Numbers 13:4

4 And Moses sent them out of the wilderness of Pharan by the word of the Lord; all these the princes of the sons of Israel.

Numbers 13:4 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 13:4

And these [were] their names, of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua
the son of Zaccur.
] From ( Numbers 13:4-15 ) , there is nothing but the names of the said persons, whose sons they were, and of what tribe; and the several tribes are mentioned, not according to the order of the birth of the patriarchs, nor according to the dignity of their mothers that bore them, but, very likely, according to the order in which they were sent, two by two, to search the land; for had they gone all twelve in a body, they would have been liable to suspicion: the signification of their names is of no importance to know, and will give us no light into their characters or the reason of their choice, nor are their parents elsewhere taken notice of, nor any of them but Joshua and Caleb, of whom we shall hear more hereafter.

Numbers 13:4 In-Context

2 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

3 Send for thee men, and let them spy the land of the Chananites, which I give to the sons of Israel for a possession; one man for a tribe, thou shalt send them away according to their families, every one of them a prince.

4 And Moses sent them out of the wilderness of Pharan by the word of the Lord; all these the princes of the sons of Israel.

5 And these their names: of the tribe of Ruben, Samuel the son of Zachur.

6 Of the tribe of Symeon, Saphat the son of Suri.