Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 4 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
1 The Lord biddeth Moses send one man of every tribe to search the land of Canaan. 4 Their names and tribes. 17 Their instructions. 21 Their acts and returne after fortie dayes. 26 Their relation of the goodnesse of the land, and strength of the inhabitants. 30 Caleb incourageth the people, but the other discourage them, and bring up an evill report upon the land.
foreign
ANd Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying; Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give to the sonnes of Israel: one man, one man for a tribe of his fathers, shall yee send every one a ruler among them. And Moses sent them from the Wildernesse of Pharan, at the mouth of Iehovah: all those men were heads of the sonnes of Israel. And these were their names: Of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the sonne of Zaccur. Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the sonne of Hori.
Of the trbe of Iudah, Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh. Of the tribe of Issachar, Iigal the sonne of Ioseph. Of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the sonne of Nun. Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the sonne of Raphu. Of the tribe of Zabulon, Gaddiel the sonne of Sodi. Of the tribe of Ioseph, of the tribe of Manasses, Gaddi the sonne of Susi. Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the sonne of Gemalli. Of the tribe of Aser, Sethur the sonne of Michael. Of the tribe of Naphtali; Nahbi the sonne of Vophsi. Of the tribe of Gad; Gevel the sonne of Machi. These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spie out the land: and Moses called Hoshea the sonne of Nun, Ioshua. And Moses sent them to search the land of Canaan, and said unto them; Goe up this way Southward, and goe up into the mountaine. And see the land what it is, and the people that dwelleth theron, whether they be strong or weak, whether they be few or many. 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. And what the land is, whether it bee fat or leane, whether there be wood therein or not: and be ye of good courage, and take of the fruit of the land; (Now the dayes were the dayes of the first ripe grapes.) And they went up and searched the land, from the Wildernesse 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 yeares, before Zoan in Egypt. And they came unto the bourne of Eshcol, and cut downe from thence a branch, and one cluster of grapes; 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 sonnes of Israel cut downe from thence. And they returned from searching the land at the end of fortie dayes. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the sonnes of Israel, unto the Wildernesse of Pharan, to Kadesh: and brought backe 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 milke and honey, and this is the fruit of it. Neverthelesse, the people is strong that dwelleth in the land; and the cities sensed very great: and moreover, we saw the children of Anak there. Amalek dwelleth in the land of the South: and the Chethite, and the Iebusite, and the Amorite dwelleth in the mountaine; and the Canaanite dwelleth by the sea, and by the coast of Iordan. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Going up, let us goe up and possesse it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him, said; We be not able to goe up against the people: for they are stronger than wee. And they brought up an evill report of the land which they had searched, unto the sonnes of Israel, saying; The land, thorow 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 statures. And there we saw the Giants, the sonnes of Anak, which come of the Giants: and we were in our owne eyes as grashoppers; and so we were in their eyes.
Annotations.
Here beginneth the 37 section of the foreign Law: see Gen. 6. 9.
IEhovah spake] By Moses relation after, it appeareth, that when God had led his people from mount Horeb to Cadesh Barnea, thorow the great and fearfull Wildernesse, and they were come to the mountaine of the Amorites; then Moses said, See, the LORD thy God hath given the land before thee; Goe up possesse it. And all the people came neere unto Moses, and said; We will send men before us, and they shall search out the land for us, and bring us word againe by what way we shall go up, &c. That word liked Moses well; and he tooke of them twelve men, and sent them to spie out the land, Deut. 1. 19—24. So where here it is said, Iehovah spake, &c. it is not meant, that this motion came first from the Lord; but the people first spake of it to Moses, he consulted with the Lord about it; and the Lord approved, or at least permitted the thing which they desired.
Verse 2. Send thou] or, Send for thee: which Sol. Iarchi expoundeth to this sense; I comm… thee not; if thou pleasest, send: for as much as Israel came and said, wee will send men, &c. Deut. 1. 22. that they may search] or, and let them search, or espie, by searching round about: and the word implieth the action of the heart and minde, not of the eyes onelyonly, Eccles. 1. 13. and 7. 25. Thus God let them goe search or espie the land, which hee him-selfe before had espied for them, Ezek. 20. 6. and went before them in the way, to search them out a place to pitch their tents in, in fire by night, and in a cloud by day, Deut. 1. 33. of Canaan] that is, as the Greeke translateth, of the Chanaanites: named as the chiefe, for it was the land of seven mightie nations, Deut. 7. 1. I give] or, am giving: so he speaketh as of a thing present, for more assurance. one man one man] an Hebrew phrase, meaning, of every tribe one man, excepting the tribe of Levi, for of them none was sent; because they were to have no inheritance in the land, Deut. 18. 1. a ruler] or, a prince; not of the baser sort, because the businesse was weighty: whereupon their rebellion following was of the more note.
