Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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himself, but to inform those he sent. They must take notice whether the air was healthful or no, what the soil was, and what the productions; and, for the better satisfaction of the people, they must bring with them some of the fruits. 2. Concerning the inhabitants--their number, few or many--their size and stature, whether strong able-bodied men or weak,--their habitations, whether they lived in tents or houses, whether in open villages or in walled towns,--whether the woods were standing as in those countries that are uncultivated, through the unskillfulness and slothfulness of the inhabitants, or whether the woods were cut down, and the country made champaign, for the convenience of tillage. These were the things they were to enquire about. Perhaps there had not been of late years such commerce between Egypt and Canaan as there was in Jacob's time, else they might have informed themselves of these things without sending men on purpose to search. See the advantage we may derive from books and learning, which acquaint those that are curious and inquisitive with the state of foreign countries, at a much greater distance than Canaan was now from Israel, without this trouble and expense.
18 and see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein,
whether they be strong or weak, few or many;
19 and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad;
and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strongholds;
20 and what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be
wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes.
Moses dismisses the spies with this charge, Be of good courage, intimating, not only that they should be themselves encouraged against the difficulties of this expedition, but that they should bring an encouraging account to the people and make the best of every thing. It was not only a great undertaking they were put upon, which required good management and resolution, but it was a great trust that was reposed in them, which required that they should be faithful.
21 So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of