Números 13:20

20. Wood Hebrew, trees. Either fruit trees or other trees for making military engines, for houses, or for fuel.

Be ye of good courage Literally, encourage yourselves. Their perilous enterprise demanded great coolness and courage. No mercy is shown to a convicted spy. It required courage also to make a report recommending an immediate advance against a mighty foe.

Bring of the fruit Literally, take of the fruit.

Time of… first ripe grapes This is one of the very few notes of time in this book. It was about the first of August. See Introduction, (4.)

21. Wilderness of Zin This is not to be confounded with the desert of Sin near Egypt. Exodus 16:1, note. The desert of Zin is sometimes spoken of as though it were identical with Kadesh, or a whole of which Kadesh is a part. Deuteronomy 32:51. Palmer thinks that he solves all difficulties by defining the wilderness of Zin as “the southeast corner of the desert Et Tih, between “Arabah and the head of Wady Garai-yeh.” This accords with his identification of Kadesh with Ain Gadis. Joshua 10:41, note. But Dr. Strong’s party, in 1874, located Kadesh at ‘Ain Weibeh, not far from Mount Hor.

Rehob This is the name of two places in the extreme north of the Holy Land: (1) that mentioned in Judges 18:28, note, and (2) that one situated in the tribe of Asher, farther west. Joshua 19:28. It is possible that there was another Rehob in Asher, allotted to the Levites. Joshua 21:31. The first of these three is supposed to be referred to in this verse.

As men come to Hamath Hamath, the metropolis of Upper Syria, is a city in the valley of the Orontes. Its present population is 30,000. The adjacent country, afterward called Coele Syria, was the ancient kingdom of Hamath. The route from Palestine to this city, commonly called “the entering in of Hamath,” is a matter of dispute, because there are several passes in the Lebanons. See Joshua 13:5, note. It is probable that the spies made explorations far north of Mount Hermon, in territory which was never conquered by Israel.