Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 13:28

Nevertheless the people [be] strong that dwell in the land, and the cities [are] walled, [and] very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

Strong; potent for the strength of their body, and the valour of their minds.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

Nevertheless the people [be] strong that dwell in the land,…. Though so plentiful and fruitful and desirable to enjoy, yet this objection lay against all hopes and even attempts to possess it, as they thought; the strength of the people, its present inhabitants, both in body and mind, being persons of a large, and some of a prodigious stature, and to all appearance men of valour and courage;

and the cities [are] walled and very great; and so inaccessible, and able to hold out a long siege, and repel what force may be brought against them; so that to attack them would be to little purpose:

and moreover we saw the children of Anak there: whom they had heard of before, and so had the congregation of Israel, and many terrible and frightful stories were told of them, and these they now saw with their eyes, and very formidable they appeared to them; this seems to prove that others beside Caleb and Joshua were at Hebron, where the sons of Anak lived, Nu 13:22; and so they might, and yet not be together with them.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(28) Nevertheless the people be strong . . . The spies adopted the words of Exo. 3:8, flowing with milk and honey, as descriptive of the fertility of the land of Canaan, but at the same time they discouraged the hearts of their brethren by their description of the strength of the fortified cities and the gigantic stature of the inhabitants.

The children of Anak.Better, of the Anakim. (See Num. 13:22, and Note.)

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

28. Nevertheless This word introduces the godless majority report; godless because there is in it no reference to Jehovah. It is an infidel document; like those of some modern scientists, correct in its facts, but false and atheistic in its inferences. “Truly, the eye sees what it brings with it. They really went to look for dangers, and of course they found them.” The truth is told respecting the strength of the walled cities and the names of the Canaanitish tribes occupying different parts of the land. But the opinions expressed in Num 13:31 are glaringly disrespectful toward Him who had led Israel out of Egypt with his “stretched out arm,” and had promised to drive out all enemies from the promised land. Men are just as culpable for their opinions as for their acts, since opinions are the roots of conduct.

Cities walled, very great “The eyes of weak faith or unbelief saw the towns really towering up ‘to heaven.’ Deu 1:28. Nor did the height appear less even to the eyes of faith, which does not hide the difficulties from itself, that it may not rob the Lord who helps it over them of any of the praise that is justly his due.” Schultz.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments