Numberi 13:22

22 En zij trokken op in het zuiden, en kwamen tot Hebron toe en daar waren Ahiman, Sesai en Talmai, kinderen van Enak; Hebron nu was zeven jaren gebouwd voor Zoan in Egypte.

Numberi 13:22 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 13:22

And they ascended by the south
When they returned, after they had searched the land, then they came into the south country again, which was in their way to Kadesh, where the camp of Israel remained; they are said to ascend, because of the hill country they again came to; for their coming to Hebron, and carrying a cluster of grapes from that place, not far from thence, was upon their return:

and came unto Hebron;
which was in the hill country of Judea, in the tribe of Judah afterwards, which before was called Kirjatharba; in the original text it is, "he came" ^F19, Caleb, and he only, according to Jarchi and the Rabbins in Abendana; and certain it is that he was there, and he had this place on which his feet trod given him for an inheritance, ( Joshua 14:9 Joshua 14:13-15 ) ; and it is very probable that the spies did not go together, but perhaps singly, and at most but two together, which seems to be the case here by what follows:

where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, [were];
where Anak, and these his three sons, dwelt, who were giants; and perhaps from thence Hebron before this was called Kirjatharbah, "the city of the four"; or from Arba, the father of Anak:

now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt;
or Tanais, as the Targum of Jonathan, whence one of the nomes of Egypt was called the Tanitic nome: it was the metropolis of that country, and may be observed, to abate the pride and vanity of that kingdom, which boasted of its antiquity. Josephus says ^F20, that the inhabitants of Hebron not only reckoned it more ancient than any of the cities of the land, but than Memphis in Egypt, accounting it (then in his time) 2300 years old; but who it was built by is not certain; Jarchi thinks it is possible that Ham built Hebron for Canaan his younger son, before he built Zoan for Mizraim his eldest son; which does not seem likely.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 (abyw) "et venit", Montanus, Tigurine version, Drusius, so Onkelos; "et venit Caleb", Junius & Tremellius.
F20 De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 9. sect. 7.

Numberi 13:22 In-Context

20 Ook hoedanig het land zij, of het vet zij of mager, of er bomen in zijn of niet; en versterkt u, en neemt van de vrucht des lands. Die dagen nu waren de dagen der eerste vruchten van de wijndruiven.

21 Alzo trokken zij op, en verspiedden het land, van de woestijn Zin af tot Rechob toe, waar men gaat naar Hamath.

22 En zij trokken op in het zuiden, en kwamen tot Hebron toe en daar waren Ahiman, Sesai en Talmai, kinderen van Enak; Hebron nu was zeven jaren gebouwd voor Zoan in Egypte.

23 Daarna kwamen zij tot het dal Eskol, en sneden van daar een rank af met een tros wijndruiven, dien zij droegen met tweeen, op een draagstok; ook van de granaatappelen en van de vijgen.

24 Diezelve plaats noemde men het dal Eskol, ter oorzake van den tros, dien de kinderen Israels van daar afgesneden hadden.