Pt3 The Story of the Spies in Numbers 13-14 in the Talmud (Sotah 34b-35a)

This is the third and final part of a three-part series. Part 1 is here, Part 2 is here; the outline of the series can be found at Part 1.

R’ Ḥanina bar Pappa - Spies Claimed That Even God Cannot Prevail over the Native Canaanites (Numbers 13:31)

R’ Ḥanina bar Pappa interprets the spies’ statement that the Canaanites are “stronger than us” (ממנו) as blasphemous.

Instead of reading it as “stronger than us,” he suggests it implies “stronger than Him,”¹ meaning they claimed that “even the Homeowner² is unable to remove His belongings from there” .³

״והאנשים אשר עלו עמו אמרו:

לא נוכל וגו׳״.

אמר רבי חנינא בר פפא:

דבר גדול דברו מרגלים באותה שעה.

״כי חזק הוא ממנו״,

אל תקרי ״ממנו״,

אלא ״ממנו״ —

כביכול:

אפילו בעל הבית

אינו יכול להוציא כליו משם.

The verses continue: “But the men that went up with him said:

We are not able to go up against the people; as they are stronger than us” (Numbers 13:31).

R’ Ḥanina bar Pappa says:

The spies said a serious statement at that moment.

When they said: “They are stronger,”

do not read the word ‘mimenu’ as: Stronger than us,

but rather read it as: Stronger than Him,

meaning as it were

that even the Homeowner, God,

is unable to remove His belongings from there,

The spies were speaking heresy and claiming that the Canaanites were stronger than God Himself.

Rava - Misinterpreting Divine Intent: The Spies’ Mistake (Numbers 13:32): A Divine Strategy for Protection

Rava states that God made the land appear to consume its inhabitants for the Israelites’ benefit (as elaborated on in the continuation).

״ארץ אכלת יושביה היא״,

דרש רבא:

אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא:

אני חשבתיה לטובה,

והם חשבו לרעה.

The spies said: “It is a land that consumes its inhabitants” (Numbers 13:32).

Rava taught:

God said:

I intended the land to appear to consume its inhabitants for their own good,

but they considered this proof that the land was bad.

By causing many deaths in Canaan, God ensured that the Canaanites would be distracted with mourning and not notice the Spies

אני חשבתיה לטובה —

דכל היכא דמטו,

מת חשיבא דידהו

כי היכי דניטרדו

ולא לשאלו אבתרייהו.

I intended it for their good

by causing many people to die there so that anywhere that the spies arrived,

the most important of them died,

so that the Canaanites would be preoccupied (ניטרדו) with mourning

and would not inquire about them.

The Death of Job as a Distraction

An alternative explanation suggests that God orchestrated Job’s death at that time, leading all of Canaan to focus on his eulogy rather than investigating the spies.⁴

Despite this hidden divine protection, the spies misunderstood the situation and concluded that the land itself was dangerous.

ואיכא דאמרי:

איוב נח נפשיה,

ואטרידו כולי עלמא בהספידא,

הם חשבו לרעה,

״ארץ אכלת יושביה היא״.

And there are those who say that

God caused Job to die at that time,

and everyone in Canaan was preoccupied with his eulogy, and did not pay attention to the spies.

However, the spies considered this proof that the land was bad

and said: “It is a land that consumes its inhabitants.”

Rav Mesharshiya - The Spies Lied (Numbers 13:33)

Rav Mesharshiya criticizes the spies’ statement that they “appeared like grasshoppers (חגבים)” in the eyes of the Canaanites.

He argues that while the spies could assess their own perception of themselves, they could not possibly know how the Canaanites viewed them.

״ונהי בעינינו כחגבים

וכן היינו וגו׳״,

אמר רב משרשיא:

מרגלים שקרי הוו:

• בשלמא ״ונהי בעינינו כחגבים״ —

  • לחיי,

• אלא ״וכן היינו בעיניהם״ —

  • מנא הוו ידעי?!

The spies said: “And we were like grasshoppers in our own eyes,

and so were we in their eyes” (Numbers 13:33).

Rav Mesharshiyya says:

The spies were liars:

• Granted, to say: “We were like grasshoppers in our own eyes” —

  • is well,

• but to say: “And so were we in their eyes” —

  • from where could they have known this?!

Validation of the Spies’ Perception

The Talmud counters Rav Mesharshiya’s assessment that the spies may have heard Canaanites remarking that they saw people resembling grasshoppers in the trees, validating their fear.

ולא היא,

כי הוו מברי אבילי —

תותי ארזי הוו מברי,

וכי חזינהו,

סלקו יתבי באילני,

שמעי דקאמרי:

קחזינן אינשי דדמו לקמצי באילני.

The Talmud responds: But that is not so,

as when the Canaanites were having the mourners’ meal,⁵

they had the meal beneath cedar trees,

and when the spies saw them

they climbed up the trees and sat in them.

