Berean Standard Bible
Numbers 13:2
2“Send out for yourself men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each of their fathers’ tribes send one man who is a leader among them.”
Numbers 13:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)“Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them."
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.”
Context of Numbers 13:2
1And the LORD said to Moses, “Send out for yourself men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each of their fathers’ tribes send one man who is a leader among them.” 3So at the command of the LORD, Moses sent them out from the Wilderness of Paran. All the men were leaders of the Israelites, 4and these were their names: From the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur;
Read all of Numbers 13Numbers 13:2 word by word
שְׁלַח־לְךָ֣ אֲנָשִׁ֗ים וְיָתֻ֙רוּ֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֥י נֹתֵ֖ן לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אִ֣ישׁ אֶחָד֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶחָ֜ד לְמַטֵּ֤ה אֲבֹתָיו֙ תִּשְׁלָ֔חוּ כֹּ֖ל נָשִׂ֥יא בָהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
- Send outשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- to spy outתּוּרtûr · to spyH8446
- ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- of Canaanכְּנַ֫עַןkena‛an · CanaanH3667
- whichאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
- Iאֲנִי'ănîy · IH589
- am givingנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- to the Israelitesבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- to the Israelitesיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- ·אִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- From eachכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- of their fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
- tribesמַטֶּהmaţţeh maţţâh · tribeH4294
- oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- who is a leaderנָשִׂיאnâώîy' nâώi' · leaderH5387
Cross-references for Numbers 13:2
- Numbers 32:8This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect the land.
- Deuteronomy 1:22Then all of you approached me and said, “Let us send men ahead of us to search out the land and bring us word of what route to follow and which cities to enter.”
- Joshua 2:1Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
- Numbers 1:4And one man from each tribe, the head of each family, must be there with you.
- Numbers 34:18Appoint one leader from each tribe to distribute the land.
- Numbers 11:16Then the LORD said to Moses, “Bring Me seventy of the elders of Israel known to you as leaders and officers of the people. Bring them to the Tent of Meeting and have them stand there with you.
- Exodus 18:25So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
- Deuteronomy 1:15So I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them as leaders over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens, and as officers for your tribes.
Commentaries on Numbers 13:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Send thou men, that they may search - It appears from Deuteronomy 1:19-24; that this was done in consequence of the request of the people, after the following address of Moses: "And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness - and we came unto Kadesh-Barnea; and I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the Lord our God doth give unto us. Behold the Lord thy God hath set the land before…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2A ruler - A comparison of the list with that of Numbers 13:1:5 following shows that they were not the princes of the tribes, but heads of houses or families Numbers 12:4. Of the names here given those of Joshua and Caleb alone are otherwise known to us.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-16Moses chose a leader from each tribe to explore the land God promised to the Hebrews. The tribes listed are from chapter 1, but the order is different. Caleb and Joshua later prove to be men of faith (14:30).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-331-2. The Lord spake unto Moses, Send thou men, that they may search the land, of Canaan--Compare De 1:22, whence it appears, that while the proposal of delegating confidential men from each tribe to explore the land of Canaan emanated from the people who petitioned for it, the measure received the special sanction of God, who granted their request at once as a trial, and a punishment of their distrust.Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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