Bamidbar 13: Joshua the Mole

YINR 929: Tanach Yomi · Feb 26, 2026 · 3m

Every single one of the spies is new to the text except for one- Yehoshua. After the text lists all twelve spies, it adds “Those were the names of the participants whom Moses sent to scout the land; but Moses changed the name of Hosea son of Nun to Joshua” (verse 16).

אֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַח מֹשֶׁה לָתוּר אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וַיִּקְרָא מֹשֶׁה לְהוֹשֵׁעַ בִּן־נוּן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ׃ (Numbers 13:16)

There is one problem with this verse. Except for this chapter, Joshua is never named Hoshea. In Exodus 17, in Joshua’s first appearance, Moshe appoints him to lead the garrison against Amalek…