God’s Word Translation
Numbers 13:32
32So they began to spread lies among the Israelites about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored is one that devours those who live there. All the people we saw there are very tall.
Numbers 13:32 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, "The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature.
Context of Numbers 13:32
30Caleb told the people to be quiet and listen to Moses. Caleb said, “Let’s go now and take possession of the land. We should be more than able to conquer it.” 31But the men who had gone with him said, “We can’t attack those people! They’re too strong for us!” So they began to spread lies among the Israelites about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored is one that devours those who live there. All the people we saw there are very tall. 33We saw Nephilim there. (The descendants of Anak are Nephilim.) We felt as small as grasshoppers, and that’s how we must have looked to them.”
Read all of Numbers 13Numbers 13:32 word by word
וַיּוֹצִ֜יאוּ דִּבַּ֤ת הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּר֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר הָאָ֡רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֩ עָבַ֨רְנוּ בָ֜הּ לָת֣וּר אֹתָ֗הּ אֶ֣רֶץ אֹכֶ֤לֶת יוֹשְׁבֶ֙יהָ֙ הִ֔וא וְכָל־הָעָ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־רָאִ֥ינוּ בְתוֹכָ֖הּ אַנְשֵׁ֥י מִדּֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they brought upיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: sendH3318
- an evil reportדִּבָּהdibbâh · slanderH1681
- of the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- which they had searchedתּוּרtûr · to spyH8446
- unto the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- through which we have goneעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- that eateth upאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- the inhabitantsיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- thereof; and all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- that we sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- in itתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
- menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- of a great statureמִדָּהmiddâh · measureH4060
Cross-references for Numbers 13:32
- Numbers 14:36So the men Moses sent to explore the land died in front of the Lord from a plague.
- Deuteronomy 1:28Where are we going anyway? Our own men have discouraged us by saying, ‘The people there are taller and stronger than we are. The cities are big with sky-high walls! We even saw the people of Anak there.’ ”
- Matthew 23:13“How horrible it will be for you, experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. You don’t enter it yourselves, and you don’t permit others to enter when they try.
- Numbers 13:28But the people who live there are strong, and the cities have walls and are very large. We even saw the descendants of Anak there.
- Ezekiel 36:13“ ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: People say that you devour your people and take the children away from your nation.
- Amos 2:9I destroyed the Amorites in front of them, although the Amorites were as tall as cedars and as strong as oaks. I destroyed their fruit above the ground and their roots below it.
- 2 Samuel 21:20In another battle at Gath, there was a tall man who had a total of 24 fingers and toes: six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. He also was a descendant of Haraphah.
- 1 Chronicles 20:6In another battle at Gath, there was a tall man who had 24 fingers and toes: six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. He also was a descendant of Haraphah.
Commentaries on Numbers 13:32
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 32Men of a great stature - מדות אנשי anshey middoth, men of measures - two men's height; i. e., exceedingly tall men.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 32A land that eateth up - i. e. it is a land which from its position is exposed to incessant attacks from one quarter and another, and so its occupants must be always armed and watchful.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 26-33Verses 26-33 We may wonder that the people of Israel staid forty days for the return of their spies, when they were ready to enter Canaan, under all the assurances of success they could have from the Divine power, and the miracles that had hitherto attended them. But they distrusted God's power and promise. How much we stand in our own light by our unbelief! At length the messengers returned; but the greater part discouraged the people from going forward…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-34Twelve spies explored the fertile land of Canaan and found strong enemies defending it. Earlier chapters show Israel's disobedience, hinting at future failures. The Israelites did not have the obedience, courage, or faith to capture the land. So, the Lord made them spend 40 years in the Wilderness of Sinai. That generation did not receive their inheritance in the promised land.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3232. a land that eateth up the inhabitants--that is, an unhealthy climate and country. Jewish writers say that in the course of their travels they saw a great many funerals, vast numbers of the Canaanites being cut off at that time, in the providence of God, by a plague or the hornet (Jos 24:12). men of a great stature--This was evidently a false and exaggerated report, representing, from timidity or malicious artifice, what was true of a few as…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 13:32
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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