The 12 Spies

God directs Moses to send 1 scout from each of the tribes of Israel

Numbers 13:1–3 ESV

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “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.” So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran, according to the command of the Lord, all of them men who were heads of the people of Israel.

Numbers 13:4–16 ESV

And these were their names: From the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur; from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori; from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph; from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun; from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu; from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi; from the tribe of Joseph (that is, from the tribe of Manasseh), Gaddi the son of Susi; from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli; from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael; from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi; from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. These were the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua.

Caleb from the tribe of Judah

Hoshea from the tribe Ephraim

Judah the lion of Israel and Ephraim the youngest son of Joseph. Jacob foresaw that Ephraim’s descendants would be greater than that of Manasseh.

Notice the spelling of Joshua as we know it his name is actually Oshea or Hoshea. Moses is the one that called him Joshua (Yeshua). The names means YHWH saves or YHWH is salvation.

Numbers 13:17–24 ESV

Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said to them, “Go up into the Negeb and go up into the hill country, and see what the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many, and whether the land that they dwell in is good or bad, and whether the cities that they dwell in are camps or strongholds, and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes. So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. They went up into the Negeb and came to Hebron. Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) And they came to the Valley of Eshcol and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them; they also brought some pomegranates and figs. That place was called the Valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster that the people of Israel cut down from there.

Numbers 13:25–29 (ESV)

At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (Anak (Person))

ANAK (PERSON) [Heb ʿănāq (עֲנָק)]. ANAKIM. A people who occupied Canaan before the arrival of Israel and traced their ancestry back to Anak. Apparently, anaq was originally a common noun whose meaning was “neck” or “necklace,” and gradually Anakim became the name of a tribe, with the possible meaning “long necked” (=giant).Anak was the son of Arba (Josh 15:13; 21:11), the founder of Kiriath-arba (i.e., Hebron; Josh 21:11). Though his son’s name gave rise to the gentilic, Arba was regarded as “the greatest man among the Anakim” (Josh 14:15).All of the biblical references agree that the descendants of Anak were tall, of gigantic size (Deut 2:10, 21; 9:2). When the Hebrew spies returned from their mission in Canaan, they warned Israel about the Amalekites, Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, and Canaanites (cf. Num 13:29), but the spies were especially concerned about the Anakim. In Num 13:28 it is recorded that the spies made general comments about the strong people who lived in the land, in large and fortified towns, but then they added, “and besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there” (cf. Deut 1:28). Num 13:33 connects the Anakim with the infamous Nephilim: “the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim” (cf. Gen 6:4). Deut 2:10, 20–21, and 9:2 identify the Anakim with the Emim, Zamzummim, and Rephaim. So it is not surprising that the hearts of the grasshopper-sized Hebrew spies melted at the sight of these giants, and this report had the same result on the Israelites who heard it. But Moses predicted that the Lord would give the Israelites victory over the Anakim, “a people great and tall” (Deut 9:2–3).While most biblical references locate the Anakim in S Canaan, more specifically in the environs of Hebron (Num 13:22; Josh 14:12–15), there is a single passage that says the Anakim originally inhabited a much wider territory. This passage, Josh 11:21–22, reports that Anakim used to occupy the hill country of Judah (at Hebron, Debir, and Anab specifically) and the hill country of Israel. More importantly, it reports that this dreaded enemy was virtually wiped out by Joshua (with Caleb being responsible for the expulsion of the Anakim from Hebron; cf. Josh 14:12–15; 15:13–14; Judg 1:10), with the only survivors remaining in the Philistine cities of Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. Incidentally, the RSV rendering of Jer 47:5 follows this tradition and places the Anakim in a Philistine context as well. It is most probable that Goliath of Gath and the other giants of 2 Sam 21:16–22 (cf. 1 Chr 20:4–8) were regarded as descendants of the Anakim remnant in Philistia.In the Egyptian Execration Texts (ANET, 328–29), there are references to several princes with Semitic names who are identified as rulers of Iy-ʿanaq. Many scholars regard this as a tribal name related to the Anakim.

Numbers 13:30–33 ESV

But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Sons of God)

SONS OF GOD (בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים, beney ha'elohim; υἱοὶ θεοῦ, huioi theou). Angels or members of a heavenly host of beings (Gen 6; Job 1:6; 2:1; Deut 32:8; see also Job 38:7; Pss 29:1; 89:6; Dan 3:25). The “sons of God” may be members of the divine council (Pss 82:1; 89:5–7) and may be related to the Nephilim and the Rephaim. In the New Testament, this relationship to the divine comes by adoption (Rom 8:15). Jesus calls peacemakers “sons of God” (Matt 5:9; Luke 6:35), and children of God become so through faith in the Son of God (Rom 8; Gal 3:26).

Old Testament Usage

The “sons of God” (bny ho’elohim) first appear in the preamble to the flood narrative (Gen 6:1–4). The “sons of God” find the daughters of men attractive, take them for wives (Gen 6:2), and are given children by them (Gen 6:4). Their offspring may be the Nephilim, also mentioned in this passage (Gen 6:4). From the Nephilim come a race of giants, the Anakim and, by extension, the Rephaim (Num 13:32–33; see, for example, Goliath). The “sons of God” (bny ho’elohim) stand in contrast to the “daughters of men” (האדם בנות, h'dm bnwt), distinguishing them from mere mortals and implying some form of heavenly being, though attempts have been made to identify them as foreigners or as the offspring of Cain.

The “sons of God” also appear in Deuteronomy 32, which refers to the borders during “the days of old” (Deut 32:7 ESV), which were fixed “according to the number of the sons of God” (Deut 32:8). The temporal phrase “days of old” seems to point this passage back to a legendary time, when the sons of God may have been thought to hold power over the nations.

In the book of Job, the “sons of God” appear three times (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). The “sons of God” present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan comes among them (Job 1:6; 2:1). In this context, the sons of God appear to be a sort of divine council or group of lower heavenly beings. They are mentioned only in passing, although one of the main characters, Satan, is one of them. Later, as Yahweh questions Job, he asks where Job was “when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7). Again, this seems to refer to a legendary past, perhaps to the period of divine creation.

A similar phrase occurs in Psa 82. The term “sons of Elyon” (בני עליון, bny 'lywn) in Psa 82:6 is very similar to “sons of God” (בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים, beney ha'elohim). Sometimes translated as “most high,” Elyon is often considered synonymous with Yahweh. In a psalm exalting Yahweh as the head of a divine council of gods (Psa 82:1), the audience is called “sons of Elyon” or “sons of the most high” and is told that “you are gods” (Psa 82:6).

The Aramaic phrase “a son of the gods” (בַּר־אֱלָהִין, bar-elahin) is used to describe the fourth person alive in the midst of the fiery furnace, referring to a divine or semidivine being who was present (Dan 3:25). This late text may represent the shift in understanding from members of a divine council or lesser gods to the later idea of angels or mere messengers of Yahweh (as the “son of the gods” is later used in Dan 3:28). This is the view taken throughout deuterocanonical and pseudepigraphal literature in the period between the Old and New Testaments, although some accounts also refer to the sons of God as “faithful Jews” (Parker, “Sons of (the) God(s),” 799).

New Testament Usage

The Greek phrases translated “sons of God” in the New Testament appear to have little connection to the “sons of God” in the Hebrew Bible. In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, Jesus calls the peacemakers “sons of God” (huioi theou; Matt 5:9 ESV). In Luke’s version of the same sermon, known as the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus says those who love their enemies and do good will be “sons of the Most High” (υἱοὶ ὑψίστου, huioi hypsistou; Luke 6:35). Those who have died and entered the resurrection are referred to as “sons of God” (υἱοί εἰσιν θεοῦ, huioi eisin theou), considered “equal to angels,” and “sons of the resurrection” (Luke 20:36 ESV).

According to Paul, “sons of God” become so through faith (υἱοὶ θεοῦ ἐστε διὰ τῆς πίστεως, huioi theou este dia tēs pisteōs) and in relationship to the Son of God and by the Spirit of God (Rom 8:14, 19; Gal 3:26).

