The People’s Rebellion

In Numbers 13–14 Caleb consistently portrays the land and God’s promises as good (e.g., Num 14:6–9). When Moses selected 12 leaders to spy out the land of Canaan, Caleb represented the tribe of Judah (Num 13–14). According to Cole, this mission was to evaluate whether the land—and therefore God’s promise—was “good” (טוֹב, tov) or “bad” (רָעָה, ra'ah; Num 13:19; Cole, Numbers, 210). The spies originally delivered a report that the land was good, describing it as flowing with milk and honey and presenting evidence of its fruit (Num 13:27). However, their report turned bad as they described the people of Canaan as giants living in impenetrable cities (Num 13:28–29). Seeing that the other spies’ report had stirred up fear among the Israelites (Num 13:27–29, 31–33), Caleb attempted to counter their claims by declaring, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it” (Num 13:30 ESV). Nevertheless, the other spies continued to deliver a bad report of the land, causing the people to view the land and God’s promises as bad, and to consider a return to Egypt (Num 14:1–4; Cole, Numbers, 210).

In response to the people’s rebellion, Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in supplication, and Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes and pleaded with the people to be courageous and not to rebel against the Lord (Num 14:5–9). Tearing clothes was a dramatic action practiced throughout the ancient Near East as an expression of mourning, a lament over a disaster, or a gesture in anticipation of divine judgment. Milgrom suggests that Caleb and Joshua tore their clothes to express grief and distress because the people were rebelling against both Moses and God (Milgrom, Numbers, 108).

The people prepare to stone Moses, Aaron, Caleb, and Joshua, but God appears in His glory (Num 14:10). Due to Moses’ intercession, God modifies His initial plan to kill all of the people at once for their rejection of Him and His plan. Instead, He decrees that nobody over the age of 20, with the exception of Caleb and Joshua, will enter the promised land (Num 14:24; 26:64–65; 32:11–13; Deut 1:35–38).