Gen. xvii. 5, 15; xxxii. 28; Neh. ix. 7; Is. lxii. 2; Mark iii. 16, 17. VER. 17.-SOUTHWARD,] Or, by the south; as in ver. 22, meaning, "the south part of the land of Canaan," as Chazkuni explaineth it. For that was nearest unto them, and the worst part of the land, because it was wilderness, and waterless, as the original word Negeb signifieth dry ground: and Caleb's daughter said to her father, 'Thou hast given me a south (that is, a dry) land, give me also springs of water,' Judg. i. 15, and, 'rivers in the south,' Ps. cxxvi. 4, meaneth, refreshing after bondage and affliction. The Gr. here translateth, go up by this wilderness: and so in that part was a wilderness, Josh. XV. 1-3. And Sol. Jarchi saith, "Go up this way by the south; that was the worst part of the land of Israel: for so is the manner of merchants; they show the worst things first, and afterward they show the best." THE MOUNTAIN,] Which was inhabited by Amalekites, Canaanites, and Amorites, Num. xiv. 40, 45; Deut. i. 44. Of this, Chazkuni giveth a reason thus; "And when ye shall know how to subdue the mountain, the valley will be easy to subdue.” VER. 18.-THE LAND WHAT IT IS,] This is again repeated in ver. 19, and the third time in ver. 20, which may thus be distinguished: by the land' here, is meant, the people' of the land, as after Moses explaineth it; by the land,' in ver. 19, is meant, the air of the country, and the cities, villages, tents, which were by the hand of man set thereon; and by the land,' in ver. 20, is meant the soil or ground itself, and fruits that grew thereon. AND THE PEOPLE,] And is here for explanation, that is, or, I mean the VOL. II. C 21 : people: see the notes on Gen. xiii. 15. So in Ps. lxvi. 4, Let all the earth bow down to thee,' that is, all peoples of the earth: likewise in Ps. xcvi. 1, and cx. 1, and often in the scriptures. So, house' for household, or people in it, Gen. xlv. 11, 18. 'Cities' for citizens, Josh. xvii. 12. WHETHER THEY,] Heb. whether it be strong, &c. speaking of the people, as one in multitude. VER. 19.-GOOD OR BAD,] This seemeth to respect the wholesomeness of the country, for air, waters, &c. as in 2 Kings ii. 19, 'the situation of this country is good, but the water is bad, and the land causeth to miscarry.' To this Chazkuni referreth it, saying, "or bad, if it cause the inhabitants thereof to miscarry, or to be barren," as 2 Kings ii. 19, and hereupon they answered, 'It is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof,' Num. xiii. 32. IN TENTS,] Or, in camps, troops the Chald. calleth them, villages (or unwalled towns,) the Gr. changeth the order saying, in walled or in unwalled towns. VER. 20.-FAT OR LEAN,] This respecteth the soil itself, which if it be 'fat,' is fertile; if lean,' barren. The Chald. changeth the metaphor, saying, "whether it be rich or poor." So in Neh. ix. 25, 35, 'They took strong cities, and a fat land;' and in Ezek. xxxiv. 14, 'fat pasture.' WOOD,] Or, trees, as the Gr. and Chald. interpret it, and Thargum Jonathan, trees of food; that is, of fruit to be eaten. BE YE OF GOOD COURAGE,] Or, strengthen, encourage yourselves. THE FIRST RIPE GRAPES,] Or, the first fruits of grapes. And then, as Chazkuni observeth, "They had need to have courage, because the keepers (of the vineyards) watched them there. VER. 21.-OF ZIN,] Or, of T'sin: there was a wilderness into which they came before, called Sin,' so named of an Egyptian city Sin near it, Exod. xvi. 1; Ezek. xxx. 15, 16. This desert of Zin,' seemeth to be so named, as being a thorny wilderness; for Zinnim (in the form plural) signifieth 'thorns,'.Job v. 5. And as the former and searched the land, from the wilderness of Zin, unto Rehob, to the entrance of Hamath. And they went up by the south, and he came unto Chebron: and there were Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the children of Anak: now Hebron was built seven years, before Zoan in Egypt. And they came unto the bourne of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch, and one cluster of grapes; "Who is my brother?" and that he was so called, because "none in the world was brother to him (that is, like unto him) in strength:" yet Caleb slew him and his two brethren; Josh. xv. 14; Judg. i. 10. SHESHAI,] In Gr. Sesei. TALMAI,] In Gr. Thelamei. CHILDREN OF ANAK,] In Gr. generations of Enak: in Chald. sons of the giant (or, of the mighty man.) Anak was the son of Arba, whereupon Chebron was in former times called Kirjah Arba, that is, 'the city of Arba,' Josh. xv. 13; Gen. xxiii. BEFORE ZOAN,] Or, Tsoan, called in Gr. and Chald. Tanes: (as of Tsor or Zor, is Tyrus in Gr.) This declareth not only the antiquity of Chebron, but by consequence the goodness of the land. For the Anakims which reigned over all, seated themselves in the best places. Sol. Jarchi saith; "It may be that Cham builded Chebron for his younger son Canaan, before he builded Zoan for Mizraim his elder son, &c. Of all countries, none excelled Egypt; as it is written, 'Like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt,' (Gen. xiii. 10.) And Zoan was the most excellent in the land of Egypt, for there the kings dwelt, as it is written, For his princes were at Zoan,' (Is. xxx. 4,) but Chebron was seven times better than it." 'Sin' bordered upon Egypt,' so 'Zin' bordered on the land of Canaan,' Num. xxxiv. 3, 4; Josh. xv. 3. REHOB,] Or, Rechob, called in Gr. Roob, (as Rechabham or Rehoboam, 1 Kings xii. 1, is written in Gr. by the Holy Spirit, 'Roboam,' Matt. i. 7.) This Rehob' was a city in the west part of the land of Canaan, near unto Sidon, which fell by lot to the tribe of Aser, Josh. xix. 28; Judg. i. 31. TO THE ENTRANCE,] Or, to the entering in of Hamath: so in Num. xxxiv. 8; Josh. xiii. 5; Judg. iii. 3; Amos vi. 14, and so the Chald. here translateth it, Hamath or Chamath, called also Hemath the great,' Amos vi. 2, was a city on the north part of Canaan, and on the east side, (as Rehob' was on the west) Num. xxxiv. 8; Josh. xiii. 5. By this description of their voyage, they went from south to north, and from west to east, so viewing the whole land. This Hamath' is in Thargum Jonathan called " Antiochia,' (and so Hamath was after named of king' Antiochus:) and it was situated under mount Lebanon, by the river Jabok. VER. 22.-BY THE SOUTH,] Or, southward; Gr. by the wilderness: see ver. 17. AND HE CAME TO CHEBRON,] Or, unto Hebron; a place in the south parts of Canaan, where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with their wives, had been buried, Gen. xxiii. 2, 19; xlix. 31, see the notes on Gen. xiii. 18. By 'he came,' Sol. Jarchi and others, understand "Caleb only;" as if the twelve spies went not in one company, but one or two of them together: and Caleb's coming thither is specially mentioned in Josh. xiv. 9, the land whereon thy feet have trodden, shall be thine inheritance;' and in ver. 12, 'now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day;' and in ver. 14, Chebron 'therefore became the inheritance of' Caleb. Others understand he came,' that is, "they came;" as Chazkuni saith, "It is the manner of the scripture, to speak of many spies and liers in wait, in the singular number; as (in Josh. viii. 19,) The lier in ambush rose quickly out of his place." The Gr. translateth, "they came;" the Chald. hath in some copies "Atha, he came;" in other some "Atho, they came." AHIMAN,] Or, as the Gr. writeth him, Achiman: he was one on the heathen giants dwelling in Chebron: the Hebs. interpret his name, 2. VER. 23.-BOURNE,] Or, valley, brook. The Heb. nachal signifieth both a valley,' Gen. xxvi. 17, 19, and a river' or 'brook' running in a valley: our English word 'bourne,' answereth to them both. 'Eshcol' signifieth a 'cluster;' and of the Israelites cutting of the cluster, this place had the name, for a memorial, ver. 24. The Gr. translateth it, the valley of the cluster: this place is reported to have been in the tribe of Dan, within a little of the valley 'Sorek mentioned in Judg. xvi. 4. A BRANCH,] To wit, of a vine, "and one cluster of grapes upon it," as the Gr. version saith; and so Jarchi explaineth it, "a branch of a vine, and a cluster of grapes hanging upon it." ON A STAFF,] Or, on a bar; the Gr. translateth, on bars (or levers) and omitteth the words following, by two:' which seemeth to favour the exposition that Chazkuni giveth here, "they bar it on a bar of the branch, with two other bars." But the more simple and plain meaning is set down in Thargum Jonathan, thus," on a bar, on the shoulders of two of them." 26 and they bare it on a staff, by two: and (they brought) of the pomegranates, and of the figs. That place was called the bourne of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the sons of Israel cut down from thence. 