translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: NUM

label: NET translator note

text: The verse starts with the vav ( ו ) consecutive on the verb: “and….”


text: The imperfect tense with the conjunction is here subordinated to the preceding imperative to form the purpose clause. It can thus be translated “send…to investigate.”


text: The participle here should be given a future interpretation, meaning “which I am about to give” or “which I am going to give.”


text: Heb “one man one man of the tribe of his fathers.”


text: Heb “mouth.”


text: Heb “heads.”


label: NET textual note

text: Some scholars emend “tribe” to “sons.” Cf. Num 1:10 .


text: The preterite with vav ( ו ) consecutive is here subordinated to the next verb of the same formation to express a temporal clause.


text: The instructions had them first go up into the southern desert of the land, and after passing through that, into the hill country of the Canaanites. The text could be rendered “into the Negev” as well as “through the Negev.”


text: The form is the perfect tense with vav ( ו ) consecutive; the word therefore carries the volitional mood of the preceding imperatives. It may be either another imperative, or it may be subordinated as a purpose clause.


text: Heb “see the land, what it is.”


text: The verb is the Hitpael perfect with vav ( ו ) consecutive, from the root חָזַק ( khazaq , “to be strong”). Here it could mean “strengthen yourselves” or “be courageous” or “determined.” See further uses in 2 Sam 10:12 ; 1 Kgs 20:22 ; 1 Chr 19:13 .


text: Heb “Now the days were the days of.”


text: The MT has the singular, but the ancient versions and Smr have the plural.


text: The preterite with vav ( ו ) consecutive is here subordinated to the following clause. The first verse gave the account of their journey over the whole land; this section focuses on what happened in the area of Hebron, which would be the basis for the false report.


text: The word is related etymologically to the verb for “slip, slide, bend, totter.” This would fit the use very well. A pole that would not bend would be hard to use to carry things, but a pole or stave that was flexible would serve well.


text: The verb is rendered as a passive because there is no expressed subject.


text: Or “Wadi Eshcol.” The translation “brook” is too generous; the Hebrew term refers to a river bed, a ravine or valley through which torrents of rain would rush in the rainy season; at other times it might be completely dry.


text: The word “Eshcol” is drawn from the Hebrew expression concerning the “cluster of grapes.” The word is probably retained in the name Burj Haskeh, two miles north of Damascus.


text: The construction literally has “and they went and they entered,” which may be smoothed out as a verbal hendiadys, the one verb modifying the other.


text: Heb “They brought back word”; the verb is the Hiphil preterite of שׁוּב ( shuv ).


text: Heb “told him and said.” The referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: The relative clause modifies “the land.” It is constructed with the relative and the verb: “where you sent us.”


text: The word ( אֶפֶס , ’ efes ) forms a very strong adversative. The land was indeed rich and fruitful, but….”


text: Heb “the people who are living in the land.”


text: Heb “by the side [hand] of.”


text: The construction is emphatic, using the cohortative with the infinitive absolute to strengthen it: עָלֹה נַעֲלֶה (’ aloh na ’ aleh , “let us go up”) with the sense of certainty and immediacy.


text: The perfect tense with vav ( ו ) consecutive brings the cohortative idea forward: “and let us possess it”; it may also be subordinated to form a purpose or result idea.


text: Here again the confidence of Caleb is expressed with the infinitive absolute and the imperfect tense: יָכוֹל נוּכַל ( yakhol nukhal ), “we are fully able” to do this. The verb יָכַל ( yakhal ) followed by the preposition lamed means “to prevail over, to conquer.”


text: The vav ( ו ) disjunctive on the noun at the beginning of the clause forms a strong adversative clause here.


text: Or “an evil report,” i.e., one that was a defamation of the grace of God.


text: Heb “which we passed over in it”; the pronoun on the preposition serves as a resumptive pronoun for the relative, and need not be translated literally.


text: The verb is the feminine singular participle from אָכַל (’ akhal ); it modifies the land as a “devouring land,” a bold figure for the difficulty of living in the place.


text: Heb “in its midst.”


text: The Greek version uses gigantes (“giants”) to translate “the Nephilim,” but it does not retain the clause “the sons of Anak are from the Nephilim.” sn The Nephilim are the legendary giants of antiquity. They are first discussed in Gen 6:4 . This forms part of the pessimism of the spies’ report.


text: Heb “in our eyes.”


text: Heb “in their eyes.”