Numbers 13:15 kjv
Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
Numbers 13:15 nkjv
from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
Numbers 13:15 niv
from the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Maki.
Numbers 13:15 esv
from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
Numbers 13:15 nlt
Gad ? Geuel son of Maki
Numbers 13 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 13:2 | “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan... every man a leader among them.” | Commissioning of the spies, requiring leaders. |
| Num 13:4-16 | “These were their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua... of the tribe of Gad, Geuel...” | The full list of all twelve spies sent by Moses. |
| Gen 30:9-11 | "...Zilpah, Leah's servant, bore Jacob a second son. And Leah said, “Good fortune!” so she called his name Gad." | Origin and meaning of the name Gad, ancestor of the tribe. |
| Num 13:16 | "These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land... But Moses called Hoshea... Joshua." | Continuation of the spy list, noting Joshua's name change. |
| Num 13:26-33 | "They came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation... and brought back word... the people who dwell in the land are strong..." | The negative report of the ten spies, including Geuel. |
| Num 14:1-10 | "Then all the congregation raised a loud cry... “Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword?”" | The congregation's fearful reaction and desire to return to Egypt based on the report. |
| Num 14:11-12 | "And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me... I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them..." | God's anger and threatened judgment on the people for their unbelief. |
| Num 14:26-35 | "The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “How long shall this wicked congregation grumble...? Not one of them will enter the land..." | God's decree that the generation that spied would not enter the land. |
| Num 26:15-18 | "The sons of Gad: Zephon... by their clans. These are the clans of Gadites, according to their enrollments..." | Census and lineage of the tribe of Gad, affirming their identity. |
| Num 32:1-5 | "Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock... “Do not bring us over the Jordan.”" | Gad and Reuben's request for land east of Jordan, indicating their settlement later. |
| Deut 1:26-33 | "Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD... and there you grumbled in your tents..." | Moses' recounting of the Israelite's failure at Kadesh-barnea due to the spies' report. |
| Deut 9:23 | "And when the LORD sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, 'Go up and take possession of the land,' you rebelled..." | Remembrance of the rebellion directly linked to the Kadesh-barnea incident. |
| Ps 78:17-33 | "Yet they still sinned more against him by rebelling in the desert against the Most High... Therefore their days he consumed in futility..." | Poetic summary of Israel's rebellion and consequence, echoing the wilderness grumbling. |
| Ps 106:24-27 | "Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise... so he made them fall in the wilderness..." | Further poetic reflection on Israel's unbelief regarding the promised land and its result. |
| Isa 7:9 | "If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.”" | Prophetic warning highlighting the necessity of firm faith, a theme found in the spy narrative. |
| Heb 3:7-19 | "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness... Because of unbelief." | New Testament exhortation using the Kadesh-barnea rebellion as a severe warning against unbelief. |
| Heb 4:1-11 | "Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it." | Further warning against entering God's rest due to disobedience, directly relating to Israel's failure. |
| 1 Cor 10:5-10 | "Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness... Nor grumble, as some of them did..." | Paul uses the wilderness generation as a warning against idolatry and grumbling. |
| Jude 1:5 | "Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe." | Direct New Testament reference to God destroying those who lacked faith after the Exodus. |
| Gen 49:19 | "“Gad, a troop shall press upon him, but he shall press upon their heel.”" | Jacob's prophetic blessing for Gad, emphasizing military prowess or conflict. |
| Deut 33:20-21 | "And of Gad he said: “Blessed be he who enlarges Gad! Gad dwells like a lion; he tears the arm and the crown of the head." | Moses' blessing for the tribe of Gad, indicating strength and expansion. |
Numbers 13 verses
Numbers 13 15 Meaning
This verse identifies Geuel, the son of Machi, as the chosen representative from the tribe of Gad to be one of the twelve men sent by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan. It specifies his tribal affiliation and lineage within the list of leaders appointed for this crucial mission.
