🔢WEB · Numbers 13:19
What does Numbers 13:19 mean?
"and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities they are that they dwell in, whether in camps, or in strongholds;"
— Numbers 13:19 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
These are the names of the men who Moses sent to spy out the land. Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua.
Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way by the South, and go up into the hill country.
See the land, what it is; and the people who dwell therein, whether they are strong or weak, whether they are few or many;
and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities they are that they dwell in, whether in camps, or in strongholds;
and what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is wood therein, or not. Be courageous, and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the time of the first-ripe grapes.
So they went up, and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, to the entrance of Hamath.
They went up by the South, and came to Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
Explanation
Numbers 13:19 comes from Moses' instructions to the twelve spies he sent to scout out the land of Canaan before Israel attempted to enter it. In plain language, this verse records part of Moses' checklist for the reconnaissance mission: the spies were to observe whether the land itself was fertile and productive or poor and barren, and whether the cities were unwalled settlements (camps) or fortified strongholds. This was practical military and agricultural intelligence gathering, not a spiritual test in itself, but a straightforward assessment of the terrain and its inhabitants' defenses.
The context is critical to understanding the verse. The Israelites had recently left Egypt and were camped at Kadesh Barnea, on the edge of the Promised Land. God had already told them the land was good and had promised it to them, but Moses, likely at the people's request (as Deuteronomy 1:22 clarifies), sent twelve representatives, one from each tribe, to survey the land before the nation moved in. Moses' questions in verses 17-20 were thorough: he asked about the people (strong or weak, many or few), the land (good or bad), the cities (open or fortified), the soil (fat or lean), and whether there were trees. Numbers 13:19 falls in the middle of this list, focusing on habitation and defense.
Theologically, this verse sits at a pivotal moment in Israel's wilderness story. The information itself was neutral — good land could either encourage faith or provoke fear depending on how it was received. What follows in the chapter reveals the real issue
Compare translations
Go deeper with ScriptureCompanion AI
Ask questions about any verse, follow reading plans, write personal prayers, and track your daily habit — all grounded in verified scripture text.