Verse 3. at the mouth] or, according to the mouth, that is, the word of the LORD, as the Chaldee translateth; and the Greeke, by the voice of the Lord: and this Sol. Iarchi expoundeth by his permission. So in the commentarie called Phesikta. f. 47. it is said, The election of the Spies was according to the mouth of the LORD; not that God commanded them to send them. If thou sayest, why did he not forbid them to send? To accomplish their desire, and to render them their recompense, and to give unto Ioshua and Caleb a goodreward. heads] that is, as the Greeke saith, Chiefe-rulers; and Chazkuni expoundeth them Captaines over thousands: as in Exod. 18. 25.
Verse 4. Shammua] in Greeke, Samiel sonne of Zacchour.
Verse 5. Shaphat] in Greeke, Saphat sonne of Souri.
Verse 6. Caleb] in Greeke, Chaleb son of Iephonne. See 1 Chron. 4. 15. His name signifieth Hartie: and he brought Moses word againe, as it was in his heart, Ios. 14. 7.
Verse 7. Iigal] in Greeke, Igad.
Verse 8. Hoshea] in Greeke, Auses son of Naue.
Verse 9. Palti] or as in Greeke, Phalti.
Verse 10. Gaddiel] in Greeke, Goudiel sonne of Soudi.
Verse 11. of Ioseph] He was father of Ephraim in vers. 8. as well as of Manasseh here; and sometime Ioseph is named for Ephraim, Ezek. 37. 16. 19. Revel. 7. 8. Here he is named as father of Manasseh, who was his first-borne, Ios. 17. 1. although the Hebrewes give another reason; namely, because both of them uttered an ill report; Ioseph, of his brethren, (Gen. 37. 2.) and the Prince of Manasseh, of the land: which Hoshea of Ephraim did not. Chazkuni on Num. 13.
Verse 13. Sethur] in Greeke, Sadour.
Verse 14. Nahbi] or Nachbi; in Greeke, Naabi sonne of Sabi.
Verse 15. Geuel] in Greeke, Goudiel.
Verse 16. These are the names] Chazkuni here obserueth, He sent no spie of the tribe of Levi, because he had no portion in the land. Nun] called also Non, 1 Chron. 7. 27. in Greeke, Naue. Ioshua] or, Iehoshua, called sometime Ieshua, Neh. 8. 17. in Greeke, Iesus; and so the New testament writeth him, Act. 7. 45. Heb. 4. 8. that signifieth … Saviour, Mat. 1. 21. And this name Moses gave him by the spirit of God; either as foreseeing that be should be his successor, and save the people from their enemies the Canaanites; or, (as Sol. Iarchi here noteth) praying for him, that the Lord would save him from the counsell of the (wicked) spies. But Chazkuni readeth it, Moses had called Hoshea the sonne of Nun, Ioshua, not that he now first called him Ioshua, but before when he was made his …ister, and found grace in his eyes. Wee finde him called Ioshua, before they came to mount Si…i, Exod 17. 9. and after this, when Moses is ready to die, hee is called Hoshea, in Deut. 32. 44. where Chazkuni saith thus; At the first when hee was taken to bee Moses minister, Moses called him Ioshua; for so is the manner of Kings to change the name of their ministers, Gen. 41. 45. Dan. 1. 7. But now when hee is made King himselfe, his first name is restored: neverthelesse thorow all the scripture he is called Ioshua, because he was accustomed thereto already. By this reason, the change of his name should seeme to diminish from his dignitie; whereas it was changed rather for honour; as were the names of Abram, Sarai, Iacob, and others, Gen. 17. 5. 15. and 32. 28. Neh. 9. 7. Esai. 62. 2. Mar. 3. 16, 17.
