God’s Word Translation
Numbers 13:2
2“Send men to explore Canaan, which I’m giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of their ancestors’ tribes.”
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
1The Lord said to Moses, “Send men to explore Canaan, which I’m giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of their ancestors’ tribes.” 3So at the Lord’s command, Moses sent these men from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites. 4These are their names: Shammua, son of Zaccur, from the tribe of Reuben;
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- Sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- thou menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- that they may searchתּוּרtûr · to spyH8446
- the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- of Canaanכְּנַ֫עַןkena‛an · CanaanH3667
- which I giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- unto the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- of everyאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- tribeמַטֶּהmaţţeh maţţâh · tribeH4294
- of their fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
- a manאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- every one a rulerנָשִׂיאnâώîy' nâώi' · leaderH5387
Cross-references for Numbers 13:2
- Numbers 32:8That’s what your ancestors did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to take a look at the land.
- Deuteronomy 1:22All of you came to me and said, “Let’s send men ahead of us to gather information about the land for us. Have them report to us about the route we should take and the cities we’ll come to.”
- Joshua 2:1From Shittim Joshua, son of Nun, secretly sent out two men as spies. He told them, “Go, look at that country, especially the city of Jericho.” So they went to Jericho and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab to spend the night there.
- Numbers 1:4One man from each tribe will help you. Each of these men must be the head of a household.
- Numbers 34:18You must also take one leader from each tribe to divide the land.
- Numbers 11:16The Lord answered Moses, “Bring me 70 Israelite men who you know are leaders and officers of the people. Take them to the tent of meeting, and have them stand with you.
- Exodus 18:25Moses chose capable men from all the Israelites and put them in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10 people.
- Deuteronomy 1:15So I took the heads of your tribes who were wise and experienced men and made them officers for each of your tribes. I put them in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10 people.
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries