14:7a
I was forty years old: In some languages it may be more natural to put this phrase at the end of the verse rather than at the beginning.
Here is another way to translate this clause:
When Moses the servant of Yahweh sent me from Kadesh-barnea, I was forty years old.
14:7b
when Moses the servant of the LORD: This phrase was used in Joshua 1:1 and you should translate it the same way in both places.
sent me from Kadesh-barnea: The account of what happened when Moses sent the twelve spies to explore the land of Canaan occurs in Numbers 13.
Here is another way to translate this clause:
when Moses, Yahweh’s servant, commanded me to go from Kadesh-barnea
Both Caleb and Joshua were among the twelve spies. It is also possible to translate this clause as:
when Moses, Yahweh’s servant, commanded us to go from Kadesh-barnea
14:7c
to spy out the land: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as spy out is more literally “explore.”
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
to explore the land
-or-
to look all around the land
14:7d
and I brought back to him: This means that Caleb returned to Moses and gave him a report about what had happened while he explored the land. In some languages it may be clearer to start a new sentence here.
an honest report: The clause an honest report indicates that Caleb spoke honestly about what he had seen in Canaan. (The only other person who was not afraid of the Canaan people was Joshua, but he is not directly mentioned in this narrative.) The other ten spies said that they were afraid of the Canaan people, but Caleb said that God would help the Israelites to fight them.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
I returned and gave him an honest report (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
I brought him back a report according to my convictions (New International Version)
-or-
I came back and gave him a faithful account about the land.
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