Bible Strands
Numbers 13:16
These were the names of the men Moses sent to spy out the land; and Moses gave to Hoshea son of Nun the name Joshua.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrator records Moses' actions at the moment he commissions the twelve tribal leaders to scout Canaan. The text places this renaming immediately after the roster list and before Moses issues geographical instructions to the scouts.
The words — The Hebrew אֵלֶּה ('E.leh) translates literally to "these," pointing directly to the enumerated scouts. The verb שָׁלַח (sha.Lach) means "he sent," establishing Moses' authoritative dispatch of the men to spy out the land.
The thread — This renaming connects to Hoshea's earlier listing in Numbers 13:8 and his later appearance in Numbers 14:6 alongside Caleb. The narrative also echoes Exodus 17:9, where Moses already commissions Joshua for military leadership.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition of Moses' authority to rename and commission agents of divine instruction. It requires the reader to track how a single name change marks a shift in leadership function from scout to future successor.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.
Cross-references
- Numbers 13:8 from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun;
- Exodus 17:9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with the staff of God in my hand.”
- Numbers 14:6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes
- Numbers 14:30 Surely none of you will enter the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
- Deuteronomy 32:44 Then Moses came with Joshua son of Nun and recited all the words of this song in the hearing of the people.
- Hosea 1:1 This is the word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and of Jeroboam son of Jehoash, king of Israel.
- Matthew 1:21 She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”
- Acts 7:45 And our fathers who received it brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David,
- Romans 9:25 As He says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘My People’ who are not My people, and I will call her ‘My Beloved’ who is not My beloved,”
- Hebrews 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.