Selected Resources for Further Study

Alter, Robert. The Book of Psalms. New York: Norton, 2007.

Arnold, Bill T. Genesis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

Barry, John D., et al. “Deuteronomy 32:8 and the Sons of God.” In Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, Wash.: Logos Bible Software, 2012.

Christensen, Duane L. Deuteronomy 21:10–34:12. Word Biblical Commentary 6B. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2002.

Cooke, G. “The Sons of (the) God(s).” Zeitschrift Für Die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 76 (1964): 22–47.

Craigie, Peter C. The Book of Deuteronomy. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976.

Dunn, James D. G. Romans 1–8. Word Biblical Commentary 38A. Dallas: Word, 1988.

Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. Psalms 2. Edited by Klaus Baltzer. Translated by Linda M. Maloney. Hermeneia. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2005.

Kraus, Hans-Joachim. Psalms 60–150. 5th ed. Translated by Hilton C. Oswald. Continental Commentary. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1989.

Mangum, Douglas, ed., et al. “Divine Beings.” In Lexham Theological Wordbook. Lexham Bible Reference Series. Bellingham, Wash.: Lexham Press, 2014.

Mays, James L. Psalms. Interpretation. Louisville, Ky.: John Knox Press, 1994.

McConville, J.G. Deuteronomy. Apollos Old Testament Commentary 5. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2002.

Moo, Douglas J. The Epistle to the Romans. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996.

Nelson, Richard D. Deuteronomy. Old Testament Library. Louisville, KY.: Westminster John Knox, 2002.

Rad, Gerhard von. Deuteronomy. Old Testament Library. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1966.

Tate, Marvin E. Psalms 51–100. Word Biblical Commentary 20. Dallas: Word, 1990.

Toorn, Karel van der, Bob Becking, and Pieter W. van der Horst, eds. Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999.

Walton, John H, Matthews, and Mark W Chavalas. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2000.

Weiser, Artur. The Psalms. 5th ed. Translated by Hartwell Herbert. Old Testament Library. Louisville, KY.: Westminster John Knox Press, 1962.

Witherington, Ben III, and Darlene Hyatt. Paul’s Letter to the Romans: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2004.

MATTHEW JAMES HAMILTON

Hamilton, M. J. (2016). Sons of God. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

NEPHILIM (נְפִלִים, nephilim). Either giants or semi-divine beings who appear during the pre-flood era (Gen 6:4a) and prior to the conquest period (Num 13:33).

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Synonyms for the Nephilim in the Bible

Synonyms for the Nephilim in the Bible

A number of people groups appear in the MT whose names serve as either synonyms for the Nephilim, or who are suggested to be ancestrally related to them (the latter three used interchangeably in Deut 2:10–11, 20):

1. Anakim;

2. Rephaim;

3. Emim;

4. Zamzummim.

NEPHILIM (נְפִלִים, nephilim). Either giants or semi-divine beings who appear during the pre-flood era (Gen 6:4a) and prior to the conquest period (Num 13:33).

The identification of the Nephilim is debated. The term “Nephilim,” likely derived from the Hebrew verb נָפַל (naphal, “to fall”), appears to be an eponym for a class of renowned warrior-like people who fell in battle. Later Greek interpreters identified the Nephilim as semi-divine “giants” (γιγαντες, gigantes) that arose from the union of the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men” (Gen 6:1–4). The identification of Nephilim in Genesis is difficult to discern. However, the Nephilim in Numbers are directly linked to the giant race of the Anakim, and by extension the Rephaim, Emim, and Zamzummim (Deut 2:10–11, 20). This connection likely paved the way for the Septuagint (LXX) translators’ interpretation of Nephilim as giants. The Greek LXX, intertestamental, and New Testament writers, rabbinic exegetes, and historians have all influenced understanding of the Nephilim.

