(Devarim 1:24) "And they turned and they went up to the mountain": We are hereby apprised that it is the way of spies to go up a mountain. And thus Rachav said to the spies of Joshua (Joshua 2:16) "Go up the mountain lest the pursuers catch you." We are hereby taught (Ibid. "Conceal yourselves there for three days until the pursuers turn back") that the holy spirit reposed upon her, for if not, how could she know that they would turn back in three days?
"and they came to the river-bed of Eshkol": so-called by reason of the cluster (eshkol) of grapes (that they were to take from there [viz. Bamidbar 13:24]) Similarly, (Shemoth 3:1) "and he came to the mountain of G-d to Chorev": so-called because of what would occur there in the future.
(דברים א כד) וַיִּפְנוּ וַיַּעֲלוּ הָהָרָה, מַגִּיד שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ מְרַגְּלִים לַעֲלוֹת בָּהָר. וְכֵן רָחָב אוֹמֶרֶת לִשְׁלוּחֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (יהושע ב טז): ״הָהָרָה לֵּכוּ פֶּן יִפְגְּעוּ בָכֶם הָרוֹדְפִים״, מַגִּיד שֶׁשָּׁרַת עָלֶיהָ רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ, שֶׁאִלּוּ לֹא שָׁרַת עָלֶיהָ רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ מֵאַיִן הָיְתָה יוֹדַעַת שֶׁעֲתִידִים לַחֲזֹר לְאַחַר שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים? אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁשָּׁרַת עָלֶיהָ רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ.
(Devarim 1:24) "And they turned and they went up to the mountain": We are hereby apprised that it is the way of spies to go up a mountain. And thus Rachav said to the spies of Joshua (Joshua 2:16) "Go up the mountain lest the pursuers catch you." We are hereby taught (Ibid. "Conceal yourselves there for three days until the pursuers turn back") that the holy spirit reposed upon her, for if not, how could she know that they would turn back in three days?
וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד נַחַל אֶשְׁכֹּל, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁנִּקְרָא עַל שֵׁם סוֹפוֹ. כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ אַתָּה אוֹמֵר (שמות ג א): ״וַיָּבֹא אֶל הַר הָאֱלֹהִים חֹרֵבָה״, מַגִּיד שֶׁנִּקְרָא עַל שֵׁם סוֹפוֹ.
"and they came to the river-bed of Eshkol": so-called by reason of the cluster (eshkol) of grapes (that they were to take from there [viz. Bamidbar 13:24]) Similarly, (Shemoth 3:1) "and he came to the mountain of G-d to Chorev": so-called because of what would occur there in the future.
וַיְרַגְּלוּ אֹתָהּ, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָלְכוּ בָהּ אַרְבָּעָה אוֹמָנִים שְׁתִי וָעֵרֶב.
"and they spied it out": traversing its boundaries, length and width.