1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.
3 And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel.
4 And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.
5 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.
6 Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
7 Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.
8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.
9 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.
10 Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.
11 Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
12 Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.
13 Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.
14 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.
15 Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
16 These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.
17 And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain:
18 And see the land, what it is, and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many;
19 And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they 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 bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes.
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 back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land.
27 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.
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.
29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, 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 children 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 in it are men of a great stature.
33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
The book of Numbers is the fourth book of the KJV Holy Bible, and it is a continuation of the story of the Israelites after their exodus from Egypt. This book mainly focuses on the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness towards the promised land. In chapter 13, the Israelites are on the brink of entering the promised land, and God commands Moses to send twelve spies to explore the land and bring back a report. This chapter is significant as it sheds light on the Israelites' lack of faith, the consequences of disobedience, and the importance of trusting in God's promises. It also serves as a warning to future generations about the dangers of unbelief and the importance of walking in faith.
The chapter begins with the Lord commanding Moses to send one leader from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to spy on the land of Canaan, which He has promised to give to them (Numbers 13:1-3). The leaders were to explore the land, its people, and its resources and bring back a report. This command demonstrated God's faithfulness to His promise to give the land to the Israelites. However, it also revealed the Israelites' lack of faith and trust in God, as they had already been told that the land was theirs.
Moses chose twelve men, including Caleb and Joshua, to be the spies. They were given specific instructions to explore the land and bring back a report on its inhabitants, the land's fertility, and the resources available (Numbers 13:17-20). The spies explored the land for forty days and returned with a cluster of grapes so large that it took two men to carry it (Numbers 13:21-23). This showed that the land was indeed fertile and abundant, just as God had promised.
When the spies returned, they gave a negative report, stating that the land was inhabited by strong and powerful people, and the cities were fortified and very large (Numbers 13:28-29). This report caused fear and doubt among the Israelites, and they began to grumble and complain against Moses and Aaron (Numbers 14:2). Only Caleb and Joshua had a different report, saying that the land was indeed fertile and that they could conquer it with God's help (Numbers 13:30).
The Israelites' lack of faith and disobedience to God's command to conquer the land resulted in severe consequences. The Lord became angry with them, and He declared that none of the adults who had seen His glory and the miracles in Egypt would enter the promised land (Numbers 14:22-23). Instead, they would wander in the wilderness for forty years until the entire generation had died, except for Caleb and Joshua, who had a different spirit and followed God wholeheartedly. This chapter serves as a warning to future generations about the dangers of unbelief and disobedience towards God's commands.
Despite the negative report from the spies, Caleb and Joshua remained steadfast in their trust in God's promises. They believed that God was with them and that He would give them victory over their enemies. Their unwavering faith and trust in God earned them a special place in His heart, and they were the only ones from their generation who were allowed to enter the promised land (Numbers 14:24). This chapter teaches us the importance of trusting in God's promises and having faith even in the face of challenges and obstacles.
The main themes of this chapter are faith, obedience, and trust in God's promises. The Israelites' lack of faith and disobedience resulted in severe consequences, while Caleb and Joshua's faith and obedience earned them a place in the promised land. This chapter also highlights the importance of having a positive attitude and a different spirit, like Caleb and Joshua, in the face of challenges and difficulties. It serves as a reminder that God is faithful to His promises, and we must trust in Him and have faith in His plans for our lives.
In conclusion, chapter 13 of the book of Numbers in the KJV Holy Bible is a crucial chapter that highlights the consequences of unbelief and disobedience towards God's commands. It also emphasizes the importance of having faith and trusting in God's promises, even in the face of challenges and obstacles. This chapter serves as a warning to future generations about the dangers of unbelief and disobedience and encourages us to have a different spirit like Caleb and Joshua, who believed in God's promises and followed Him wholeheartedly.
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