Peterson, B. N. (2016). Nephilim. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Hebrew Nominal Form

2. נֵפֶל (nephel), meaning “miscarriage”; “Nephilim” may have its origins in the word נֵפֶל (nephel, “miscarriage”), suggesting that these beings were odd-looking individuals who had survived pre-term delivery (compare Job 3:16; Psa 58:8[Eng]; Eccl 6:3

The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Numbers 13:33)

Numbers 13:33The Nephilim appear in Num 13:33, which creates a dilemma if the Nephilim had perished in the flood. Five possible explanations include:1. Noah’s flood was not global. If Noah’s flood was not global, these mighty men could have migrated from Mesopotamia to Canaan, where they appear in the conquest narratives.2. Noah was one of the Nephilim. If Noah himself was a descendant of the Nephilim (i.e., the “giants”), they could be present after the flood. This could be accurate if Nimrod, Noah’s descendant through Ham, is classified as one of these mighty men (Gen 10:8–11 compare Stuckenbruck, “The ‘Angels’ and ‘Giants’ of Genesis 6:1–4,” 356; Huggins, “Noah and the Giants,” 105; Kline, “Divine Kinship and Genesis 6:1–4,” 201). The Septuagint calls Nimrod a γιγας (gigas, “giant”) in Gen 10:8.3. One of the Nephilim somehow survived the flood. Rabbinic tradition suggests that one of the giants (Og, king of Bashan—compare Num 21) held onto Noah’s ark and survived the flood (e.g., the Babylonian Talmud, Zevahim 113, see also Stuckenbruck, “The ‘Angels’ and ‘Giants’ of Genesis 6:1–4,” 358n9 and further comments below under “Rabbinic Traditions”).

Genesis 6:4 (ESV)

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

Sabbath breaker Executed

Numbers 15:32–36 ESV

32 While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. 34 They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. 35 And the Lord said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the Lord commanded Moses.

At this point I believe, YHWH is at his wits end with Israel. He brought his family out of Egypt, parted the Sea, relieved Israel of any threat from Egypt. Fed and led them to the Promised land. With a little faith, just a little in YHWH at this point would seal the promise he made with them. The Sabbath breaker’s execution at this point in Numbers amplifies disbelief and self centered attitude of Israel.

Tassels on Garments

Numbers 15:37–41 ESV

37 The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. 39 And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. 40 So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. 41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the Lord your God.”

YHWH shows compassion in the ordinance of adding Zhitzit to corners of their garments. The blue cord to remind us of our priesthood. Everyone wears clothing. This is a simple way to remind us to remember all the commandments of Addonai. When it is attached to the clothing it constantly reminds us while getting dressed, throughout the day and in the evening when we undress. They emphasize our adherence to the commandments, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. 40 So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.

Transfiguration of Yeshua

Matthew 17:1–8

Mark 9:2–8

Luke 9:28–36

2 Peter 1:17–18

Holy -dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose, sacred

Og

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Og

OG (עוֹג, og). The Amorite king of Bashan. He ruled from Ashtaroth and Edrei (Josh 13:12), and his territory was conquered by Moses and the Israelites immediately after the conquest of Sihon, another Amorite king (Num 21:33–35; Deut 3:1–12; Josh 12:4).

Og was the last of the Rephaim, who are associated in the Old Testament with unusual height. His great stature is shown by the dimensions of his “bed of iron”—13.5 feet by 6 feet. Deuteronomy 3:11 describes Og’s bed as still being at Rabbah of Ammon.

The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh took over Og’s conquered territory (Num 32:33; Deut 3:12–13). Og is mentioned several times after his death (Deut 1:4; 4:47; 31:4; Josh 2:10; 9:10; 13:12, 30). The defeats of Sihon and Og were referred to frequently throughout Israel’s national history (Psa 135:11; 136:20).

Bashan

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Symbol of Wealth

• Ezekiel 27:6 criticizes Tyre for its arrogance and notes that the people of Tyre use the oaks of Bashan to make their oars.

• Amos 4:1 mocks the wives of the corrupted officials by calling them the “cows of Bashan.”

• Jeremiah uses Bashan to represent a rich and prosperous land (e.g., Jer 50:19).

• Psalm 68:16 praises Bashan as the “Mountain of God.”

• Micah reminisces about Bashan and its green pastures (Micah 7:14; compare Ezek 39:18).