John Calvin Commentary Numbers 13

Of every tribe of their fathers shall you send a man. If all had been taken from one tribe, or from any single portion of the people, their faithfulness might have been suspected by the others. God, therefore, intended for each tribe to be assured by its own witness, so that their report might be more unquestionable. All cause for jealousy was also to be removed, to prevent any tribe, if it had been overlooked, from objecting to the messengers, whom it supposed to have been chosen as a slight to it. This, then, was the advantage of the equal distribution, to prevent any sinister suspicion or offense from disturbing the unanimity of the whole people.

Secondly, it was required that they should be men of personal dignity, since God commanded that prominent men should be chosen, whose testimony would carry greater authority. For it would have been easy to discredit obscure individuals.

Since, however, both precautions were unsuccessful, it appears from this that there is no counsel so wise and beneficial that it cannot be perverted by the wickedness of humankind. Thus, this excellent providence of God made the people all the more inexcusable. At the same time, God has reminded us once for all by this example that, even if those who seemed to be like pillars may totter and stumble, or even fall altogether, our minds must still be supported by faith, so that we do not give way.

Their names are listed, in perpetual remembrance of their ignominy, except for two, Joshua and Caleb. For it was just that their crime should be handed down to all ages, and that the infamy of their perfidiousness should never be erased, since they endeavored, as much as they could, to nullify the promise and the grace of God.

Moses gave the name Jehoshua to the son of Nun in the spirit of prophecy, as a foreshadowing of the exalted role to which he was destined. Ambition is so rash that men are often disappointed in the outcome when they invent titles of honor on their own initiative. However, Moses was not motivated by blind affection to change the name Oshea to Jehoshua; instead, God directed his tongue and mind to commend in this way, beforehand, the one who⁴⁹ was to be the future instrument of their preservation. Still, it cannot be inferred with certainty from this passage at what time the new name was given to him. It is not specified that he was called Jehoshua at the time he was sent out; indeed, it is probable that he had been previously distinguished in this way, namely, from the period when he had been associated with Moses as his companion and assistant in all important matters.

And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron. Their direct course was not, indeed, towards the south, but they proceeded along the southern border until they came to Rehob and Hamath, after having passed the mountains.

Hebron, however, where Abraham had sojourned, is specified from among the other cities. It is probable that the three sons of the giant, who are named here, were in possession of that city.

But some think that Anak is not a proper name and is used, by enallage (a change of grammatical number), for giants. In fact, giants are elsewhere called Anakim. Nor is there any doubt that these three who are mentioned were formidable because of their great stature and strength, as we gather from the book of Joshua.

It is, then, equivalent to saying that this city was then possessed by warlike men, famous for their prowess. It will, however, appear from the end of the chapter that Anak was the proper name of a man whose sons were of excessive height.

The antiquity of the city is afterwards highlighted by comparison: namely, that it was founded seven years before Zoan, one of the chief cities of Egypt, of which mention is often made in Scripture. Pagan writers call it Tanis;⁵⁰ and it is situated on one of the seven famous mouths of the Nile, which is called from the city, Ostium Taniticum.

Now, since the Egyptians took pride in their antiquity above all other nations, it is evident that the land of Canaan was well populated immediately after the deluge. This is a sign of its great fertility, for if the neighboring countries had been more so, they would not have settled themselves there by preference when they were at liberty to make their choice.

A prolepsis (an anticipatory naming) is to be noted in the name of the Valley of Eshcol, for it was only afterwards that it began to be so called by the Israelites in memory of the remarkable cluster of grapes which Moses states to have been brought from there. This is immediately specified afterwards.

And they returned from searching of the land. The activity and diligence of the twelve men are commended, who in such a short time examined the whole of the land from the Desert of Sin to the sea, and along the entire course of the Jordan. This they did, too, in the hottest part of the year, when the grapes were beginning to ripen. Thus far, then, they faithfully executed the task entrusted to them. In their report, also, there seems to be nothing unworthy of honest men. They had been commanded by Moses to consider the inhabitants of the land—whether they were strong or weak, and also whether the cities were fortified—and they reported nothing that was not true and fully ascertained by them. In a word, at first sight, their account contains nothing worthy of censure.

Nevertheless, we may gather from the context that ten of them, whose desire was to turn the people away, spoke of their difficulties in such discouraging terms that they produced exactly the opposite effect to what Moses had hoped. No other accusation, however, is yet alleged against them, other than that, by maliciously and deceptively inspiring despondency, they held back the people from entering the land. Although, therefore, they had not openly lied, they lacked sincerity.

Perhaps, too, the whole of their address is not recorded, because Moses considered it sufficient to state the perversity of their feelings, in that they added to their praises of the land an exception that overwhelmed the people’s minds with fear. From this we also gather a useful admonition: crafty sophists achieve nothing with God when they endeavor to cover their deceit with twisting evasions. Therefore, if we desire our speech to be acceptable to God, we must take care to lay aside all such unfair evasions and, rejecting all disguise, to speak simply and from the heart.

The ten spies, then, established a basis of good faith so that they might later be more effective in deceiving. The land, they say, is a good one, except that the people are strong. And what is this other than to say that there was little hope that the Israelites would obtain the blessing promised them by God, and that the attempt must by no means be made? With the same aim, they loudly proclaimed⁵¹ the names of several nations in order to increase the alarm. For, after having reported that they had seen the sons of Anak, they stated that their conflicts would be too difficult with the various peoples who would advance from all sides to resist them.