Numbers 13:25 — Word Study
WLCוַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ מִתּ֣וּר הָאָ֑רֶץ מִקֵּ֖ץ אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יֽוֹם׃
BSAAfterqêts [at the end of, following] fortyʼarbâʻîym [a significant period of time, often used for testing or preparation] daysyôwm [a period of twenty-four hours, a literal or figurative space of time] [the men] returnedshûwb▸ [those who were sent to spy, the scouts, to turn back, come back] from spying outtûwr [the process of, exploring, searching] the landʼerets [the earth, a country or region]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ | and they returned | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| מִתּ֣וּר | from spying out | Preposition, verb qal infinitive construct common |
| הָאָ֑רֶץ | the land | Particle, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| מִקֵּ֖ץ | from [the] end of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| אַרְבָּעִ֥ים | forty | Adj |
| יֽוֹם׃ | day[s] | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | After forty days the men returned from spying out the land, |
| KJV | And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. |
| ASV | And they returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days. |
| YLT | And they turn back from spying the land at the end of forty days. |
| WEB | They returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days. |
| BBE | At the end of forty days they came back from viewing the land. |
Where they part company is מִתּ֣וּר — see How Translations Differ.
The structure includes a main clause followed by a prepositional phrase indicating the source of their return and another for the time frame.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
verbשׁוּב
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Numbers 13:25
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Report of the Spiesgenerated
Numbers 13:25 describes the return of the Israelite spies after a significant period of exploration in the land of Canaan. This moment is crucial as it sets the stage for the subsequent report they will deliver to Moses and the congregation, influencing the Israelites' perception of the promised land. Their findings will have a lasting impact on the journey of the Israelites as they approach the land God promised them.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers 14:33–34 | Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. |
| 2 | Exodus 24:18 | Moses entered the cloud as he went up on the mountain, and he remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights. |
| 3 | Exodus 34:28 | So Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שׁוּב, vai.ya.Shu.vugenerated
The Hebrew word שׁוּב (shuwb) means to return or turn back, indicating a physical act of coming back from a journey. It can also carry spiritual connotations, such as returning to God or repenting. In this context, it specifically refers to the spies coming back after their mission of exploration.
The parsing shows that it is a sequential imperfect verb in the third person masculine plural, indicating that the action is ongoing and involves multiple subjects. This reinforces the idea of a collective return from their scouting mission.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the sentence is יָּשֻׁ֖בוּ, they returned, which governs the entire clause. The structure includes a prepositional phrase indicating the source of their return and a noun phrase that serves as the object of their action.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the action of returning, followed by the details of their mission, highlighting the significance of the forty days spent exploring.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שׁוּב as ἀπέστρεψαν (apestrepsean), meaning 'they turned back.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing the act of returning.
The Greek word for 'spying out' is rendered as κατασκεψάμενοι, which suggests a thorough examination. This choice reflects a more detailed understanding of the spies' mission.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 13:25 tells us that after forty days of exploring the land, the men returned to report back to Moses and the Israelites. This period of forty days is significant, marking the completion of their scouting mission.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The number forty often represents a period of testing or preparation in the Bible, such as the forty days of rain during the flood or the forty years of wandering in the wilderness.
The men were sent to gather information about the land of Canaan, assessing its resources and the strength of its inhabitants as part of their preparation to enter the promised land.
Their return marked the completion of their mission and set the stage for the report that would influence the Israelites' decision regarding entering the land.
Spying out the land involves exploring and assessing the territory, including its resources, inhabitants, and overall conditions, which is crucial for strategic planning.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the return of the spies teach us about preparation and assessment in our own lives?
- How can we apply the lessons from the spies' exploration to our own journeys of faith?
- In what ways can we be diligent in gathering information and preparing for important decisions?
- How does understanding the significance of forty days enhance our comprehension of this passage?
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 13:25 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd they returned from searching the land after forty days. The Targum of Jonathan adds, on the eighth day of the month Ab, which answers to part of July and part of August; so that this must be
Read John Gill on Numbers 13 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd they returned from searching of the land after forty days. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 13 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(25) After forty days.—This time allowed a full and careful exploration of the land.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Numbers 13 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges25–33. The spies returned and reported that the land was very fertile , , but the inhabitants were tall and terrible and their cities impregnable.
Read Cambridge on Numbers 13 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAfter forty days - They had no doubt in this time explored the whole land.
Read Albert Barnes on Numbers 13 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible25. Forty days were sufficient for a journey of 250 miles — into the vicinity of Hamath — and the return. The spies could rest six sabbaths and travel 500 miles, going at the rate of less than fifteen miles a day.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 13 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
After forty days the men returned from spying out the land,
They returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days.
