Numbers 13:27 · Bible study
Numbers 13:27 Commentary: Truth and Fear in the Spies' Report
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
The spies acknowledged the land's abundance but used it to fuel fear. This study explores the tension between factual truth and faith's response.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The spies truthfully report the land's fertility, setting up a contrast with their fear-based discouragement.
- Key words: 'surely it flows' (zavat, participle emphasizing continuous abundance), 'fruit' (peri, visible evidence of the land's produce).
- Main debate: Were the spies deliberately manipulating the people, or were they simply overwhelmed by fear? Commentators differ on their motive.
- Theological theme: The tension between God's promise and human perception of obstacles, and the choice to let facts feed faith or fear.
- Best use: Illustrating how truth can be wielded to build trust or justify unbelief, and the need for faith to interpret reality rightly.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And they gave this account to Moses: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and indeed, it is flowing with milk and honey. Here is some of its fruit!
WEB World English Bible 2000
They told him, and said, “We came to the land where you sent us. Surely it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
KJV King James Version 1769
And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us; and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And they recount to him, and say, `We came in unto the land whither thou hast sent us, and also it is flowing with milk and honey--and this is its fruit;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And they told him, and said, We came to the land to which thou didst send us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
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:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y anduvieron y vinieron á Moisés y á Aarón, y á toda la congregación de los hijos de Israel, en el desierto de Parán, en Cades, y diéronles la respuesta, y á toda la congregación, y les mostraron el fruto de la tierra.
E lhe contaram, e disseram: Nós chegamos à terra à qual nos enviaste, a que certamente flui leite e mel; e este é o fruto dela.
Voici ce qu’ ils racontèrent à Moïse: Nous sommes allés dans le pays où tu nous as envoyés. A la vérité, c’ est un pays où coulent le lait et le miel, et en voici les fruits.
Und erzählten ihnen und sprachen: Wir sind in das Land gekommen, dahin ihr uns sandtet, darin Milch und Honig fließt, und dies ist seine Frucht;
En zij vertelden hem, en zeiden: Wij zijn gekomen tot dat land, waarheen gij ons gezonden hebt; en voorwaar, het is van melk en honig vloeiende, en dit is zijn vrucht.
E fecero il loro racconto, dicendo: “Noi arrivammo nel paese dove tu ci mandasti, ed è davvero un paese dove scorre il latte e il miele, ed ecco de’ suoi frutti.
A wróciwszy się, przyszli do Mojżesza i do Aarona, i do wszystkiego zgromadzenia synów Izraelskich na puszczą Faran, która jest w Kades; i dali im i wszystkiemu pospólstwu sprawę, ukazawszy im owoc onej ziemi.
И пошли и пришли к Моисею и Аарону и ко всему обществу сынов Израилевых в пустыню Фаран, в Кадес, и принесли им и всему обществу ответ, и показали им плоды земли;
又告訴 摩西 說：「我們到了 你所 打發我們去 的那地，果然 是 流 奶 與蜜之地；這就是 那地的果子。
And they said, We came to the land where you sent us, and truly it is flowing with milk and honey: and here is some of the produce of it.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Numbers 13:27
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the spies' opening statement in Numbers 13:27 is factually accurate: the land was indeed fertile, 'flowing with milk and honey,' exactly as God had promised (Exodus 3:8). As Gill notes, this truthful report came from the ten spies who would immediately follow it with fear-filled descriptions of fortified cities and giants. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown adds that the positive start was 'artfully arranged' to give credibility to the discouragement that followed. Matthew Henry contrasts the spies' testimony with the people's distrust, observing that even a clear promise from God could not overcome their fear of human obstacles. So the verse is not disputed in its content but in its function: it stands as a true statement used to undermine faith instead of building it. The tension between factual reporting and trusting obedience lies at the heart of this passage.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Artful deception view: Commentators like Jamieson-Fausset-Brown and Poole suggest the positive report was arranged strategically to give credibility to the discouraging news that followed.
- Fear-over-faith view: Others see the spies as simply overwhelmed by the obstacles they saw, not deliberately deceptive, but failing to let trust in God shape their report.