Verse 17. Southward] or, by the South; as in vers. 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 wildernesse, and waterlesse, as the originall word Negeb, signifieth D…ie ground: and Calebs daughter said to her father, Thou hast given me a south (that is, a drie) land, give me also springs of water, Iudg. 1. 15. and rivers in the south, Psal. 126. 4. meaneth refreshing after bondage and affliction. The Greeke here translateth, Goe up by this wildernesse: and so in that part was a wildernesse, Ios. 15. 1.—3. And Sol. Iarchi saith, Goe up this way by the south; that was the worst part of the land of Israel: for so is the manner of Merchants; they shew the worst things first, and afterward they shew the best. the mountaine] which was inhabited by Amalekites, Canaanites, and Amorites, Num. 14. 40. 45. Deut. 1. 44. Of this, Chazkuni giveth a reason thus; And when yee shall know how to subdue the mountaine, the vally will be …asi… to subdue.
Verse 18. the land what it is] This is againe repeated in vers. 19. and the third time in vers. …0. 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 vers. 19. is meant the aire of the countrey, and the cities, villages, tents, which were by the hand of man set theron; and by the land in v. 20. is meant the soile or ground it selfe, & fruits that grew thereon. and the people] and is here for explanàtion, that is, or I meane the people: see the notes on Gen. 13. 15. So in Psal. 66. 4. Let all the earth bow downe to thee, that is, all peoples of the earth: likewise in Psal. 100. 1. and 96. 1. and often in the scriptures. So house for houshold or people in it, Gen. 45. 11. 18. Cities for citizens, Ios. 17. 12. whether they] Hebr. whether it bee strong &c. speaking of the people, as one in multitude.
Verse 19. good or bad] this seemeth to respect the wholsomnesse of the countrie, for aire, waters, &c. as in 2 King. 2. 19. the situation of this citie is good, but the water is bad, and the land causeth to miscarie. To this Chazkuni referreth it, saying, or bad, if it cause the inhabitants thereof to mis… (or to be barren,) as 2 King. 2. 19. and hereupon they answered, It is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof, Num. 13. 32. intents] or, in campes, troupes: the Chaldee calleth them Villages (or unwalled townes) the Greeke changeth the order, saying, in walled or in unwalled townes.
Vers. 20. fat or leane] This respecteth the soile it selfe, which if it be fat, is fertile; if leane, barren. The Chaldee changeth the metaphor, saying, whether it be rich or poore. So in Neh. 9. 25. 35. they tooke strong cities, and a fat land; and in Ezek. 34. 14. fat pasture. wood] or, trees, as the Greeke and Chaldee interpret it, and Targum Ionathan, trees of food; that is, of fruit to bee eaten. be yee of good courage] or, strengthen, encourage your selves. 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.
Verse 21. of Zin] or, of Tsin: there was a wildernesse into which they came before, called Sin, so named of an Egyptian citie Sin neare it, Exod. 16. 1. Ezek. 30. 15, 16. This desart of Zin, seemeth to be so named as being a Thornie wildernesse; for Zinnim (in the forme plurall) signifieth thornes, Iob 5. 5. And as the former Sin bordered upon Egypt, so Zin bordered on the land of Canaan, Num. 34. 3, 4. Ios. 15. 3. Rehob] or Rechob, called in Greeke, Roob, (as Rechabham or Rehoboam, 1 King. 12. 1. is written in Greeke by the Holy Ghost Roboam, Mat. 1. 7.) This Rehob was a citie in the west part of the land of Canaan neare unto Sidon, which fell by lot to the tribe of Aser, Ios. 19. 28. Iudg. 1. 31. to the entrance] or, to the entring in of Hamath: so in Num. 34. 8. Ios. 13. 5. Iudg. 3. 3. Amos 6. 14. and so the Chaldee here translateth it. Hamath or Chamath, called also Hemath the great, Amos 6. 2. was a citie on the north part of Canaan, and on the East side, (as Rehob was on the West,) Num. 34. 8. Ios. 13. 5. By this description of their voyage, they went from south to north, and from west to east, so viewing the wholeland. This Hamath is in Targum Ionathan called Antiochia, (and so Hamath was after named of K. Antiochus:) and it was situate under mount Lebanan, by the river Iabok.
Verse 22. by the south] or Southward; Gr. by the wildernesse: see vers. 17. and he came unto Chebron] or, unto Hebron; a place in the south parts of Canaan, where Abraham, Isaak and Iacob, with their wives, had beene buried, Gen. 23. 2. 19. and 49. 31. see the notes on Gen. 13. 18. By he came, Sol. Iarchi and others, understand Caleb onelyonly; as if the twelve spies went not in one company, but one or two of them together: and Calebs comming thither is specially mentioned in Ios. 14. 9. the land whereon thy feet have troden, shall bee thine inheritance; and in vers. 12. now therefore give me this mountaine, whereof the Lord spake in that day; and in vers. 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 speake of many spies and lyers in wait, in the singular number; as (in Ios. 8. 19.) the lyer in ambush rose quickly out of his place. The Greeke translateth they came▪ the Chaldee hath in some copies Atha, he came; in othersome Atho, THEY came.