25 And they returned from searching the land at the end of forty days. And they went and came to Moses and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, unto the wilderness of Pharan, to Kadesh: and brought back word unto them and unto all the congregation; and shewed them the fruit of the land. "And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us: and surely it floweth with milk and honey, and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless, the people is strong that dwelleth in the land; and the cities fenced very great and moreover, we saw the children of Anak there. Amalek dwelleth in the land of the south: and the Chethite, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite dwelleth in the mountain; and the Ca VER. 25.-AT THE END OF FORTY DAYS,] In Gr. after forty days. In Thargum Jonathan there is added, "in the month of Ab (which we call July) at the end of forty days." And Chazkuni explaineth it further, that they began on the twenty-ninth "of Sivan (which we name May) and ended on the eighth of Ab (or July.") So many days, our Lord Christ after his resurrection, viewed his disciples, being seen of them forty days,' Acts i. 3. And according to this number of days, the Israelites had years allotted them to wander and perish in the wilderness, because they believed not God, but refused to go into the good land proffered them, Num. xiv. 33, 34. Of the mystery in this number forty, see more in the notes on Deut. xxv. 3. VER. 26.-TO KADESH,] Called also‘Kadesh-barnea,' Deut. i. 19. There was a city of the Edomites called Kadesh,' Num. xx. 16, whereupon the wilderness by it was called also 'Kadesh,' Ps. xxix. 8, and the same was called the wilderness of Zin,' Num. xxxiii. 36. Chazkuni here saith, "The wilderness of Pharan, and the wilderness of Zin, and Hazeroth, and Kadesh-barnes, and Rithmah, (Num. xxxiii. 18,) were one near to another." This Kadesh in Gr. Kades. The Chald, nameth Rekam. VER. 27.-THEY TOLD HIM,] To wit, Moses, in the hearing of all the congregation. AND HONEY,] That is, with all good things: see the notes on Exod. iii. 8. Thus they acknowledged the truth of God's promises; they said, 'It is a good land which the Lord our God doth give unto us,' Deut. i. 25. VER. 28. NEVERTHELESS,] Or, but that. This latter part of the speech, was from the ten spies (not from Caleb or Joshua) who here take occasion to terrify the people from going to possess the land, Deut. i. 28. 28 29 FENCED,] With strong holds, high walls and munition; the Gr. expresseth it by two words, fenced, walled: in Deut. i. 28, and ix. 1, it is said, 'fenced up to heaven:' and in Deut. iii. 5, fenced with high walls, gates and bars.' CHILDREN OF ANAK,] In Gr. the generation of Enak, in Chald. sons of the giant: so in Deut. i. 28, the Gr. translateth them, sons of the giants; see before on ver. 20. Of these there went a proverb, Who can stand before the sons of Anak?' Deut. ix. 2. And of the Gr. borrowed the word Anakes, to signify kings: and by interpretation Anak signifieth 'a chain,' Prov. i. 9, which is an ornament for kings and great personages, and of old, upon their beasts' necks also, Judg. viii. 26. And many such men were chained with pride,' as Ps. lxxiii. 6. VER. 29.