Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 14:7
And they spoke unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, [is] an exceeding good land.
And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel,…. To as many as could hear them, to the heads of them:
saying, the land which we passed through to search it, [is] an exceeding good land; they observe that they were of the number of the spies that were appointed and sent to search the land of Canaan, and they had searched it, and therefore could give an account of it from their own knowledge; and they had not only entered into it, or just looked at a part of it, but they had gone through it, and taken a general survey of it; and they could not but in truth and justice say of it, that it was a good land, delightful, healthful, and fruitful; yea, “very, very good” q, exceeding, exceeding good, superlatively good, good beyond expression; they were not able with words to set forth the goodness of it; this they reported, in opposition to the ill report the other spies had given of it.
q “bona terra, valde valde”, Montanus, Vatablus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
7. They spake unto all the company of the children of Israel Literalists like Colenso find an insuperable difficulty here. “No human voice, unless strengthened by miracle, of which the Scriptures tell us nothing, could have reached the ears of a crowded mass of people as large as the whole population of London.” But the President of the United States performs a greater feat, standing on the east porch of the capitol and delivering his inaugural address to the whole country, with incidental remarks to all mankind. King Solomon at the dedication “blessed all the congregation of Israel.” 1Ki 8:14. Even the children in the Sunday-school soon learn to understand that “all” has its reasonable limitations when they read that “Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, were baptized of John;” as they do when they read that all New York is taking an airing in Central Park. See Exo 9:6, note.
Exceeding good land Hebrew, good exceedingly exceedingly. The minority report is more emphatic in its praise than the majority report is in its dispraise of Canaan. The eye of unbelief had seen the dark cloud, the eye of faith had seen both it and its silver lining. A craven fear had tinged all the observations of the one with a sombre hue, while an unfaltering faith had, to the eye of the other, tipped every hilltop with light and filled every valley with splendour. These opposite reports from an observation of the same facts resulted from the difference in the spirit and trust of the men who reported.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Num 14:7. The land which we passed through to search it, &c. This account of the land of Canaan, given by Joshua and Caleb, is plainly in opposition to that given in the former chapter, Num 14:32. They first declare it to be an exceeding good land, a land flowing with milk and honey; they then assert, that if the Lord delight in them, (Num 14:8.) if they do not forfeit his favour and protection, he will assuredly enable them to drive out the Canaanites, and give them a quiet possession of the land: they therefore wisely counselled them not to rebel against the Lord, (Num 14:9.) who was their sole protection and defence; nor, secure in that protection, to fear the people of the land,because they are bread for us, continued they, that is, an easy prey, and sure to be consumed by us. The same phrase occurs, ch. Num 24:8 and in Psa 14:4 and in like manner the Greeks use this expression of eating up their enemies, for destroying them; see Homer, Iliad 4: Num 14:35 and Mr. Pope’s note on Num 14:35 of his translation. The reason that they urge why the Canaanites should be thus easily destroyed by them, is a very fine one; their defence, say they, is departed from them; and Jehovah, our defence, is with us. The original is more expressive: their shade is departed from them; for as a shade covers from the heat of the sun, so the favour of God is a screen from every danger. This image, as Dr. Beaumont observes, is frequently used in the Scripture; see Psa 91:1; Psa 121:5. Isa 30:2; Isa 49:2; Isa 51:16 and was particularly expressive in those warm countries.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
exceeding. Hebrew “very, very”. Figure of speech Epizeuxis. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
an exceeding good land: Num 13:27, Deu 1:25, Deu 6:10, Deu 6:11, Deu 8:7-9
Reciprocal: Exo 3:8 – unto a good Jdg 18:9 – Arise Pro 15:19 – way of the slothful Jer 2:7 – brought