Numbers 13:18

18 See what the land looks like. Are the people who live there strong or weak? Are there a few or many?

Numbers 13:18 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 13:18

And see the land what it [is], and the people that dwelleth
therein
The situation and condition of the country, and the nature, temper, disposition, and constitution of the inhabitants, by which it might be judged whether it was a desirable thing to possess it, and whether it was practicable to subdue and take it;

whether they [be] strong or weak, few or many;
whether able-bodied men fit for war, and of spirit, strength, and courage, or feeble and pusillanimous, weak and timorous; and whether their number was small or great, by which they would be capable of judging whether they were in a state and condition to defend themselves or not, and whether a conquest of them was easy or not; the last of the two things in the preceding clause is first particularly explained and enlarged upon, as is usual in the Hebrew language.

Numbers 13:18 In-Context

16 These are the names of the men Moses sent to explore the land. (Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun the new name Joshua.)

17 Moses sent them to explore Canaan and said, "Go through southern Canaan and then into the mountains.

18 See what the land looks like. Are the people who live there strong or weak? Are there a few or many?

19 What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What about the towns they live in -- are they open like camps, or do they have walls?

20 What about the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees there? Try to bring back some of the fruit from that land." (It was the season for the first grapes.)