From there they heard the Canaanites saying:

We see people who look like grasshoppers in the trees.

Rabba citing R’ Yoḥanan - Establishment of the Ninth of Av as a Day of Mourning (Numbers 14:1)

Rabba, quoting R’ Yoḥanan, states that the spies’ report led the Israelites to weep on the eve of the Ninth of Av.

In response, God decreed that this date would become a day of national mourning for future generations.⁶

״ותשא כל העדה ויתנו את קולם ויבכו״,

אמר רבה, אמר רבי יוחנן:

אותו היום ערב תשעה באב היה,

אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא:

הן בכו בכיה של חנם

ואני אקבע להם בכיה לדורות.

The verse states: “And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried” (Numbers 14:1).

Rabba says that R’ Yoḥanan says:

That day was the eve of the Ninth of Av,

and God said:

On that day they wept a gratuitous weeping,

so I will establish that day for them as a day of weeping for the future generations.

R’ Ḥiyya bar Abba - Rebellion Against God (Numbers 14:10)

R’ Ḥiyya bar Abba interprets the verse (which states that the people sought to stone Joshua and Caleb) that the people hurled stones “upward”.⁷

״ויאמרו כל העדה לרגום אתם באבנים״,

וכתיב: ״וכבוד ה׳ נראה באהל מועד״,

אמר רבי חייא בר אבא:

מלמד:

שנטלו אבנים

וזרקום כלפי מעלה.

The verse states: “But all the congregation bade stone them with stones” (Numbers 14:10),

and it is written immediately afterward: “When the glory of YHWH appeared in the Tent of Meeting” (Numbers 14:10).

R’ Ḥiyya bar Abba says:

This teaches that

they took stones

and threw them upward as if to throw them at God.

R’ Shimon ben Lakish - The Spies’ Unusual Deaths (Numbers 14:37)

R’ Shimon ben Lakish states that the spies died in an unnatural (משונה) way.

״וימתו האנשים מוצאי דבת הארץ רעה במגפה״,

אמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש:

שמתו מיתה משונה.

The verse states: “And those men who brought out an evil report of the land, died by a plague (מגפה) before YHWH” (Numbers 14:37).

R’ Shimon ben Lakish says:

This means that they died an unusual death.

R’ Ḥanina bar Pappa citing R’ Sheila of Kefar Temarta - their tongues stretched out while worms consumed them

R’ Ḥanina bar Pappa cites R’ Sheila of Kefar Temarta elaborately describing their grotesque death: “Their tongues extended (נשתרבב) and fell upon their stomachs (טיבורם), and worms (תולעים) exited their tongues and entered into their stomachs, and from their stomachs [worms came out] and entered into their tongues.”⁸

אמר רבי חנינא בר פפא:

דרש רבי שילא איש כפר תמרתא:

מלמד:

שנשתרבב לשונם, ונפל על טיבורם,

והיו תולעים יוצאות מלשונם, ונכנסות בטיבורם,

ומטיבורם, ונכנסות בלשונם.

R’ Ḥanina bar Pappa says that

R’ Sheila Ish Kefar Temarta taught:

This teaches that

their tongues were stretched out from their mouths and fell upon their navels,

and worms were crawling out of their tongues and entering their navels,

and worms were likewise coming out of their navels and entering their tongues.

This is the painful death that they suffered.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak - they died of diphtheria

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak suggests they died of diphtheria.⁹

ורב נחמן בר יצחק אמר:

באסכרה מתו.

And Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak says:

They died of diphtheria, which causes one to choke to death.

Appendix 1 - Absalom’s Vow and Hebron’s Sheep (Sotah 34b; II Samuel 15:7)

Sotah.34b.13

The verse (2 Samuel 15:7) describes Absalom asking his father King David for permission to fulfill a vow he had made to God in Hebron.¹⁰

Rav Avya, or possibly Rabba bar bar Ḥanan, interprets this as meaning that Absalom specifically traveled to Hebron to acquire sheep.

A baraita states that one must bring the best animals for sacrifices. It specifies that rams (אילים) come from Moab, while sheep (כבשים) come from Hebron (reinforcing the idea that Absalom may have sought superior offerings).

כתיב:

״ויהי מקץ ארבעים שנה

ויאמר אבשלום אל המלך:

אלכה נא וגו׳״,

ואמר רב אויא,

ואיתימא רבה בר בר חנן:

שהלך להביא כבשים מחברון.

ותניא:

• אילים --

  • ממואב,

• כבשים --

  • מחברון

it written:

“And it came to pass at the end of forty years,

that Absalom said to the king:

I pray, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the Lord, in Hebron” (II Samuel 15:7)?

And Rav Avya says,

and some say that it was Rabba bar bar Ḥanan:

This means that Absalom went to bring sheep specifically from Hebron.

