New English Translation
Numbers 13:2
2“Send out men to investigate the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. You are to send one man from each ancestral tribe, each one 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
1The Lord spoke to Moses: “Send out men to investigate the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. You are to send one man from each ancestral tribe, each one a leader among them.” 3So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the command of the Lord. All of them were leaders of the Israelites. 4Now 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
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 32:8Your fathers did the same thing when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land.
- Deuteronomy 1:22So all of you approached me and said, “Let’s send some men ahead of us to scout out the land and bring us back word as to how we should attack it and what the cities are like there.”
- Joshua 2:1Joshua son of Nun sent two spies out from Shittim secretly and instructed them: “Find out what you can about the land, especially Jericho.” They stopped at the house of a prostitute named Rahab and spent the night there.
- Numbers 1:4And to help you there is to be a man from each tribe, each man the head of his family.
- Numbers 34:18You must take one leader from every tribe to assist in allocating the land as an inheritance.
- Numbers 11:16The Lord said to Moses, “Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know are elders of the people and officials over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting; let them take their position there with you.
- Exodus 18:25Moses chose capable men from all Israel, and he made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
- Deuteronomy 1:15So I chose as your tribal leaders wise and well-known men, placing them over you as administrators of groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and also as other tribal officials.
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries