And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Even in their initial report of the land, the spies subtly frame their findings to sow doubt. They confirm it’s a land flowing with "milk and honey" – a phrase echoing God's promises – but immediately pivot to showcasing its physical fruit, setting the stage for their fearful, rather than faithful, interpretation.
And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After forty days of exploring Canaan, the twelve spies return to Moses and the Israelite assembly. Ten of the spies, before Caleb and Joshua can speak, deliver a report that begins by acknowledging the land's incredible fertility, confirming God's promise that it "flows with milk and honey," and displaying its bountiful fruit. However, this positive description is immediately followed by their frightening account of the powerful people and fortified cities they saw, setting the stage for their discouraging report and the people's subsequent fear.
Imagine tasting the very essence of God's promise. That's what these spies experienced, and their words echo a divine truth that still resonates today.
The description of Canaan as a land that 'floweth with milk and honey' wasn't just a poetic flourish. It was a direct echo of God's own words to Moses in Exodus 3:8, where He described it as a land 'good and wide, a land flowing with milk and honey.'
They brought back the fruit, but their report was divided. How can the same evidence lead to such different conclusions?
The spies brought back tangible proof of the land's fertility – a massive cluster of grapes, pomegranates, and figs (Numbers 13:23). Yet, their interpretation of this bounty reveals a critical spiritual divide.
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Understand the original words
erets · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the land promised by God to Abraham and his descendants, characterized as a place of abundance, security, and divine blessing, symbolizing the spiritual rest and inheritance available to God's people.
chalab u'dvash · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A biblical idiom describing a land of exceptional fertility, abundance, and provision. It signifies God's goodness in providing for the needs of His people in their inheritance.
The spies' report, presented here, directly echoes God's promise of a fruitful land but immediately pivots to the dangers, highlighting the tension between God's provision and the people's fear that will define their immediate future.
c. 1440 BC
Israelites Leave Egypt
After 400 years of slavery, the Israelites, led by Moses, are miraculously delivered from Egypt by God. This marks the beginning of their journey towards the Promised Land.
c. 1440 BC
God Promises the Land
God speaks to Moses, promising to bring the Israelites to a land "flowing with milk and honey." This promise is a foundational element of their hope and future.
c. 1440 BC— this verse
Spies Sent to Canaan
Moses, at God's instruction, sends twelve men—one from each tribe—to scout out the land of Canaan, its people, and its resources. They are specifically asked to bring back some of the land's fruit.
c. 1440 BC
Return of the Spies
After forty days of exploration, the spies return to the Israelite camp. They present their findings, including a cluster of grapes so large it requires two men to carry.
c. 1440 BC
Report of Abundance and Giants
Ten of the twelve spies report that the land indeed "flows with milk and honey" and show its fruit. However, they also describe the land as inhabited by powerful giants, instilling fear.
c. 1440 BC
Spies' Report Fuels Discouragement
The majority report, focusing on the challenges and the formidable inhabitants, leads to widespread fear and grumbling among the Israelites, directly contradicting the courageous minority report of Joshua and Caleb.
c. 1440 BC
Forty Years of Wandering
Because of their faithlessness and refusal to enter the land, the Israelites are condemned to wander in the wilderness for forty years, one year for each day the spies were in the land.
This passage directly describes God's promise of the land flowing with milk and honey, confirming that the spies' initial report accurately reflects God's own description of the land.
Deuteronomy 8:7-9This passage echoes the description of the Promised Land as fertile and abundant, highlighting its rich resources like water, grain, grapes, figs, and pomegranates, further validating the spies' findings about the land's bounty.
Joshua 14:6-12Caleb's report years later mirrors the positive description of the land's fruitfulness, but crucially, it contrasts with the spies' fear by emphasizing faith and God's ability to grant them possession.
Jeremiah 32:17-19This passage shows God's immense power and wisdom in creating and governing the land, underscoring that the fertility the spies saw is a testament to God's design, even when His people doubt Him.
calvinNumbers 13:1-33: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,"
Haec autem sunt nomina eorum. De tribu Ruben, Sammua filius Zachur.
Of the tribe of Simeon; Shaphat the son of Hori.
De tribu Simeon, Saphat filius Hori.
Of the tribe of Judah; Caleb the son of Jephunneh
De tribu Jehuda, Caleb filius Jephuneh.
Of the tribe of Issachar; Igal the son of Joseph.
De tribu Issachar, Igal, filius Joseph.
Of the tribe of Ephraim; Oshea the son of Nun.
De tribu Ephraim, Hosea f…
pulpitNumbers 13:27: "And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it."
Verse 27. - It floweth with milk and honey. According to the promise of God in his first message of deliverance to the people (see on Exodus 3:8).
Even in their initial report of the land, the spies subtly frame their findings to sow doubt. They confirm it’s a land flowing with "milk and honey" – a phrase echoing God's promises – but immediately pivot to showcasing its physical fruit, setting the stage for their fearful, rather than faithful, interpretation.
After forty days of exploring Canaan, the twelve spies return to Moses and the Israelite assembly. Ten of the spies, before Caleb and Joshua can speak, deliver a report that begins by acknowledging the land's incredible fertility, confirming God's promise that it "flows with milk and honey," and displaying its bountiful fruit. However, this positive description is immediately followed by their frightening account of the powerful people and fortified cities they saw, setting the stage for their discouraging report and the people's subsequent fear.
After forty days of exploring Canaan, the twelve spies return to Moses and the Israelite assembly. Ten of the spies, before Caleb and Joshua can speak, deliver a report that begins by acknowledging the land's incredible fertility, confirming God's promise that it "flows with milk and honey," and displaying its bountiful fruit. However, this positive description is immediately followed by their frightening account of the powerful people and fortified cities they saw, setting the stage for their discouraging report and the people's subsequent fear.
"And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit." — Even in their initial report of the land, the spies subtly frame their findings to sow doubt. They confirm it’s a land flowing with "milk and honey" – a phrase echoing God's promises – but immediatel…
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Last reviewed October 2026