Numbers 13:28 · Bible study
Numbers 13:28 Commentary: The Spies’ Fear-Filled Report
Hebrew · 6 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
The ten spies report strong enemies and fortified cities, testing faith against God's promise. Analysis of Hebrew terms and narrative context.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The majority report of the spies, highlighting human obstacles that overshadowed God's promise.
- Key words: 'Efes (nevertheless), 'az (strong), be.tzu.Rot (fortified), children of Anak (giants/clan).
- Main debate: Whether the spies were reporting facts or exaggerating through fear; both sides acknowledge real obstacles, but the debate centers on whether the report was merely factual or deliberately slanderous (cf. v.32).
- Theological theme: The conflict between sensory evidence and faith in God's word.
- Best use: A cautionary example of how fear can distort even true facts and lead to disobedience.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Nevertheless, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of Anak there.
WEB World English Bible 2000
However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the children of Anak there.
KJV King James Version 1769
Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Howbeit the people that dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
only, surely the people which is dwelling in the land is strong; and the cities are fenced, very great; and also children of Anak we have seen there.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Only, the people are strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, very great; moreover we saw the children of Anak there.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
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:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y le contaron, y dijeron: Nosotros llegamos á la tierra á la cual nos enviaste, la que ciertamente fluye leche y miel; y este es el fruto de ella.
Mas o povo que habita aquela terra é forte, e as cidades muito grandes e fortes; e também vimos ali os filhos de Anaque.
Mais le peuple qui habite ce pays est puissant, les villes sont fortifiées, très grandes; nous y avons vu des enfants d’ Anak.
nur, daß starkes Volk darin wohnt und sehr große und feste Städte sind; und wir sahen auch Enaks Kinder daselbst.
Behalve dat het een sterk volk is, hetwelk in dat land woont, en de steden zijn vast, en zeer groot; en ook hebben wij daar kinderen van Enak gezien.
Soltanto, il popolo che abita il paese è potente, le città sono fortificate e grandissime, e v’abbiamo anche veduto de’ figliuoli di Anak.
A powiadali im, mówiąc: Przyszliśmy do ziemi, do którejś nas był posłał, która w prawdzie opływa mlekiem i miodem, a oto, ten jest owoc jej;
и рассказывали ему и говорили: мы ходили в землю, в которую ты посылал нас; в ней подлинно течет молоко и мед, и вот плоды ее;
然而 住 那地 的民 強壯，城邑 也堅固 寬 大，並且 我們在那裡 看見 了亞衲 族的人。
But the people living in the land are strong, and the towns are walled and very great; further, we saw the children of Anak there.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Numbers 13:28
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions note that this verse marks the pivot in the spies' report. After acknowledging the land's fertility (v.27), the Hebrew particle ʼep̄es kî ('nevertheless') signals a sharp turn to fear. Gill observes that the spies saw the strength of the people and the fortifications as insurmountable. Keil and Delitzsch highlight the mention of the children of Anak, a clan of legendary giants (cf. Num 13:33; Deut 2:10-11), as the climax of the report. Matthew Henry notes that the people were willing to trust their own perceptions rather than God's covenant promises. The consensus is that this report, while describing real obstacles, became an instrument of unbelief because it left God out of the equation.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal obstacle report: The spies accurately described the military might of Canaan, confirmed by later descriptions (Deut 1:28; 3:5).
- Fear-distorted report: The spies focused on obstacles and omitted God's promise, leading to rebellion (Num 14:1-4); Caleb and Joshua saw the same but trusted God (v.30).
- Slanderous exaggeration: The report went beyond facts to slander the land (v.32: 'a land that eats up its inhabitants'), deliberately discouraging the people (Poole).
What is clear: The spies saw strong inhabitants, fortified cities, and the descendants of Anak, and their report caused the people to fear and rebel against God's command.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the report | The spies described real conditions, strong inhabitants, fortified cities, Anakim. | Whether this was a fair assessment or a faithless exaggeration that amounted to slander (cf. v.32). |
| The children of Anak | They were a clan of unusual size and strength, associated with the Rephaim (Deut 2:10-11). | Whether they were literal giants descended from the Nephilim (Num 13:33) or simply a tall ethnic group. |
| The spies' motivation | The report caused the people to rebel. | Whether the spies intentionally deceived (Poole notes they began with praise to make slander more believable) or were simply overcome by fear. |
| Application for believers | The verse teaches the danger of focusing on obstacles rather than God's power. | Some traditions emphasize obedience despite fear, while others stress acknowledging difficulties but trusting God in them. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The spies were sent from Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran, a staging area for entering Canaan. Their forty-day journey took them through the Negeb to Hebron, where they encountered the three sons of Anak: Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai (Num 13:22). The Anakim were associated with the Rephaim, a people of great stature mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:10-11. The cities of Canaan were 'fortified' (beṭsurôt), from the root baṣar meaning to make inaccessible or to cut off (Strong's H1219). The cities were 'very large' (gedolot meʼod), implying walls and defenses that seemed impregnable. The phrase 'children of Anak' (yelide ha‛anaq) uses a term for 'born of' (yalid) that emphasizes lineage, not just individuals but a family or clan of formidable warriors. The spies' report presented a picture of a land bristling with military power. This was the same land God had promised to Abraham and described as flowing with milk and honey. The tension between promise and obstacle drives the narrative forward.
