The twelve spies are sent to view the land. The relation they make of
it.
13:1. And the people marched from Haseroth, and pitched their tents in
the desert of Pharan.
13:2. And there the Lord spoke to Moses, saying.
13:3. Send men to view the land of Chanaan, which I will give to the
children of Israel, one of every tribe, of the rulers.
13:4. Moses did what the Lord had commanded, sending from the desert of
Pharan, principal men, whose names are these:
13:5. Of the tribe of Ruben, Sammua the son of Zechur.
13:6. Of the tribe of Simeon, Saphat the son of Huri.
13:7. Of the tribe of Juda, Caleb the son of Jephone.
13:8. Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.
13:9. Of the tribe of Ephraim, Osee the son of Nun.
13:10. Of the tribe of Benjamin, Phalti the son of Raphu.
13:11. Of the tribe of Zabulon, Geddiel the son of Sodi.
13:12. Of the tribe of Joseph, of the sceptre of Manasses, Gaddi the
son of Susi.
13:13. Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.
13:14. Of the tribe of Aser, Sthur the son of Michael.
13:15. Of the tribe of Nephtali, Nahabi the son of Vapsi.
13:16. Of the tribe of Gad, Guel the son of Machi.
13:17. These are the names of the men, whom Moses sent to view the
land: and he called Osee the son of Nun, Josue.
13:18. And Moses sent them to view the land of Chanaan, and said to
them: Go you up by the south side. And when you shall come to the
mountains,
13:19. View the land, of what sort it is, and the people that are the
inhabitants thereof, whether they be strong or weak: few in number or
many:
13:20. The land itself, whether it be good or bad: what manner of
cities, walled or without walls:
13:21. The ground, fat or barren, woody or without trees. Be of good
courage, and bring us of the fruits of the land. Now it was the time
when the firstripe grapes are fit to be eaten.
13:22. And when they were gone up, they viewed the land from the desert
of Sin, unto Rohob as you enter into Emath.
13:23. And they went up at the south side, and came to Hebron, where
were Achiman and Sisai and Tholmai the sons of Enac. For Hebron was
built seven years before Tanis the city of Egypt.
13:24. And going forward as far as the torrent of the cluster of
grapes, they cut off a branch with its cluster of grapes, which two men
carried upon a lever. They took also of the pomegranates and of the
figs of that place:
13:25. Which was called Nehelescol, that is to say, the torrent of the
cluster of grapes, because from thence the children of Israel had
carried a cluster of grapes.
13:26. And they that went to spy out the land returned after forty
days, having gone round all the country,
13:27. And came to Moses and Aaron and to all the assembly of the
children of Israel to the desert of Pharan, which is in Cades. And
speaking to them and to all the multitude, they shewed them the fruits
of the land:
13:28. And they related and said: We came into the land to which thou
sentest us, which in very deed floweth with milk and honey as may be
known by these fruits:
13:29. But it hath very strong inhabitants, and the cities are great
and walled. We saw there the race of Enac.
13:30. Amalec dwelleth in the south, the Hethite and the Jebusite and
the Amorrhite in the mountains: but the Chanaanite abideth by the sea
and near the streams of the Jordan.
13:31. In the mean time Caleb, to still the murmuring of the people
that rose against Moses, said: Let us go up and possess the land, for
we shall be able to conquer it.
13:32. But the others, that had been with him, said: No, we are not
able to go up to this people, because they are stronger than we.
13:33. And they spoke ill of the land, which they had viewed, before
the children of Israel, saying: The land which we have viewed,
devoureth its inhabitants: the people, that we beheld are of a tall
stature.
Spoke ill, etc.... These men, who by their misrepresentations of the
land of promise, discouraged the Israelites from attempting the
conquest of it, were a figure of worldlings, who, by decrying or
misrepresenting true devotion, discourage Christians from seeking in
earnest and acquiring so great a good, and thereby securing to
themselves a happy eternity.
13:34. There we saw certain monsters of the sons of Enac, of the giant
kind: in comparison of whom, we seemed like locusts.