What is clear: The land was good, exactly as God had promised; the people's response showed a failure to trust the promise-giver.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The accuracy of the spies' report | The land was indeed fertile, as God had promised. | Some commentators (e.g., Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) see the positive report as a calculated prelude to slander; others view it as an honest but incomplete description that fear then overtook. |
| The phrase 'flowing with milk and honey' | It refers to the agricultural abundance and prosperity of the land. | Whether this is a literal description of actual milk and honey production or a cultural idiom for general bounty. |
| The role of fear in the report | Fear of the inhabitants outweighed trust in God's promises. | Whether the spies were culpable for their fear or were merely describing realistic dangers that should have been met with faith. |
| The narrative function of the verse | This verse sets up the rebellion and judgment in Numbers 14. | Whether the spies intended to deceive the congregation or were simply reporting both the opportunities and the threats without filtering them through faith. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Israelites are encamped at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran, early in the second year after the exodus. God had repeatedly promised a land 'flowing with milk and honey' (Exodus 3:8, 13:5, 33:3), a phrase common in ancient Near Eastern texts for agricultural prosperity, signaling security and blessing. The people had asked for spies (Deuteronomy 1:22), a request born of unbelief that God nonetheless permitted. Twelve leaders, one from each tribe, spent forty days traveling from the Negev to the region of Hamath, surveying the land and its inhabitants. They returned with tangible proof of the land's richness: a single cluster of grapes so large it had to be carried on a pole, along with pomegranates and figs. That display, described in Numbers 13:23-26, forms the immediate context for verse 27. The spies spoke to Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation, holding up the fruit as evidence. The phrase 'surely it flows' translates a Hebrew participle (zavat) that emphasizes an ongoing, abundant provision. Culturally, a report of milk and honey would have resonated as the fulfillment of everything the Israelites had hoped for during their years of slavery and desert wandering. But the same men who carried that fruit also carried fear. The next verses reveal that their positive prelude was quickly overshadowed by descriptions of Anakim, fortified cities, and hostile tribes. The historical moment is a test: will the people trust the Giver behind the gift, or will the obstacles nullify the promise in their eyes?
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Numbers 13:27. The Hebrew text is consistent across manuscripts. Lange's commentary mentions a possible plural reading for a verb in verse 22 but does not indicate any variant at verse 27. Therefore, the verse stands without major textual issues.
Reception History
This verse has been read in Christian tradition as a cautionary example of truth without faith. Early church fathers such as Origen allegorized the spies as representing human reason that sees God's gifts but then turns back in fear. In the Reformation, commentators like Calvin and Luther used the passage to warn against unbelief despite clear promises. Puritan writers often contrasted the ten spies with Caleb and Joshua as a lesson in spiritual courage. In modern preaching, the verse is frequently used to explore how believers can acknowledge real challenges while still trusting God's power. The phrase 'flowing with milk and honey' became a standard Jewish and Christian metaphor for the promised land's bounty, sung in hymns and recited in liturgy across traditions.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The accurate report. The spies told the truth: the land was good. God's promise was being fulfilled. Their words matched reality.
- The artful arrangement. They used the truth as a prelude to fear. By starting with the positive, they made their fear-driven conclusions more believable.
- The alternative response. Caleb (and later Joshua) saw the same facts but trusted God. Faith does not deny reality; it places reality under God's authority.
Five-point outline
- Context: A mission born of unbelief. The people demanded spies (Deuteronomy 1:22). God granted their request, but the sending itself revealed a lack of trust.
- Evidence: The fruit of the land. The spies brought back physical proof of abundance, a cluster of grapes, pomegranates, figs. The land was everything God said it was.
- Confession: A truthful statement. They admitted the land flowed with milk and honey. They could not deny what their eyes had seen.
- Contradiction: Truth used to discourage. Despite the accurate report, they immediately turned to fear of inhabitants. The same tongue that praised the land sowed doubt about entering it.
- Contrast: Faith and fear side by side. Caleb interrupted the report with a call to action (v.30), showing that the problem was not the land but the heart.