And it is taught in a baraita (Tosefta, Menaḥot 9:3):

One must bring the choicest animals to the Temple as offerings:

• Rams --

  • are brought from Moab,

• and sheep --

  • are brought from Hebron.

Appendix 2 - Homiletic Readings of Verses in the Talmudic Sugya on the Spies: All the Number 13-14 verses discussed in the text and their interpretations, organized in order by chapter and verse, with concise summary of each homiletic reading

Numbers 13:2 - “Send you men”

• Discretionary Mission: Reish Lakish explains that “Send you” means Moses sent the spies at his own discretion, not by divine command.

• Evidence from Deuteronomy: Supported by Moses’ words “It was good in my eyes” (Deut. 1:23), implying it was good in Moses’ view but not God’s.

• Divine Perspective: If truly a divine command, God would not have chosen spies who would bring a negative report.

Numbers 13:4, 13-14 - Names of the Spies

• Names Reflect Actions: R’ Yitzḥak states the spies’ names correspond to their deeds.

• Sethur ben Michael: “Sethur” means he “hid” (סתר) God’s deeds; “Michael” means he “weakened” (מך) God’s image.

• Nahbi ben Vophsi: “Nahbi” means he “concealed” (החביא) God’s statement; “Vophsi” means he “trampled” (פיסע) on God’s attributes.

Numbers 13:16 - Moses Renames Hoshea

• Prophetic Renaming: Moses renamed Hoshea to Joshua, meaning “God (יה) will save you (יושיעך)” from the spies’ scheme.

• Divine Protection: Joshua didn’t need to seek protection at the patriarchs’ graves because Moses had already prayed for him.

Numbers 13:22 - “And he came to Hebron”

• Caleb’s Separation: The singular “he came” implies Caleb separated from the other spies.

• Spiritual Guidance: Caleb went alone to the graves of the Patriarchs in Hebron and prayed for their intercession.

Numbers 13:22 - The Anakim in Hebron

• Physical Interpretation: The names reflect their physical traits:

  • Ahiman (אחימן) was the most “skilled” (מיומן) among his brothers.

  • Sheshai (ששי) created “ditches” (שחתות) in the ground due to his massive size.

  • Talmai (תלמי) caused the land to form “furrows” (תלמים) with his great weight.

• Alternative Interpretation: They built cities named Anat, Alush, and Talbush respectively.

• Children of Anak: Called this because they were so tall they appeared to “wear” (מעניקין) the sun as a necklace.

Numbers 13:22 - “Hebron was built seven years before Zoan”

• Fertility Not Age: Not literal building but meaning Hebron was seven times more fruitful than Zoan.

• Remarkable Productivity: Despite Hebron’s rocky terrain (evidenced by its use as a burial site), it was more productive than Zoan, the most fertile region in Egypt.

Numbers 13:23 - The Cluster of Grapes

• Massive Weight: The cluster was calculated to weigh approximately 480 se’a.

• Multiple Carriers: “Between two” implies the cluster required two poles and four carriers.

• Expanded Interpretation: R’ Yitzḥak explains it required eight spies like a balance scale.

• Other Fruits: One spy carried a pomegranate and another carried a fig.

• Joshua and Caleb: They carried nothing, either due to their status or refusal to participate in the negative report.

Numbers 13:25-26 - Return from the Mission

• Consistency in Intent: R’ Yoḥanan notes that the Torah equates their departure with their return.

• Bad Faith: Just as their report was deceptive, their original journey was undertaken with negative intentions.

Numbers 13:27-28 - The Spies’ Report

• Strategic Slander: R’ Yoḥanan explains that effective slander must begin with truth to be convincing.

• Tactical Approach: The spies first praised the land (”flows with milk and honey”) before criticizing its inhabitants.

Numbers 13:30 - Caleb’s Response

• Persuasive Silence: “Caleb stilled (יהס) the people” means he persuaded (הסיתן) them.

• Joshua’s Rejection: When Joshua tried to speak, he was dismissed mockingly.

• Rhetorical Strategy: Caleb began by asking if Moses had only harmed them, causing people to listen attentively, thinking he would criticize Moses.

• Reversal: He then listed Moses’ miracles and concluded they should follow Moses even “to the heavens.”

Numbers 13:31 - “Stronger than us”

• Blasphemous Reading: R’ Ḥanina bar Pappa reinterprets “stronger than us” (ממנו) as “stronger than Him.”

• Divine Challenge: The spies claimed even God couldn’t remove the Canaanites from the land.

Numbers 13:32 - “Land that consumes its inhabitants”

• Divine Strategy: Rava explains God caused many deaths in Canaan to distract the Canaanites with mourning.

• Job’s Death: Alternative view: God orchestrated Job’s death, causing the entire region to focus on his eulogy.

