Numbers 13:30

Hebrew Bible

28 But the inhabitants are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the land of the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.” 30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses, saying, “Let us go up and occupy it, for we are well able to conquer it.” 31 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!”

Numbers 14:6

Hebrew Bible

4 So they said to one another, “Let’s appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell down with their faces to the ground before the whole assembled community of the Israelites. 6 And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, two of those who had investigated the land, tore their garments. 7 They said to the whole community of the Israelites, “The land we passed through to investigate is an exceedingly good land.

 Notes and References

"... Only one scout, Caleb, opposes the scouts who give the negative report in 13:30 and 14:24 (J); but it is two scouts, both Caleb and Joshua, in 14:6-9, 38 (P). The addition of Joshua in P was necessary because it had to explain why Joshua survived to arrive in the land. In E Joshua's merit is established: he is the only Israelite to be completely uninvolved in the golden-calf event, and he is the man who remains in the Tabernacle standing guard. But P cannot include these stories because in the golden-calf story Aaron is culpable for making the calf, and according to P a non-priest such as Joshua cannot be in the Tabernacle. P therefore includes Joshua along with Caleb as the two men who survive to enter the land ..."

Friedman, Richard Elliott The Bible with Sources Revealed: A New View Into the Five Books of Moses (p. 265) Harper San Francisco, 2005

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