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The Exploration of the Spies and Their Report
v. 21. So they went up and searched the land from the Wilderness of Zin, as the northern end of the Wilderness of Paran was called, unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath, in the extreme northern part of Canaan, not far from Laish, which was later known as Dan. After this general statement a more detailed account is given.
v. 22. And they ascended by the south, after leaving the camp of the Israelites, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt. ) These three princes of the Anakim were descendants of Arbah, the founder of Hebron, for its original name was Kiriath-arbah. This was a very old city, as Moses indicates by comparing its age with that of Zoan in Egypt, which the children of Israel knew so well.
v. 23. And they came unto the brook, or valley, of Eshcol, north of Hebron, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes (this was undoubtedly an incident of their return trip), and they bare it between two upon a staff, for its great weight made this necessary; and they brought of the pomegranates and of the figs, for the valley was known, even at a later period, for the extraordinary richness and excellence of its fruits.
v. 24. The place was called the brook, or valley, Eshcol (grape-cluster), because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.
v. 25. And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.
v. 26. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, to whom they officially reported their return, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, who assembled when the news of their return was spread, unto the Wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh, where the encampment of the Israelites was, and brought back word unto them and unto all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. They were the returned heroes, and the people very likely surged about them and plied them with questions, a process which is apt to destroy the balance even of men with humble tendencies.
v. 27. And they told him, Moses, in their official report, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, a clever phrase by which the responsibility is placed upon Moses, and surely it floweth with milk and honey, Exo_3:8; and this is the fruit of it, they had visible evidence of the extraordinary fruitfulness of the soil of Canaan.
v. 28. Nevertheless, and here the glowing report is rapidly tempered by the element of personal feelings which the majority of the spies introduced, the people be strong that dwell in the land, both in numbers and in courage, not to speak of physical strength, and the cities are walled and very great, mighty, fortified, and inaccessible; and, moreover, we saw the children of Anak there, people known for their great power.
v. 29. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south; and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and by the coast of Jordan. Cf Gen_36:12; Gen_10:15-16; Gen_13:7. No sooner, however, had this majority report been made than a very emphatic minority report was presented.
v. 30. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, for the form and the tendency of the spies' report naturally produced great excitement, and said, Let us go up at once and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. Thus Caleb voiced the opinion of himself and Joshua.
v. 31. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. Their cowardly hearts measured outward numbers only, seeing nothing but obstacles on every hand, forgetting entirely the almighty power of the Lord and His gracious promises.
v. 32. 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, its position and its fertility made it so desirable as a possession that the inhabitants, in endless feuds, were grinding one another to pieces; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature, men whose great size reminded them of the dreadful giants that lived before the Flood, Gen_6:4.
v. 33. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. Thus the exaggerations of the cowards rose to a climax in this last extravagant statement, their purpose being to fill the hearts of all the people with the same senseless fear which possessed their own hearts. "Truly an expressive type of the lying fear with which worldly-mindedness has ever depicted the difficult approaches to the kingdom of God. " Matters have reached an unfortunate stage in the Church when the men who are called to be the leaders of the congregations lose courage and dread the battle with the powers of darkness. But God always has some witnesses and servants that encourage His people and promise certain victory by the help of the Lord.