The Meaning of Numbers 13:32 Explained

Numbers 13:32

KJV: And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.

YLT: and they bring out an evil account of the land which they have spied unto the sons of Israel, saying, 'The land into which we passed over to spy it, is a land eating up its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in its midst are men of stature;

Darby: And they brought to the children of Israel an evil report of the land which they had searched out, saying, The land, which we have passed through to search it out, is a land that eateth up its inhabitants; and all the people that we have seen in it are men of great stature;

ASV: And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had spied out unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they brought up  an evil report  of the land  which they had searched  unto the children  of Israel,  saying,  The land,  through which we have gone  to search  it, [is] a land  that eateth up  the inhabitants  thereof; and all the people  that we saw  in it  [are] men  of a great stature. 

What does Numbers 13:32 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 13:21-33 - The Majority And Minority Reports
It was August. Eshcol lay southeast of Hebron. Its sloping hills were covered with choice grapevines, the clusters of which weighed ten to twelve pounds. The tall, muscular Canaanites presented a strong contrast to the more diminutive Egyptians. The spies compared the Canaanites with themselves, instead of with Almighty God. Do not look at God through circumstances, but at circumstances through God. There is no land worth possessing which has not its giants; but, like Caleb, faith looks not at giants, but to the living God. See Numbers 14:8. The doubters said Can God? Caleb affirmed, God can! Only follow God fully! Be utterly yielded to Him. Present yourself to God as alive from the dead, and eternally united to the living Christ; then He will bruise Satan under your feet and make you tread upon the lion and adder, Psalms 91:13; Romans 16:20. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 13

1  The names of the men who were sent to search the land
17  Their instructions
21  Their acts
26  Their relation

What do the individual words in Numbers 13:32 mean?

And they gave a bad report of the land which they had spied out - unto the sons of Israel saying the land through which we have gone in as spies a land that devours its inhabitants is and all the people whom we saw in it [are] men of [great] stature
וַיּוֹצִ֜יאוּ דִּבַּ֤ת הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּר֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ אֶל־ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר הָאָ֡רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֩ עָבַ֨רְנוּ בָ֜הּ לָת֣וּר אֶ֣רֶץ אֹכֶ֤לֶת יוֹשְׁבֶ֙יהָ֙ הִ֔וא וְכָל־ הָעָ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־ רָאִ֥ינוּ בְתוֹכָ֖הּ אַנְשֵׁ֥י מִדּֽוֹת

וַיּוֹצִ֜יאוּ  And  they  gave 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
דִּבַּ֤ת  a  bad  report 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: דִּבָּה  
Sense: whispering, defamation, evil report.
הָאָ֙רֶץ֙  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
תָּר֣וּ  they  had  spied  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: תּוּר  
Sense: to seek, search out, spy out, explore.
אֹתָ֔הּ  - 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person feminine singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֶל־  unto 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
בְּנֵ֥י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הָאָ֡רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אֲשֶׁר֩  through  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עָבַ֨רְנוּ  we  have  gone 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
לָת֣וּר  as  spies 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: תּוּר  
Sense: to seek, search out, spy out, explore.
אֶ֣רֶץ  a  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אֹכֶ֤לֶת  that  devours 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
יוֹשְׁבֶ֙יהָ֙  its  inhabitants 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָעָ֛ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אֲשֶׁר־  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
רָאִ֥ינוּ  we  saw 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בְתוֹכָ֖הּ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
אַנְשֵׁ֥י  [are]  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מִדּֽוֹת  of  [great]  stature 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: מִדָּה 
Sense: measure, measurement, stature, size, garment.