Numbers 13 15 Context
Numbers chapter 13 describes a pivotal moment in the Israelite journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. The nation has arrived at Kadesh-barnea, on the southern border of Canaan, poised to enter the land promised by God. To gather intelligence and strategize, Moses sends twelve chosen men, one leader from each ancestral tribe, to scout the land for forty days. Verse 15 specifically names Geuel, the son of Machi, as the representative from the tribe of Gad. This expedition, meant to affirm God's promise and build faith for the conquest, instead leads to widespread fear and unbelief when ten of the twelve spies, including Geuel, bring back a daunting report of powerful inhabitants and fortified cities. Their lack of faith results in divine judgment, condemning that entire generation (except for Joshua and Caleb) to wander in the wilderness for forty years, prolonging their entry into Canaan.
Numbers 13 15 Word analysis
- of the tribe: Hebrew 'לְמַטֵּה' (lᵉmattēh), meaning "from the tribe of." This highlights the communal identity and representative role. Each spy was not just an individual, but the chosen delegate and voice of their respective tribal clan. This emphasizes their inherent authority and responsibility.
- Gad: Hebrew 'גָּד' (Gad). Derived from a root meaning "to cut, to gash," or signifying "fortune," "troop," or "band of raiders." Gad was the seventh son of Jacob, born to Zilpah, Leah's maidservant (Gen 30:11). The tribe of Gad was known for its martial prowess and desire for pasturelands suitable for their livestock (Num 32:1-5). Its later inheritance was east of the Jordan River.
- Geuel: Hebrew 'גְּאוּאֵל' (Gᵉ'û’ēl). The name means "God is exaltation," "majesty of God," or "redeemed of God." Ironically, a name that invokes God's greatness belongs to a man who, along with nine others, displayed a profound lack of faith in God's power and promises during the spy mission. This serves as a stark contrast between a person's God-given name and their human failure.
- the son of: Indicates direct lineage, confirming his patriarchal heritage and standing within the tribal structure.
- Machi: Hebrew 'מָכִי' (Mākhî). The precise meaning of this name is uncertain, though some connect it to a root suggesting "meagre" or "poor." It primarily serves to identify Geuel by his immediate family line, typical of biblical genealogies and identifications.
- "of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi;": This specific construction, providing tribe, personal name, and paternal lineage, is characteristic of ancient Israelite identification. It affirms his position as a designated leader (Num 13:2) and reinforces the tribal structure God instituted for Israel. Each man’s identity was deeply intertwined with his tribe, reflecting the corporate nature of Israel’s covenant relationship with God. Geuel's failure, therefore, would be viewed as a failure reflecting on the leadership and faith of Gad as a whole, even though God would later bless and lead the faithful within that tribe. This meticulous record keeping highlights the precise and intentional nature of God's command and the human response.
Numbers 13 15 Bonus section
The careful listing of each spy by tribe and lineage in Numbers 13:4-15 underscores the representational aspect of the mission. Each man was not merely an individual, but a leader "chosen by their tribe" (Num 13:2), tasked with a responsibility that would impact the entire nation. The collective failure of the ten spies, including Geuel, thus became a collective national sin of unbelief, demonstrating how leadership's decisions can profoundly shape the spiritual trajectory of a community. The irony of Geuel’s name ("God is exaltation") in light of his contribution to the faithless report further emphasizes the contrast between God’s readiness to deliver and human reluctance to believe. This account serves as a timeless biblical warning, echoed powerfully in the New Testament book of Hebrews, against hardening one's heart and falling short of God's promised rest due to unbelief.
Numbers 13 15 Commentary
Numbers 13:15, by itself, is a simple declaration of identity for one of the twelve spies. Its significance comes entirely from its place within the larger narrative of the spying mission. Geuel, from the strong tribe of Gad and bearing a name meaning "God is exaltation," tragically participated in the majority report that magnified obstacles over God's power. His contribution, alongside the nine others, fueled the fear and rebellion that gripped the Israelite assembly, directly leading to God's judgment and 40 years of wilderness wandering. This verse therefore quietly underscores the potential for human leadership, even chosen and divinely named individuals, to fail in faith, causing severe consequences for themselves and their community. It reminds us that position or even a godly name does not guarantee unwavering faith, highlighting the vital necessity of trust in God's promises despite overwhelming circumstances.