John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. And these [were] their names, of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur .] From ( Numbers 13:4-15), there is nothing but the names of the said persons, whose sons they were, and of what tribe; and the several tribes are mentioned, not according to the order of the birth of the patriarchs, nor according to the dignity of their mothers that bore them, but, very likely, according to the order in which they were sent, two by two, to search the land; for had they gone all twelve in a body, they would have been liable to suspicion: the signification of their names is of no importance to know, and will give us no light into their characters or the reason of their choice, nor are their parents elsewhere taken notice of, nor any of them but Joshua and Caleb, of whom we shall hear more hereafter.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-20 - A memorable and melancholy history is related in this and the followin chapter, of the turning back of Israel from the borders of Canaan, an the sentencing them to wander and perish in the wilderness, for their unbelief and murmuring. It appears, De 1:22, that the motion to searc out the land came from the people. They had a better opinion of their own policy than of God's wisdom. Thus we ruin ourselves by believin the reports and representations of sense rather than Divine revelation We walk by sight not by faith. Moses gave the spies this charge, Be of good courage. It was not only a great undertaking they were put upon which required good management and resolution; but a great trust wa reposed in them, which required that they should be faithful. Courag in such circumstances can only spring from strong faith, which Cale and Joshua alone possessed.
Original Hebrew ואלה428 שׁמותם8034 למטה4294 ראובן7205 שׁמוע8051 בן1121 זכור׃2139
