Numbers 13:22
in Numbers 13They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, dwelled. It had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they went up by the South, and came unto Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
KJV
And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
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This verse in Numbers 13
Commentary
3 notes on this verseHebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt - The Zoan of the Scriptures is allowed to be the Tanis of the heathen historians, which was the capital of Lower Egypt. Some think it was to humble the pride of the Egyptians, who boasted the highest antiquity, that this note concerning the higher antiquity of Hebron was introduced by Moses.
This site's exposition
So they went up, and searched the land
on Numbers 13:21-22
They cover the whole country, from the wilderness of Zin in the south to Rehob near the approach to Hamath in the far north, so the search reached well beyond the border they would have had to cross first. At Hebron they meet three men named in the text, Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the children of Anak. Joshua 15:13-14 records Caleb driving out those same three by name and Judges 1:10 records the same fight again, so one of the two men who kept faith here finished that business forty-five years later, as Joshua 14:10 reckons it. The parenthesis dating Hebron seven years before Zoan in Egypt is read by Clarke as an answer to Egyptian claims of the oldest cities.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
For the spies distributed their work among them, and went either severally, or by pairs; and it seems the survey of this part was left to Caleb. Anak - A famous giant, whole children these are called, either more generally, as all giants sometimes were, or rather more specially because Arbah, from whom Hebron was called Kiriath-arbah, was the father of Anak, Josh. xv, 13.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּעֲל֣וּ | vaiyaalu | and they went up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| בַנֶּגֶב֮ | vanegev | in the Negev | H5045 → | 112 times |
| וַיָּבֹ֣א | vaiyavo' | and he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| חֶבְרוֹן֒ | chevron | Hebron | H2275 → | 72 times |
| וְשָׁ֤ם | vesham | and [were] there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| אֲחִימַן֙ | ʾachiman | Ahiman | H289 → | |
| שֵׁשַׁ֣י | sheshai | Sheshai | H8344 → | |
| וְתַלְמַ֔י | vetalmai | and Talmai | H8526 → | |
| יְלִידֵ֖י | yelidei | those born of | H3211 → | |
| הָעֲנָ֑ק | haanak | <the> Anak | H6061 → | 9 times |
| וְחֶבְר֗וֹן | vechevron | and Hebron | H2275 → | 72 times |
| שֶׁ֤בַע | sheva' | seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| שָׁנִים֙ | shanim | years | H8141 → | 877 times |
| נִבְנְתָ֔ה | nivnetah | it was built | H1129 → | 376 times |
| לִפְנֵ֖י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| צֹ֥עַן | tzoan | Zoan | H6814 → | |
| מִצְרָֽיִם׃ | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
וַיַּעֲל֣וּand they went up
vaiyaaluH5927 →890 times
בַנֶּגֶב֮in the Negev
vanegevH5045 →112 times
וַיָּבֹ֣אand he came
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
עַד־to
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
חֶבְרוֹן֒Hebron
chevronH2275 →72 times
וְשָׁ֤םand [were] there
veshamH8033 →834 times
אֲחִימַן֙Ahiman
ʾachimanH289 →
שֵׁשַׁ֣יSheshai
sheshaiH8344 →
וְתַלְמַ֔יand Talmai
vetalmaiH8526 →
יְלִידֵ֖יthose born of
yelideiH3211 →
הָעֲנָ֑ק<the> Anak
haanakH6061 →9 times
וְחֶבְר֗וֹןand Hebron
vechevronH2275 →72 times
שֶׁ֤בַעseven
sheva'H7651 →394 times
שָׁנִים֙years
shanimH8141 →877 times
נִבְנְתָ֔הit was built
nivnetahH1129 →376 times
לִפְנֵ֖י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
צֹ֥עַןZoan
tzoanH6814 →
מִצְרָֽיִם׃Egypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 30:4For though their princes are at Zoan and their envoys have arrived in Hanes,
it leads to
- Isaiah 19:11
The princes of Zoan are mere fools; Pharaoh’s wise counselors give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise, a son of eastern kings”?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 19:11
Through
Psalms 78:12He worked wonders before their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.
it leads to
- Psalms 135:9
He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 30:14
I will lay waste Pathros, set fire to Zoan, and execute judgment on Thebes.
- Psalms 135:9
Through
Isaiah 19:11The princes of Zoan are mere fools; Pharaoh’s wise counselors give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise, a son of eastern kings”?
it leads to
- Psalms 78:43
when He performed His signs in Egypt and His wonders in the fields of Zoan.
- Isaiah 30:4
For though their princes are at Zoan and their envoys have arrived in Hanes,
- Acts 7:22
So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.
- 1 Kings 4:30
Solomon’s wisdom was greater than that of all the men of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.
- Psalms 78:43
Through
Psalms 78:43when He performed His signs in Egypt and His wonders in the fields of Zoan.
it leads to
- Exodus 4:21
The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that…
- Exodus 4:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PlaceThe NileEgyptThe land where Joseph rose, where Israel grew into a nation in bondage, where the Passover lamb was slain and the sea opened, and…
- PlaceJudean hill countryHebronThe city of the patriarchs, where Abraham bought the cave of Machpelah, Caleb took his inheritance, and David reigned seven years…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.