-AMALEK,] That is, the Amalekites, the posterity of Amalek the son of Esau; of whom see Exod. xvii. 8, &c. "Because they had been smitten by Amalek, (Deut. xxv. 17, 18,) the spies do now make mention of him, to make them afraid," saith Jarchi on Num. xiii. This Amalek (who was the first of the nations,' Num. xxiv. 20, and an enemy to Israel) would hinder, as they thought, their entrance on the south side. IN THE MOUNTAIN,] That is, the mountains, or, as the Gr. translateth, the mountainy part, for these nations here reckoned, were the most mighty; and the Chethites possessed mount Thabor, the Jebusites Jerusalem and mountains about it, the Amorites mount Heres, &c. Judg. xxi. 34-36, and these Amorites were high as cedars, and strong as oaks, Amos ii. 9, so the land seemed in their eyes impossible to be conquered. THE COAST,] Or, side, Heb. the hand of Jordan; which was towards the east, as the sea was to the west. 30 And naanite dwelleth by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Going up, let us go up and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it. 31 But the men that went up with him, said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. 32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched, unto the sons of Israel, saying, The land through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw within it are men of stature. 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own eyes as grasshoppers, and so we were in their eyes. VER. 30.-CALEB,] And Joshua with him afterward, Num. xiv. 6, 7; though now at first it may be Joshua purposely held his peace in prudence, because he was Moses' minister, and let Caleb speak. STILLED THE PEOPLE BEFORE MOSES,] Or made the people to keep silence before (or unto) Moses: that is, the people beginning to murmur and speak unto Moses and against him, Caleb stilled them. The Chald. expoundeth it, "he made the people to attend (that is, to hearken) unto Moses ;" and Jonathan in his Thargum saith, "he stilled the people, and caused them to attend unto Moses." And it appeareth by Deut. i. 29, 30; that Moses himself spake to encourage the people; but they would not obey. AND SAID,] That is, Caleb said, as the 31st ver. manifesteth; and the Gr. addeth, he said unto him. WE ARE WELL ABLE TO OVERCOME IT,] Or, prevailing we shall prevail over it meaning the land; which the Gr. explaineth, over them, the people. And this was a speech of faith, believing in the power and promise of God, for Caleb now spake as it was in his heart, Josh. xiv. 7. VER. 31.—BUT THE MEN,] Heb. and the men; meaning ten of the twelve, all the other spies except Joshua, Num. xiv. 6. VER. 32.-AN EVIL REPORT,] an infamy or defamation of which Solomon saith, 'he that uttereth it is a fool,' Prov. x. 18. And for this their sin, these men 'died by a plague before the Lord,' Num. xiv. 37. This infamy, the Chald. calleth an evil name; the Gr. here, a dread of the land; but in Num. xiv. 36, the Gr. expoundeth it, evil words. And whereas the Heb. Dibbah, signifieth but a speech or report, though commonly of faults which may be done without sin ; the word evil is added by Moses, in Num. xiv. 37; to show that this their defamation was very sin ful. EATETH UP,] consumeth; in Chald. killeth the inhabitants; which may be understood of their civil wars, whereby they devoured one another. For the Amorites had conquered the Moabites, Num. xxi. 28, 29; the Caphtorims (or Philistines) had destroyed the Avims, Deut. ii. 23. This phrase was afterwards used against the land, when the heathens had destroyed the Israelites in it, 'thou (land) eatest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations, Ezek. xxxvi. 13. OF STATURES,] Or, of dimensions of measures ; that is, of great stature, tall, and great; as the Gr. translateth, exceeding tall men. And as the prophet openeth it, high as cedars, strong as oaks, Amos ii. 9. An example of such a man of stature, we have in 2 Sam. xxi. 20, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes,' &c.; and another of an Egyptian five cubits high, with a spear in his hand like a weaver's beam,' 1 Chron. xi. 23. So in Jer. xxii. 14, a house of measures, (or of statures,) is for a large high house. VER. 33.