New International Version
Numbers 13:2
2“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.”
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.
- 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.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes.”
Context of Numbers 13:2
1The Lord said to Moses, “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.” 3So at the Lord’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites. 4These are their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zakkur;
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 32:8This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land.
- Deuteronomy 1:22Then all of you came to me and said, “Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to.”
- Joshua 2:1Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
- Numbers 1:4One man from each tribe, each of them the head of his family, is to help you.
- Numbers 34:18And appoint one leader from each tribe to help assign the land.
- Numbers 11:16The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with you.
- Exodus 18:25He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
- Deuteronomy 1:15So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as 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
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