וַֽיַּעֲל֖וּ וַיָּתֻ֣רוּ אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ מִמִּדְבַּר־צִ֥ן עַד־רְחֹ֖ב לְבֹ֥א חֲמָֽת׃

They ascended and scouted all the land, traversing the entire territory of Canaan from the wilderness of Tzin to Rehov, a place located at Levo Hamat in northern Syria.

וַיַּעֲל֣וּ בַנֶּגֶב֮ וַיָּבֹ֣א עַד־חֶבְרוֹן֒ וְשָׁ֤ם אֲחִימַן֙ שֵׁשַׁ֣י וְתַלְמַ֔י יְלִידֵ֖י הָעֲנָ֑ק וְחֶבְר֗וֹן שֶׁ֤בַע שָׁנִים֙ נִבְנְתָ֔ה לִפְנֵ֖י צֹ֥עַן מִצְרָֽיִם׃

They ascended in the South, and he came until Hebron. The second clause is stated in the singular despite the fact that the first clause is in the plural. It is possible that the scouts did not advance as a single unit for the entire trip, and therefore only one of them reached Hebron. According to the Sages, this was Caleb. It is likely that the people had preserved the memory of Hebron as the city of the forefathers. And Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, children of the giant, were there. Parenthetically, the verse notes here that Hebron was built seven years before Tzo'an, a very important city of Egypt. Tzo'an was a well-known ancient city, and unlike other Egyptian cities, the time period of its establishment was also known. The verse therefore underscores the importance of the ancient city of Hebron by stating that it was founded even earlier than Tzo'an.

וַיָּבֹ֜אוּ עַד־נַ֣חַל אֶשְׁכֹּ֗ל וַיִּכְרְת֨וּ מִשָּׁ֤ם זְמוֹרָה֙ וְאֶשְׁכּ֤וֹל עֲנָבִים֙ אֶחָ֔ד וַיִּשָּׂאֻ֥הוּ בַמּ֖וֹט בִּשְׁנָ֑יִם וּמִן־הָרִמֹּנִ֖ים וּמִן־הַתְּאֵנִֽים׃

Toward the end of their journey back, they came to the Eshkol Ravine, and cut from there a vine with one cluster

לַמָּק֣וֹם הַה֔וּא קָרָ֖א נַ֣חַל אֶשְׁכּ֑וֹל עַ֚ל אֹד֣וֹת הָֽאֶשְׁכּ֔וֹל אֲשֶׁר־כָּרְת֥וּ מִשָּׁ֖ם בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

The verse notes: That place he, or they, called the Eshkol Ravine. It can be assumed that this valley was close to the wilderness, and therefore the scouts did not have to carry the grapes throughout the entire length of Canaan. Some commentaries suggest that the Eshkol Ravine should be identified with one of the streambeds planted with many vineyards found to the north of Hebron. The valley became commonly known as the Eshkol Ravine because of the cluster [ eshkol ] of grapes that the children of Israel cut from there.

וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ מִתּ֣וּר הָאָ֑רֶץ מִקֵּ֖ץ אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יֽוֹם׃

Since their mission was limited to gaining a general impression and their mandate did not include gathering detailed information, they returned from scouting the land at the conclusion of forty days.

וַיֵּלְכ֡וּ וַיָּבֹאוּ֩ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֨ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֜ן וְאֶל־כָּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶל־מִדְבַּ֥ר פָּארָ֖ן קָדֵ֑שָׁה וַיָּשִׁ֨יבוּ אוֹתָ֤ם דָּבָר֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה וַיַּרְא֖וּם אֶת־פְּרִ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃

They went and came to report back to Moses, and to Aaron, and to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran, more specifically to the place known as Kadesh. And they brought back word to them and to the entire congregation, who gathered to hear their account. This phrase serves as an additional indication that the scouts viewed themselves not only as emissaries of the leadership, but as agents of the entire nation. And in addition to their verbal testimony, they also showed them the fruit of the land.

וַיְסַפְּרוּ־לוֹ֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ בָּ֕אנוּ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שְׁלַחְתָּ֑נוּ וְ֠גַם זָבַ֨ת חָלָ֥ב וּדְבַ֛שׁ הִ֖וא וְזֶה־פִּרְיָֽהּ׃

Addressing Moses directly in the presence of the assembled crowd, they related the details of their journey to him, and they said: We came to the land to which you sent us, and indeed it is flowing with milk and honey. It is a very fertile land, as God has told us, and this is a sample of some of its fruit.

אֶ֚פֶס כִּֽי־עַ֣ז הָעָ֔ם הַיֹּשֵׁ֖ב בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְהֶֽעָרִ֗ים בְּצֻר֤וֹת גְּדֹלֹת֙ מְאֹ֔ד וְגַם־יְלִדֵ֥י הָֽעֲנָ֖ק רָאִ֥ינוּ שָֽׁם׃

Only, you must know that the people that lives in the land is mighty. Its inhabitants are not meek or complacent, and therefore it will be difficult for us to subjugate them quickly. And furthermore the cities in which they live are fortified and very great; we also saw the children of the giant there.

עֲמָלֵ֥ק יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּאֶ֣רֶץ הַנֶּ֑גֶב וְ֠הַֽחִתִּי וְהַיְבוּסִ֤י וְהָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּהָ֔ר וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב עַל־הַיָּ֔ם וְעַ֖ל יַ֥ד הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃

Amalek lives in the southern region, along our route. According to the original plan for entering Canaan, the Israelites would have traveled north, through the Negev, and would have encountered opposition from the Amalekites. And in addition, the Hitites, the Yevusites, and the Emorites live in the highland, and the Canaanites live along the sea and alongside the Jordan.

