Numbers 13:31
New International Version
But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”

New Living Translation
But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!”

English Standard Version
Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.”

Berean Standard Bible
But the men who had gone up with him replied, “We cannot go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are!”

King James Bible
But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

New King James Version
But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.”

New American Standard Bible
But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, because they are too strong for us.”

NASB 1995
But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.”

NASB 1977
But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.”

Legacy Standard Bible
But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.”

Amplified Bible
But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people [of Canaan], for they are too strong for us.”

Christian Standard Bible
But the men who had gone up with him responded, “We can’t attack the people because they are stronger than we are! ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But the men who had gone up with him responded, “We can’t go up against the people because they are stronger than we are!”

American Standard Version
But the men that went up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

Contemporary English Version
But the other men replied, "Those people are much too strong for us."

English Revised Version
But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But the men who had gone with him said, "We can't attack those people! They're too strong for us!"

Good News Translation
But the men who had gone with Caleb said, "No, we are not strong enough to attack them; the people there are more powerful than we are."

International Standard Version
"We can't attack those people," the men who were with him said, "because they're too strong compared to us."

Majority Standard Bible
But the men who had gone up with him replied, “We cannot go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are!”

NET Bible
But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against these people, because they are stronger than we are!"

New Heart English Bible
But the men who went up with him said, "We aren't able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we."

Webster's Bible Translation
But the men that went up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

World English Bible
But the men who went up with him said, “We aren’t able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the men who have gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for it [is] stronger than we”;

Young's Literal Translation
And the men who have gone up with him said, 'We are not able to go up against the people, for it is stronger than we;'

Smith's Literal Translation
And the men who went with him said, We shall not be able to go up against the people, for they are strong above us.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But the others, that had been with him, said: No, we are not able to go up to this people, because they are stronger than we.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Yet truly, the others, who had been with him, were saying, “By no means are we able to ascend to this people, because they are stronger than we are.”

New American Bible
But the men who had gone up with him said, “We cannot attack these people; they are too strong for us.”

New Revised Standard Version
Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against this people, for they are stronger than we.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But the men who went up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the men who went up with him were saying, “We cannot go up against the people because it is stronger than we.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
But the men that went up with him said: 'We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But the men that went up together with him said, We will not go up, for we shall not by any means be able to go up against the nation, for it is much stronger than we.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Reports of the Spies
30Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We must go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly conquer it!” 31But the men who had gone up with him replied, “We cannot go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are!” 32So they gave the Israelites a bad report about the land that they had spied out: “The land we explored devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw there are great in stature.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 1:28
Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’”

Joshua 14:8
Although my brothers who went with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear, I remained loyal to the LORD my God.

Deuteronomy 9:1-2
Hear, O Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities fortified to the heavens. / The people are strong and tall, the descendants of the Anakim. You know about them, and you have heard it said, “Who can stand up to the sons of Anak?”

Joshua 2:9-11
and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of you. / For we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites across the Jordan, whom you devoted to destruction. / When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.

Hebrews 3:19
So we see that it was because of their unbelief that they were unable to enter.

Deuteronomy 7:17-19
You may say in your heart, “These nations are greater than we are; how can we drive them out?” / But do not be afraid of them. Be sure to remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt: / the great trials that you saw, the signs and wonders, and the mighty hand and outstretched arm by which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.

Joshua 11:21-22
At that time Joshua proceeded to eliminate the Anakim from the hill country of Hebron, Debir, and Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah and of Israel. Joshua devoted them to destruction, along with their cities. / No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod did any survive.

Psalm 106:24-25
They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise. / They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the LORD.

Hebrews 4:1-2
Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be deemed to have fallen short of it. / For we also received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, since they did not share the faith of those who comprehended it.

Deuteronomy 31:6-8
Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” / Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. / The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”

Joshua 15:14
And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak—the descendants of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.

1 Samuel 17:33
But Saul replied, “You cannot go out against this Philistine to fight him. You are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

Nehemiah 9:17
They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them.

Matthew 17:20
“Because you have so little faith,” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

1 Corinthians 10:10
And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.


Treasury of Scripture

But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

Numbers 32:9
For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.

Deuteronomy 1:28
Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.

Joshua 14:8
Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.

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Numbers 13
1. The names of the men who were sent to search the land
17. Their instructions
21. Their acts
26. Their relation














But the men who had gone up with him replied
This phrase introduces the response of the other spies who accompanied Caleb and Joshua. The Hebrew word for "men" here is "אֲנָשִׁים" (anashim), which often denotes not just males, but individuals of significance or representatives. These men were leaders from each tribe, chosen for their status and influence. Their reply is pivotal, as it reflects a collective mindset that contrasts with Caleb's faith-filled perspective. Historically, this moment is crucial as it sets the stage for Israel's reaction to the Promised Land and reveals the tension between faith and fear.

We cannot go up against the people
The phrase "We cannot go up" is a direct expression of doubt and fear. The Hebrew root "יָכֹל" (yakol) means "to be able" or "to have power." Their declaration of inability is not just a physical assessment but a spiritual one, indicating a lack of trust in God's promise. This reflects a broader theme in Scripture where human limitations are contrasted with divine possibilities. The spies' focus on their own strength rather than God's power is a cautionary tale about the dangers of relying on human perspective over divine assurance.

for they are stronger than we are!
The assertion "they are stronger" uses the Hebrew word "חָזַק" (chazaq), meaning "strong" or "mighty." This word is often used in the Old Testament to describe God's strength or the might of armies. Here, it underscores the spies' perception of the Canaanites as formidable adversaries. Historically, the Canaanites were indeed known for their fortified cities and warrior culture, but the spies' fear magnifies these attributes beyond reality. This phrase encapsulates the core of their unbelief: a focus on the visible and tangible rather than the invisible and spiritual. It serves as a reminder of the importance of faith in God's promises, even when circumstances seem daunting.

Verse 31. - For they are stronger than we. In point of numbers the enormous superiority of the Israelites over any combination likely to oppose them must have been evident to the most cowardly. But the existence of numerous walled and fortified towns was (apart from Divine aid) an almost insuperable obstacle to a people wholly ignorant of artillery or of siege operations; and the presence of giants was exceedingly terrifying in an age when battles were a series of personal encounters (cf. 1 Samuel 17:11, 24).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But the men
וְהָ֨אֲנָשִׁ֜ים (wə·hā·’ă·nā·šîm)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

who
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

had gone up
עָל֤וּ (‘ā·lū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

with him
עִמּוֹ֙ (‘im·mōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

replied,
אָֽמְר֔וּ (’ā·mə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“We cannot
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

go up
לַעֲל֣וֹת (la·‘ă·lō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

against
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the people,
הָעָ֑ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

for
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

they
ה֖וּא (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

are stronger
חָזָ֥ק (ḥā·zāq)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2389: Strong, stout, mighty

than we are!”
מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (mim·men·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of


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OT Law: Numbers 13:31 But the men who went up (Nu Num.)
Numbers 13:30
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