John Calvin Commentary Numbers 13:25

"And they returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days." — Numbers 13:25 (ASV)

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.

⁵¹ “Ils parlent a plene bouche;” they speak with open mouth. — Fr.