Illustration hooks
- A family tours a house with a beautiful view and solid foundation, but the realtor lists enough repairs that the family walks away, paralyzed by the cost, forgetting the home's fundamental worth.
- A student receives a strong exam score but focuses on the one missed question, losing confidence and doubting their ability in the subject.
- A team presents positive quarterly numbers but immediately dwells on market uncertainties, so the leadership hesitates to invest in growth.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why would the spies start with a true statement if they were going to use it to discourage people?
- How can I tell when I am using facts to justify fear instead of to fuel faith?
- What would have changed if the spies had followed their report with trust in God's power rather than fear of human obstacles?
Leading a Discussion
Numbers 13:27 sits at a turning point in Israel's story. The spies had forty days to see the land, and they returned with evidence of God's goodness. Yet the same evidence that should have inspired courage became the foundation for fear. This small-group guide helps your group explore how true statements can be used for different purposes, and what it looks like to hold facts and faith together.
Discussion questions
- What did the spies say in verse 27 that was true? How does their report match God's earlier promises?
- What did they leave out of this opening statement? Why might they have started with the positive?
- Read verses 28-29. How does the mood shift? What changes between verse 27 and verse 28?
- Why do you think the people accepted the negative report even though they had just seen the fruit? What does that say about the power of fear over memory?
- How does Caleb's response in verse 30 differ from the report of the ten? What made him see the same facts differently?
- Can you think of a time when you or your community had accurate information but used it to justify inaction rather than faithful action? What happened?
- What practices can help a group of believers hold onto God's promises when real obstacles are also true?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 3:8 | I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. |
| Exodus 3:17 | I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ |
| Exodus 13:5 | It shall be, when Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month. |
| Exodus 33:3 | Go to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way.” |
| Leviticus 20:24 | But I have said to you, “You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am Yahweh your God, who has separated you from the peoples. |
| Numbers 14:8 | If Yahweh delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us: a land which flows with milk and honey. |
| Deuteronomy 1:25 | They took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us, and brought us word again, and said, “It is a good land which Yahweh our God gives to us.” |
| Deuteronomy 1:33 | who went before you on the way, to seek out a place for you to pitch your tents in: in fire by night, to show you by what way you should go, and in the cloud by day. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke finds it remarkable that men so cowardly would risk themselves to scout the land, suggesting they were driven by cunning rather than courage. He presents their discouraging report as naturally setting up the rebellion in the next chapter, and he singles out Joshua and Caleb as the only ones whose conduct was truly noble and worthy of God’s cause.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible School notes a tension in the spies' report: one source describes the land as very fertile, while another calls it not fertile. This suggests two distinct traditions have been woven together in the account, alongside the consistent warning about the inhabitants' terrifying size and strength.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And they went and came to Moses and to Aaron and vnto al the Congregation of the children of Israel, in the wildernesse of Paran, to Kadesh, and brought to the, and to all the Congregation tydings, and shewed them the fruite of the lande.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that the ten spies, not Caleb and Joshua, delivered this report. He observes that they confirmed the land was indeed as fruitful as God had promised, and that the fruit they brought was evidence of its goodness, not a literal demonstration of milk and honey.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB points out that the spies crafted their report with deliberate cunning. By first praising the land's fertility before the whole assembly, they made their subsequent slanders about its inhabitants seem more credible and easier for the people to accept.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlight the spies' specific geographic mapping of the Canaanite peoples. They note that the report places Amalekites in the south, Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites in the mountains, and Canaanites by the sea and the Jordan. This detailed breakdown shows the challenge Israel faced from every direction.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that God never rejected His entire people, only specific generations conditionally, as seen in the wilderness. He views this history as humanity on a reduced scale, where national judgment does not cancel the individual's relationship with Jehovah. Lange contrasts this with modern critics who overlook the providential core of the wanderings.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry marvels that Israel had patience to wait forty days for the spies' report when they were already on Canaan's border with every divine assurance of success. They had seen constant miracles, yet they chose human uncertainty over God's covenant promise, preferring to be kept in suspense by their own counsels.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
They told him - In the audience of the people.