Animan] or, as the Greeke writeth him, Achiman: he was one of the heathen Giants dwelling in Chebron: the Hebrewes interpret his name, Who is my brother? and that hee 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; Ios. 15. 14. Iudg. 1. 10. … in Greeke, Sesei. Talmai] in Greeke, Thelames▪ children of Anak] in Greeke, generations of Enak: in Chaldee, sonnes of the Giant (or, of the mightie man.) Anak was the sonne of Arba, whereupon Chebron was in former times called Kirjah Arba, that is, the citie of Arba, Ios. 15. 13. Gen. 23. 2. before Zoan] or Tsoan, called in Greeke and Chaldee Tanes: (as of Tsor or Zor, is Tyrus in Greeke.) This declareth not onelyonly the antiquitie of Chebron, but by consequence the goodnesse of the land. For the Anakims which reigned over all, seated themselves in the best places. Sol. Iatchi 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. 13. 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, (Esai 30. 4.) but Chebron was seven time: better than it.
Verse 23. bourne] or vallie, brooke. The Hebrew Nachal signifieth both a valley, Gen. 26. 17. 19. and a river or brooke running in a valley: our English word bourne answereth to them both▪ Esh… signifieth a cluster; and of the Israelites cutting of the cluster, this place had the name, for a memoriall, vers. 24. The Greeke translateth it, the vallie of the cluster. This place is reported to have beene in the tribe of Dan, within a little of the vallie Sorck mentioned in Iudg. 16 4. a branch] to wit, of a vine, and one cluster of grapes upon it, as the Greeke version saith; and so Iarchi explaineth it, a branch of a vine, and a cluster of grapes hanging upon it. on a staffe] or, on a barre; the Greeke translateth, on barres (or leavers▪) and omitteth the words following by two: which seemeth to favour the exposition that Chazkuni giveth here, they bare it on a barre of the branch, with two other barres. But the more simple and plaine meaning is set downe in Targum Ionathan thus, on a barre, on the shoulders of two of them.
Vers. 25. at the end of 40. dayes] in Greeke, after 40. dayes. In Targum Ionathan there is added, in the monethmonth of Ab (which wee call Iuly) at the end of 40. dayes. And Chazkuni explaineth it further, that they began on the 29. of Sivan (which we name May,) and ended on the eighth of Ab (or Iuly) So many dayes, our Lord Christ after his resurrection viewed his disciples, being seene of them 40. dayes, Act. 1. 3. And according to this number of daies, the Israelites had yeares allotted them to wander and perish in the wildernesse, because they beleeved not God, but refused to goe into the good land proffered them, Numb. 14. 33. 34. Of the mysterie in this number 40. see more in the notes on Deut. 25. 3.
Verse 26. to Kadesh] called also Kadesh … Deut. 1. 19. There was a citie of the Edomite called Kadesh, Num. 20. 16. whereupon the widernesse by it was called also Kadesh, Psal. 29. … and the same was called the wildernesse of Zin, Num. 33. 36. Chazkuni here saith, The wildernesse of Pharan, and the wildernesse of Zin, and Hazeroth, and Kadesh barnea, and Rithmah (Num. 33. 18.) were one neare to another. This Kadesh (in Greeke Kades) The Chaldee nameth Rekam.
Verse 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. 3. 8. Thus they acknowledged the truth of Gods promises; they said, It is a good land which the Lord our God doth give unto us, Deut. 1. 25.
Verse 28. Neverthelesse] or, But that. This latter part of the speech, was from the ten spies (not from Caleb or Iosua,) who here take occasion to terrifie the people from going to possesse the land, Deut. 1. 28. fenced] with strong holds, high walls and munition; the Greeke expresseth it by two words, fenced, walled: in Deut. 1. 28. and 9. 1. it is said, fenced up to heaven: and in Deut. 3. 5. fenced with high walls, gates and barres. children of Anak] in Greeke, the generation of Enak, in Chaldee, sonnes of the Giant: so in Deut. 1. 28. the Greeke translateth them, sonnes of the Giants; see before on vers. 20. Of these there went a proverbe, Who can stand before the sons of Anak? Deut. 9. 2. And of this, the Greekes borrowed the word Anakes, to signifie Kings: and by interpretation Anak signifieth a chaine, Prov. 1. 9. which is an ornament for kings and great personages, and of old, upon their beasts necks also, Iudg. 8. 26. And many such men were chained with pride, as Ps. 73. 6.