-GIANTS,] Heb. Nephilim, such as were before Noah's flood; see Gen. vi. 4, with the annot. AS GRASSHOPPERS,] Or, as locusts; that is, low, weak, base in comparison with them, So it is said of God, he sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers,' Is. xl. 22. IN THEIR EYES,] That is, they so es. teemed us. And by reason hereof, it may be the spies passed through their land more safely, while these mighty men despised and neglected them, as the Philistine disdained to meddle with little David, 1 Sam. xvii. 24. The Heb. doctors to show this, feign this explanation, we heard them say one to another, There are pismires in the vineyards, like unto men." Chazkuni on Num. xiii. 33. CHAP. XIV. 1. The Israelites weep and murmur at the news that the spies brought out of Canaan; and speak of returning into Egypt. 6. Joshua and Caleb labour to still and encourage them, but the Israelites would have stoned them. 11. God threateneth to destroy the people. 13. Moses entreateth for them, and obtaineth pardon. 23. The murmurers are deprived of entering into the land, and condemned to wander forty years in the wilderness and die there. 36. The spies who raised the evil report, die by a plague. 39. The people hearing the sentence of God against them, mourn, and offer themselves to go up; but Moses forbid deth them. 44. Yet they presume to go up, and are smitten by their enemies. : AND all the congregation lifted up, and gave their voice, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron and all the congregation said unto them, Oh that we had died in the land of Egypt! or, in this wilderness, oh that we might die! And wherefore doth Jehovah bring us into this land, to fall by the sword? our wives and our little ones shall be for a prey: were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said every man unto his brother, let us 4 VER. 1.-LIFTED UP,] To wit, their voice, as after followeth, and as is expressed in Gen. xxi. 16, she lifted up her voice and wept.' Or, all the congregation took up, that is, received, to wit, the evil report which the spies gave of the land, Num. xiii. 32. So the phrase is used, in Exod. xxiii. 1, thou shalt not take up a vain report.' This latter, the Gr. version favoureth. GAVE THEIR VOICE,] That is, cried out. This manner of speech is used to signify any loud voice, noise, or cry of any creature, or of God himself; as in Ps. xviii. 14, the Most High gave his voice;' in Jer. ii. 15, the lions gave their voice;' in Ps. civ. 12, the fowls give the voice;' in Ps. lxxvii. 18, the skies gave a voice ;' in Hab. iii. 10, the deep gave his voice;' and in 2 Chron. xxiv. 9, men are said to give a voice, when they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem. So this people here openly rebelled, and uttered their evil hearts without fear or shame. THAT NIGHT,] Heb. in or through that night, which the Gr. explaineth, that whole night. 6 VER. 2.-AND AGAINST AARON,] Which were the Lord's ministers, therefore their murmuring was not against them only, but against the Lord, as Moses told them, in Exod. xvi. 2, S; and as after appeareth in ver, 3. OH, THAT WE MIGHT DIE,] Or, (would God) that we were dead: they are words of unbelief and despair, and of great unthankfulness: compare Exod. xvi. 3; Ps. cvi. 24, 25. The Gr. translateth, if we were dead which is a form of wishing, both in the Gr. and Heb. tongues, as in 1 Chron. iv. 10,if thou wilt bless me,' that is, oh, that thou wouldest bless me ;' so in Luke xii. 49, if it were (for, oh, that it were) already kindled ;' and so the Syriac version there explaineth it. VER. 3.-TO FALL,] i. e. that we should fall, that is, die by the sword. Here they murmur against God himself through unbelief; as David saith, they contemptuously refused the land of desire, (the pleasant land,) they believed not his word, but murmured in their tents; they heard not the voice of Jehovah,' Ps. cvi. 24, 25. WERE IT NOT BETTER,] Or, were it not good? The Gr. changeth the phrase thus, now, therefore, it is better for us to turn back into Egypt.' So, are they not written,' 2 Kings xx. 20; is explained thus, behold they are written,' 2 Chron. xxxii. 32. VER. 4.-LET US MAKE A CAPTAIN,] Heb. let us give a head: whereby give is meant make or appoint, as the Chald. expoundeth it; and by head they mean a captain or chief governor; as in Num. xxv. 4; 1 Chron. iv. 42; xii. 20; and as the Gr. here explaineth it. Thargum Jonathan pa |