Textual Notes
The consulted commentaries note no significant textual variants for Numbers 13:28. The verse is stable across the Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions. The construction 'efes ki ('nevertheless') appears in the Masoretic Text and is reflected consistently in the major translations (LXX, Vulgate, Syriac).
Reception History
Numbers 13:28 has been a key text in Christian teaching on faith and fear. Early church fathers saw the Anakim as types of demonic powers that believers must overcome through Christ. In the Reformation, preachers used this verse to warn against trusting human reason over God's promises. Puritan commentator Matthew Henry focused on the contrast between the ten spies and Caleb and Joshua, urging believers to heed the minority report of faith. In modern preaching, the verse is often used to encourage facing 'giants' with confidence in God's power. It also serves as a caution against letting the majority opinion sway us from obedience.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The truth about the obstacles: The spies spoke accurately about strong people, fortified cities, and the Anakim.
- The danger of a Godless report: They described what they saw but left out what God had said.
- The call to a larger perspective: Caleb and Joshua saw the same things but trusted God's promise (v.30).
Five-point outline
- Acknowledge the reality of the challenge. The spies were not wrong about the facts.
- Recognize the temptation to fear. Fear narrows our vision.
- Remember God's past faithfulness. He who brought Israel out of Egypt can bring them into Canaan.
- Choose to trust God's word over visible evidence. Caleb said, 'We are well able to overcome it' (v.30).
- Act in obedience despite fear. Faith moves forward; fear retreats.
Illustration hooks
- A family considering a move to a neighborhood with high crime rates but sensing God's call to a new ministry there.
- A student facing a difficult exam who knows that diligent work honors God but the odds seem overwhelming.
- Someone considering a difficult conversation with a family member, knowing reconciliation is commanded but fearing rejection.
Questions your congregation is asking
- 'If God promised Israel the land, why did He let the spies see the giants?'
- 'How do I know when my caution is wisdom and when it's unbelief?'
- 'What do I do when the majority of people around me are afraid but I sense God wants me to move forward?'
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the heart of a crisis of faith. The spies had seen the land's abundance, but their report focused on its dangers. The group can explore how the same facts can lead to either fear or faith, depending on what we center our attention on.
Discussion questions
- What specific details do the spies report in this verse?
- Why do you think they chose to mention the children of Anak?
- How does this report contrast with the earlier acknowledgment that the land flows with milk and honey (v.27)?
- Read Caleb's response in verse 30. What does he see that the other spies miss?
- In what situations do we tend to focus on obstacles rather than God's promises?
- How can a group of believers help each other hold onto faith when fear seems rational?
- What is one step you could take this week to act on a promise of God even when circumstances look challenging?
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)
| Numbers 13:22 | 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.) |
| Numbers 13:23 | They came to the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bore it on a staff between two. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs. |
| Numbers 13:33 | There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim. We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” |
| Deuteronomy 1:28 | Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our heart melt, saying, ‘The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to the sky. Moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there!’” |
| Deuteronomy 2:10 | (The Emim lived there before, a great and numerous people, and tall as the Anakim. |
| Deuteronomy 2:11 | These also are considered to be Rephaim, as the Anakim; but the Moabites call them Emim. |
| Deuteronomy 2:21 | a great people, many, and tall, as the Anakim; but Yahweh destroyed them from before Israel, and they succeeded them, and lived in their place, |
| Deuteronomy 3:5 | All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, in addition to a great many villages without walls. |
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
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
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 tolde him, and saide, We came vnto the land whither thou hast sent vs, and surely it floweth with milke and honie: and here is of the fruite of it.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill observes that the mention of seeing the children of Anak at Hebron proves other spies besides Caleb and Joshua were present there, though they may not have been together with them. This detail from their report confirms that the fearful account came from firsthand sight, not just hearsay.
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 insists the wilderness wanderings are not a trivial military caravan but a providential, theocratic history reduced to the scale of humanity. He argues God never rejects the whole nation, only single generations, and always preserves a remnant who will bear fruit of righteousness from each judgment.
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.