After forty days the men returned from spying out the land,
They returned from investigating the land after forty days.
Tyndale line
And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.
And they returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days.
And they returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days.
And they returned from exploring the land after forty days.
That place was called the riuer Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes, which the children of Israel cut downe thence.
Strictly literal
And they returned from searching out the land after forty days.
And they turn back from spying the land at the end of forty days.
And they return from spying out the land at the end of forty days.
And they returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days.
After forty days, they returned from examining the land.
From the Latin
Which was called Nehelescol, that is to say, the torrent of the cluster of grapes, because from thence the children of Israel had carried a cluster of grapes.
Simplified
Forty days later the men returned from exploring the country.
At the end of forty days they came back from viewing the land.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, with all six words matching in meaning. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs slightly by including the word את (et), which serves as an object marker, indicating a variation in textual tradition but not in overall meaning.
וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ מִתּ֣וּר הָאָ֑רֶץ מִקֵּ֖ץ אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יֽוֹם׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
וישׁבו מתור את הארץ מקץ ארבעים יום
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: את (
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Numbers 13:25
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word שׁוּב (shuwb) means to turn back or return, covering a wide range of contexts including physical, spiritual, and relational. It can denote returning to a previous state, repenting, or even apostatizing. The entries describe various forms and uses, including bringing back, restoring, and refreshing. Notably, it can also imply a change in course of action.
שׁוּב 1056 vb. turn back, return
Qal 683;—turn back, return:
turn back
return, come or go back
esp. return unto
of dying
of revival from death
fig. of human relations:
return to leader, king
= change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)
turn, i.e. resort to
return to a physical condition
abs. = change course of action
fig., specif. of spiritual relations:
turn back from God = apostatize
of י׳, turn away
turn back to God (= seek penitently)
abs. repent
turn back from evil
of י׳
of י׳, return (to shew favour)
of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):
denoting repetition, etc.
trans.
Pō‛l.
bring back
fig. restore, refresh
restore, repair
lead away (enticingly)
shew turning = apostatize
Hiph. 353 cause to return, bring back
bring back into bondage
put back
= draw back
= give back, restore
= relinguish
= give in payment, requital
bring one back (from dead)
bring back heart
= refresh
H7725 שׁוּב turn back, return .—turn back, return: . turn back
. return, come or go back
. esp. return unto
. . of dying
. of revival from death
. fig. of human relations: . return to leader, king
. = change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)
. turn, i.e. resort to
. return to a physical condition
. abs. = change course of action
. fig., specif. of spiritual relations: . turn back from God = apostatize
. of י׳, turn away
. turn back to God (= seek penitently)
. abs. repent
. turn back from evil
. of י׳
. of י׳, return (to shew favour)
. of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):
. denoting repetition, etc.
. trans.
. . bring back
. . fig. restore, refresh
. restore, repair
. lead away (enticingly)
. shew turning = apostatize
. cause to return, bring back . . bring back into bondage
. put back
. = draw back
. = give back, restore
. = relinguish
. = give in payment, requital
7725 shuwb shoob
a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or
intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily
with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to
retreat; often adverbial, again:--((break, build, circumcise,
dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge,
make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) X again, (cause to) answer
(+ again), X in any case (wise), X at all, averse, bring
(again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back),
cease, X certainly, come again (back), X consider, +
continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back,
fetch home again, X fro, get (oneself) (back) again, X give
(again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see)
more, X needs, be past, X pay, pervert, pull in again, put
(again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh,
relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve,
שׁוּב (shuv) — to return: return.
: return
1) to return, turn back
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to turn back, return
1a1a) to turn back
1a1b) to return, come or go back
1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back
1a1d) of dying
1a1e) of human relations (fig)
1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig)
1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise
1a1f2) to turn away (of God)
1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent
1a1f4) turn back (from evil)
1a1g) of inanimate things
1a1h) in repetition
1b) (Polel)
1b1) to bring back
1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig)
1b3) to lead away (enticingly)
1b4) to show turning, apostatise
1c) (Pual) restored (participle)
1d) (Hiphil) to cause to return, bring back
1d1) to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, restore, relinquish, give in payment
1d2) to bring back, refresh, restore
1d3) to bring back, report to, answer
1d4) to bring back, make requital, pay (as recompense)
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine pluralHc/Vqw3mp
תּוּר (tuwr) is a Hebrew verb meaning to seek out, spy out, or explore. It encompasses actions like searching, selecting, and going about, with uses in both Qal and Hiphil forms. The word can refer to explorers or merchants, indicating a range of activities from reconnaissance to trade.
