Bible Strands
Numbers 13:19
Is the land where they live good or bad? Are the cities where they dwell open camps or fortifications?
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Moses addresses the twelve spies during their reconnaissance mission, giving them specific criteria to evaluate the Promised Land before they enter it.
The words — The Hebrew phrase הֲ/טוֹבָ֥ה (ha./to.Vah) paired with אִם\־ ('im-) translates literally as "good or," framing the inquiry around a binary assessment of the territory's quality.
The thread — This directive recurs in Deuteronomy 1:21 when Moses reiterates the charge to the next generation, and the theme of distinguishing fortified cities from open settlements appears in Joshua 2:24.
Why it lands — The verse demands a clear-eyed evaluation of reality, requiring the observer to separate surface appearances from actual defensive strength and agricultural potential before making a decision.
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
And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;