In the conquest of Gilead and Bashan there were many who recalled the events which nearly forty years before had, in Kadesh, doomed Israel to the long desert wandering. They saw that the report of the spies concerning the Promised Land was in many respects correct. The cities were walled and very great, and were inhabited by giants, in comparison with whom the Hebrews were mere pygmies. But they could now see that the fatal mistake of their fathers had been in distrusting the power of God. This alone had prevented them from at once entering the goodly land.

Da Gilead og Basan blev erobret, mindedes mange af israelitterne de begivenheder, som for næsten fyrre år siden var årsag til, at de blev dømt til den lange ørkenvandring. De befandt sig dengang i Kadesj. Nu så de, at spejdernes rapport om det forjættede land i mange henseender var korrekt. Byerne var meget store og omgivet af mure, og hebræerne var kun dværge i sammenligning med de kæmpestore indbyggere. Men de kunne også se, at deres fædres katastrofale fejl bestod i at nære mistillid til Guds magt. Det var udelukkende af denne grund, at de ikke fik lov til at drage ind i det herlige land med det samme.