• Misinterpretation: The spies misunderstood this divine protection as evidence the land was dangerous.

Numbers 13:33 - “Like grasshoppers in their eyes”

• Questionable Claim: Rav Mesharshiyya criticizes this statement—how could the spies know others’ perceptions?

• Possible Explanation: The spies may have overheard Canaanites remarking about seeing “grasshopper-like” figures in trees.

Numbers 14:1 - “The congregation cried”

• Historical Date: Rabba states this occurred on the eve of the Ninth of Av.

• Divine Response: God decreed this date would become a permanent day of mourning.

Numbers 14:10 - “Stone them with stones”

• Rebellion Against Heaven: R’ Ḥiyya bar Abba explains the people hurled stones upward toward heaven, directly challenging God.

Numbers 14:24 - “Caleb had another spirit”

• Change of Heart: This suggests Caleb initially aligned with the spies but later changed his stance.

• Contrast with Joshua: Unlike Caleb, Joshua opposed the spies from the beginning.

Numbers 14:37 - The Spies’ Death

• Unusual Punishment: R’ Shimon ben Lakish states the spies died unnaturally.

• Grotesque Details: Their tongues stretched to their navels and worms consumed them.

• Medical View: Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak suggests they died of diphtheria.

1. Note: somewhat unusually for this method of drash (אל תיקרי), here (ממנו), both are pronounced the same way: ‘mimenu’.

The Hebrew ‘mimenu’ is inherently morphologically ambiguous, and can mean either “from him” (2nd person singular) or “from us” (1st person plural); the meaning must be inferred from context.

In Modern Hebrew, the word me’itanu (מֵאּתַּנוּ) is typically used for “from us” (1st person plural), to avoid this ambiguity. See Wikipedia, “Modern Hebrew grammar“, section “Inflected prepositions“, in the table “Hebrew irregular inflected prepositions“, row “מִ־ mi- ‘from, than’ “.

2. בעל הבית - “owner of the house”, i.e., God, who “owns” Eretz Yisrael.

3. I.e. even God cannot dislodge the Canaanites from the land.

4. On Job’s identity and time period according to the Talmud, see my “When and Who Was Job? Talmudic Views on His Time Period and Identity (Bava Batra 15a-b)“. See especially ibid., section “R’ Levi bar Laḥma - Job lived in Moses’ time - Use of word ‘eifo’ (אפוא) in both Job 19:23 and Exodus 33:16“.

5. מברי - based on the Talmud’s belief in earlier sections that there were supernaturally many Canaanite deaths at the time, and hence much mourning.

6. This line is found elsewhere in the Talmud as well, see my “Pt1 The Origins of Tisha B’Av and the Chronology of Numbers 10-14: the Date of the Destructions of the Both Temples and the Biblical Spies Episode (Taanit 29a)“, section “Rabba citing R’ Yoḥanan - Numbers 13:25, 14:1 - the night of 9 Av“.

See there in general for the Talmud’s extended reconstruction of the chronology of those few months in the wilderness, based on the biblical verses.

7. כלפי מעלה - i.e. towards heaven, in rebellion against God.

8. So the main features of their grotesque death:

• Tongues unnaturally extended down to navels

• Worms (or: “maggots”) moving in a circle: tongue → stomach → tongue

“Worms, maggots” (תולעים / תולעה / תולעת) are typically associated in Talmudic literature with post-mortem decay; here they’re unusually the agents of death. On worms as symbolizing decay after death, see my extended note in “Pt2 Thief-Catching, Corpulence, and Virility: Stories of R’ Elazar ben Shimon and R’ Yishmael ben Yosei (Bava Metzia 83b-84a)“, on section “R’ Elazar ben Shimon and the Laundryman: A Tale of Moral Judgment, Regret, and Divine Validation“.

9. אסכרה.

On this disease, see my note on “Pt2 Bodily Afflictions and Illnesses as Signs of Sin: Wounds, Edema (Hidrokan), and Diphtheria (Askara) (Shabbat 33a-b)“, section “Diphtheria (Askara) is divine punishment for neglecting to separate tithes (ma’aser) or due to speaking Lashon Hara (Psalms 63:12)“.

10. For context (from the perspective of a straightforward reading), see Wikipedia, “2 Samuel 15“, section “Absalom’s conspiracy (15:1–12)“:

For 4 years Absalom planned his revolt without arousing any suspicion.

As Absalom was born in Hebron (thus a Hebronite), his request for permission to fulfil a vow in Hebron was readily granted. He chose Hebron as the seat of kingship (verse 10) to show that he was supported by the Judahites (including Amasa, David’s nephew, and Ahitophel, David’s counsellor and grandfather of Bathsheba), while also enjoying support from northern tribes, therefore from Dan to Beersheba (cf. 17:11).

The Talmud here gives a drash interpretation as to why Absalom chose Hebron.