תּוּר vb. seek out, spy out, explore
Qal
seek out, select
spy out, explore
go about
Hiph. they made a reconnaissance at Bethel
base
H8446 תּוּר seek out, spy out, explore
8446 tuwr toor
a primitive root; to meander (causatively, guide) about,
especially for trade or reconnoitring:--chap(-man), sent to
descry, be excellent, merchant(-man), search (out), seek,
(e-)spy (out).
תּוּר (tur) — to spy.
1) to seek, search out, spy out, explore
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to seek out, select, find out how to do something
1a2) to spy out, explore
1a2a) explorers, spies (participle)
1a3) to go about
1a3a) merchant, trader (participle)
1b) (Hiphil) to make a search, make a reconnaissance
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct commonHR/Vqcc
אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.
אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land
earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
earth, opp. to heaven, sky
earth = inhabitants of earth
land =
country, territory
district, region
trial territory
piece of ground
specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
= inhabitants of land
used even of Shᵉʼôl
ground, surface of ground
soil, as productive
אֶרֶץ in phrases
people of the land
in measurements of distance
the country of the plain, level or plain country
land of the living
end(s) of the earth
pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
base
H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
. earth, opp. to heaven, sky
. earth = inhabitants of earth
. land = . country, territory
. district, region
. trial territory
. piece of ground
. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
. = inhabitants of land
. used even of Shᵉʼôl
. . ground, surface of ground
. soil, as productive
. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land
. in measurements of distance
. the country of the plain, level or plain country
. land of the living
. end(s) of the earth
. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
776 'erets eh'-rets
from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth
(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,
field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.
: country/field
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
1b2) district, region
1b3) tribal territory
1b4) piece of ground
1b5) land of Canaan, Israel
1b6) inhabitants of land
1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world
1b8) city (-state)
1c) ground, surface of the earth
1c1) ground
1c2) soil
1d) (in phrases)
1d1) people of the land
1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)
1d3) level or plain country
1d4) land of the living
1d5) end(s) of the earth
1e) (almost wholly late in usage)
1e1) lands, countries
1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.
: soil
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
Art | N-cs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absoluteHTd/Ncfsa
((1) 'erets;
(2) 'adhamah;
(3) sadheh,
"a piece of land";
(4) ge, "earth";
(5) agros, "field";
(6) chora, "region";
(7) chorion, diminutive of chora;
(8) xeros, "dry land";
(9) 'ezrach, "native" the King James Version "born in the land," "born among you," the Revised Version (British and American) "home-born" (Le 19:34; 14:16; Nu 15:30); "like a green tree in its native soil" (Ps 37:35)):
→ Appeared on the third creative day Ge 1:9
→ Original title to, from God Ge 13:14-17; 15:7; Ex 23:31; Le 25:23
→ Bought and sold Ge 23:3-18; 33:19; Ac 4:34; 5:1-8
→ Sale and redemption of, laws concerning Le 25:15,16,23-33; 27:17-24; Nu 36:4; Jer 32:7-16,25,44; Eze 46:18
קֵץ (qets) means 'end,' typically referring to a point in time or space. It is often used in the phrase מִקֵּץ, meaning 'at the end of a definite time.' The word is derived from a root that implies extremity or limit.
קֵץ 68 n.m. end
end, usu. of time, esp. in phr. מִקֵּץ at the end of a definite time
end, in space
base
H7093 קֵץ end . end, usu. of time, esp. in phr. מִקֵּץ at the end of a definite time
. end, in space
7093 qets kates
contracted from 7112; an extremity; adverbially (with
prepositional prefix) after:--+ after, (utmost) border, end,
(in-)finite, X process.
see HEBREW for 07112
קֵץ (qets) — end.
1) end
1a) end, at the end of (of time)
1b) end (of space)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
אַרְבָּעִים (arba`iym) simply means 'forty' in Hebrew. It is a multiple of the number 702 and is consistently defined across various lexicons. There are no significant disagreements among the entries regarding its meaning.
אַרְבָּעִים a forty
base
H705 אַרְבָּעִים a forty
705 'arba`iym ar-baw-eem'
multiple of 702; forty:---forty.
see HEBREW for 0702
אַרְבָּעִים (ar.ba.im) — forty.
forty
Adj — AdjHAcmpa
יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.
יוֹם 2285 n.m. day
day, opp. night
Day as division of time
יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
Pl. days of anyone
Days
יוֹם = time
Phrases
base
H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night
. Day as division of time
. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
. Pl. days of anyone
. Days
. יוֹם = time
. Phrases
3117 yowm yome
from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm
hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one
sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by
an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +
chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)
day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +
(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as
(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,
presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,
then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,
weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole
(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.
יוֹם (yom) — day.
: day/when/time/period
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: old.
: old/(full/many)[days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: year.
: year[of_days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa