Numbers 14:6

6 And soothly Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, which also compassed the land, rent their clothes, (And truly Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, two of the spies who had gone throughout the land, tore their clothes,)

Numbers 14:6 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 14:6

And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh
Rose up and interposed in this affair, looking upon themselves under a special obligation so to do, as they were capable of confronting the other spies, and contradicting what they had said:

[which were] of them that searched the land;
they were two of that number, and were the more concerned to hear such a false account given, and distressed to observe the mutiny of the people, and therefore judged themselves in duty bound to do all they could to stop it:

rent their clothes;
in token of sorrow for the sins of the people; and at their blasphemy and ingratitude against God, and in dread of his wrath and fury breaking forth upon them.

Numbers 14:6 In-Context

4 And they said one to another, Ordain we a duke, or a leader, to us, and turn we again into Egypt. (And they said to one another, Let us choose a new leader, and let us return to Egypt.)

5 And when this was heard, Moses and Aaron fell down low to the earth (Moses and Aaron fell down on the ground), before all the multitude of the sons of Israel.

6 And soothly Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, which also compassed the land, rent their clothes, (And truly Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, two of the spies who had gone throughout the land, tore their clothes,)

7 and they spake thus to all the multitude of the sons of Israel, (and said,) The land which we compassed is full good; (and they spoke thus to all the multitude of the Israelites, and said, The land which we went about is very good;)

8 if the Lord is merciful to us, he shall lead us into it, and he shall give us the land flowing with milk and honey.