וַיַּ֧הַס כָּלֵ֛ב אֶת־הָעָ֖ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר עָלֹ֤ה נַעֲלֶה֙ וְיָרַ֣שְׁנוּ אֹתָ֔הּ כִּֽי־יָכ֥וֹל נוּכַ֖ל לָֽהּ׃

Although the scouts’ report was formally addressed to Moses, it was meant for the nation’s ears as well. Since the people trusted the scouts, they became fearful upon hearing their report, and they began to murmur among themselves and to voice their concerns. In response, Caleb silenced the people and directed their attention toward Moses. As the leader of the nation and the recipient of the scouts’ report, the response to the report should have come from him rather than from the initial reaction of the masses. Furthermore, Caleb added encouraging words of his own, and he said: Do not fear or hesitate! We shall be able to ascend and inherit it, the land, for we can prevail over it.

וְהָ֨אֲנָשִׁ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־עָל֤וּ עִמּוֹ֙ אָֽמְר֔וּ לֹ֥א נוּכַ֖ל לַעֲל֣וֹת אֶל־הָעָ֑ם כִּֽי־חָזָ֥ק ה֖וּא מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

But the other men who ascended to the land along with him and with Joshua, representatives of the other tribes, contradicted him and said: We will not be able to ascend to the land, against the people, for it is stronger than we are. We do not have the military strength to fight those mighty armies. The Israelites, who until recently had been slaves in Egypt, were afraid to engage in open warfare.

וַיּוֹצִ֜יאוּ דִּבַּ֤ת הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּר֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר הָאָ֡רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֩ עָבַ֨רְנוּ בָ֜הּ לָת֣וּר אֹתָ֗הּ אֶ֣רֶץ אֹכֶ֤לֶת יוֹשְׁבֶ֙יהָ֙ הִ֔וא וְכָל־הָעָ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־רָאִ֥ינוּ בְתוֹכָ֖הּ אַנְשֵׁ֥י מִדּֽוֹת׃

At first, the scouts provided a relatively objective account of what they had seen, answering the questions that were posed to them. But now they promulgated a slanderous report of the land that they scouted to the children of Israel. Their portrayals may not have been entirely false, but they were slanted in a deliberate effort to create a negative impression, saying: The land, which we passed through to scout it, is a land that devours its inhabitants. There are many diseases and untimely deaths there. And conversely, all the people whom we saw in it were people of size, large individuals. Although the mortality rate is high, large people with strong bodies are able to live there.

וְשָׁ֣ם רָאִ֗ינוּ אֶת־הַנְּפִילִ֛ים בְּנֵ֥י עֲנָ֖ק מִן־הַנְּפִלִ֑ים וַנְּהִ֤י בְעֵינֵ֙ינוּ֙ כַּֽחֲגָבִ֔ים וְכֵ֥ן הָיִ֖ינוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃

There we saw the Nefilim, sons of a giant, from among the Nefilim, an ancient race of giants. We were as grasshoppers in our eyes when we stood opposite these enormous individuals, and so we were in their eyes; they also related to us as small, worthless creatures. The huge fruits the scouts brought back also served to vividly illustrate for their listeners the likely dimensions of the people who inhabited the land.

וַתִּשָּׂא֙ כָּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה וַֽיִּתְּנ֖וּ אֶת־קוֹלָ֑ם וַיִּבְכּ֥וּ הָעָ֖ם בַּלַּ֥יְלָה הַהֽוּא׃

The entire congregation who were present at the time then raised and sounded their voice; and the people wept that night.

וַיִּלֹּ֙נוּ֙ עַל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְעַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן כֹּ֖ל בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַֽיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֲלֵהֶ֜ם כָּל־הָעֵדָ֗ה לוּ־מַ֙תְנוּ֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם א֛וֹ בַּמִּדְבָּ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה לוּ־מָֽתְנוּ׃

All the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron; and the entire congregation said to them: If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wilderness; if only we had died in peace and tranquility.

וְלָמָ֣ה יְ֠הוָה מֵבִ֨יא אֹתָ֜נוּ אֶל־הָאָ֤רֶץ הַזֹּאת֙ לִנְפֹּ֣ל בַּחֶ֔רֶב נָשֵׁ֥ינוּ וְטַפֵּ֖נוּ יִהְי֣וּ לָבַ֑ז הֲל֧וֹא ט֦וֹב לָ֖נוּ שׁ֥וּב מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃

Why does the Lord bring us to this land, Canaan, to fall by the sword? Rather than living a full life and dying of natural causes, we will instead perish before our time in battle, and our wives and our children will be taken for loot. Faced with such a prospect, isn’t it better for us to return to Egypt?

וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֑יו נִתְּנָ֥ה רֹ֖אשׁ וְנָשׁ֥וּבָה מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃

As a result of the crying and commotion, the people’s bitterness and resentment progressively increased. Finally, they said one to another: It is not wise to continue in the direction of Canaan, so instead let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.

וַיִּפֹּ֥ל מֹשֶׁ֛ה וְאַהֲרֹ֖ן עַל־פְּנֵיהֶ֑ם לִפְנֵ֕י כָּל־קְהַ֥ל עֲדַ֖ת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Upon hearing this, Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces before the entire assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

וִיהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֗וּן וְכָלֵב֙ בֶּן־יְפֻנֶּ֔ה מִן־הַתָּרִ֖ים אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ קָרְע֖וּ בִּגְדֵיהֶֽם׃

Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Yefuneh, who were from those men who had scouted the land, rent their garments.

וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַ֥ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָבַ֤רְנוּ בָהּ֙ לָת֣וּר אֹתָ֔הּ טוֹבָ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ מְאֹ֥ד מְאֹֽד׃

They said to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, saying: The land through which we passed to scout it, the land is exceedingly good.