Vers. 29. Amalek] that is, the Amalekites, the posteritie of Amalek the sonne of Esau; of whom see Exod. 17. 8, &c. Because they had beene smitten by Amalek (Deut. 25. 17, 18.) the spies doe now make mention of him, to make them afraid, saith Iarchion Num. 13. This Amalek (who was the first of the nations. Num. 24. 20. and an enemie to Israel) would hinder, as they thought, their entrance on the South side. in the mountaine] that is, the mountaines, or, as the Greeke translateth, the mountainy part; for these nations here reckoned were the most mighty; and the Chethites possessed mount Thabor, the Iebusites Ierusalem and mountaines about it, the Amorites mount Heres &c. Iudg. 1. 21. 34, 35, 36. and these Amorites were high as Cedars, and strong as Oakes, Amos 2. 9. so the land seemed in their eyes unpossible to be conquered. the coast] or side, Hebr. the land of Iordan; which was towards the East, as the Sea was to the west.
Vers. 30. Caleb] and Iosua with him afterward, Num. 14. 6. 7. though now at first it may be Iosua purposely held his peace in prudence, because hee was Moses minister, and let Caleb speake. stilled the people before Moses] or made the people to keepe silence before (or unto) Moses: that is, the people beginning to mumure and speake unto Moses and against him, Caleb stilled them. The Chaldee expoundeth it, he made the people to attend (that is, to hearken) unto Moses: and Ionathan in his Targum saith, hee stilled the people and caused them to attend unto Moses. And it appeareth by Deut. 1. 29, 30. that Moses himselfe spake to incourage the people; but they would not obey. and said] that is, Caleb said; as the 31. vers. manifesteth; and the Greeke addeth, he said unto him. we are well able to overcome it] or, prevailing we shall prevaile over it; meaning the land; which the Greeke explaineth, over them, the people. And this was a speech of faith, beleeving in the power and promise of God; for Caleb now spake as it was in his heart, Ios. 14. 7.
Vers. 31. But the men] Hebr. And the men; meaning ten of the twelve, all the other spies except Iosua, Num. 14. 6.
Vers. 32. an evill report] an infamie, or diffamation: of which Solomon saith, hee that uttereth it, is a foole, Prov. 10. 18. And for this their sinne, these men dyed by a plague, before the Lord, Num. 14. 37. This infamie, the Chaldee calleth an evill name: the Greeke here, a dread of the land, but in Num. 14. 36. the Greeke expoundeth it evill words. And whereas the Hebrew Dibbah signifieth but a speech or report, though commonly of faults, which may be done without sinne; the word evill is added by Moses, in Num. 14. 37. to shew that this their diffamation was very sinfull. eateth up] consumeth; in Chaldee, killeth the inhabitants; which may bee understood of their civill warres, whereby they devoured one another. For the Amorites had conquered the Moabites, Num. 21. 28, 29. the Caphtorims (or Philistines) had destroyed the Avims, Deut. 2. 23. This phrase was after used against the land, when the Heathens had destroyed the Israelites in it, Thou (land) eatest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations, Ezek. 36. 13. of statures] or of dimensions, of measures; that is, of great stature, tall and bigge; as the Greeke translateth, exceeding tall men. And as the Prophet openeth it, high as Cedars, strong as Oakes, Amos 2. 9. An example of such a man of stature we have in 2 Sam. 21. 20. that had on every hand fix fingers, and on every foot six toes, &c. and another of an Egyptian five cubits high, with a speare in his hand like a weavers beame, 1 Chron. 11. 23. So in Ier. 22. 14. an house of measures (or of statures) is for a large high house.
Vers. 33. Giants] Hebr. Nephilim, such as were before Noes floud; see Gen. 6. 4. with the annotations. as Grashoppers] or as locusts, that is, low, weake, 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 Grashoppers, Esai. 40. 22. in their eyes] that is, they so esteemed us. And by reason hereof, it may be the spies passed thorow their land more safely, whiles these mightie men despised and neglected them; as the Philistine disdained to meddle with little David, 1 Sam. 17. 42. The Hebrew Doctors to shew this, feigne this explanation; We heard them say one to another, there are pismires in the vineyards like unto men. Chazkuni on Num. 13. 33.