(כז) וַיְסַפְּרוּ־לוֹ֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ בָּ֕אנוּ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שְׁלַחְתָּ֑נוּ וְ֠גַ֠ם זָבַ֨ת חָלָ֥ב וּדְבַ֛שׁ הִ֖וא וְזֶה־פִּרְיָֽהּ׃ (כח) אֶ֚פֶס כִּֽי־עַ֣ז הָעָ֔ם הַיֹּשֵׁ֖ב בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְהֶֽעָרִ֗ים בְּצֻר֤וֹת גְּדֹלֹת֙ מְאֹ֔ד וְגַם־יְלִדֵ֥י הָֽעֲנָ֖ק רָאִ֥ינוּ שָֽׁם׃ (כט) עֲמָלֵ֥ק יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּאֶ֣רֶץ הַנֶּ֑גֶב וְ֠הַֽחִתִּ֠י וְהַיְבוּסִ֤י וְהָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּהָ֔ר וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב עַל־הַיָּ֔ם וְעַ֖ל יַ֥ד הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃ (ל) וַיַּ֧הַס כָּלֵ֛ב אֶת־הָעָ֖ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר עָלֹ֤ה נַעֲלֶה֙ וְיָרַ֣שְׁנוּ אֹתָ֔הּ כִּֽי־יָכ֥וֹל נוּכַ֖ל לָֽהּ׃ (לא) וְהָ֨אֲנָשִׁ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־עָל֤וּ עִמּוֹ֙ אָֽמְר֔וּ לֹ֥א נוּכַ֖ל לַעֲל֣וֹת אֶל־הָעָ֑ם כִּֽי־חָזָ֥ק ה֖וּא מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
(27) This is what they told him: “We came to the land you sent us to; it does indeed flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. (28) However, the people who inhabit the country are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large; moreover, we saw the Anakites there. (29) Amalekites dwell in the Negeb region; Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites inhabit the hill country; and Canaanites dwell by the Sea and along the Jordan.” (30) Caleb hushed the people before Moses and said, “Let us by all means go up, and we shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it.” (31) But the other men who had gone up with him said, “We cannot attack that people, for it is stronger than we.”
V. 30. וַיַּ֧הַס, the action of הסה, sound-related to חשה silent. הסה always denotes a suppressed sound. Thus Habakkuk 2:20; Zechariah 2:17 and elsewhere. Caleb tried to silence the people against Moshe. Immediately after the report of the messengers, the people's displeasure against Moshe had broken out. We understand that since this was at the same time a defence of Moshe, it was Caleb, not Joshua, who stepped forward. Given Joshua's close relationship with Moshe, his protective action would have been of little weight to the people.
From this we can learn that trying to protect his close friend in front of a big group of people is difficult, unprofessional and not useful.
“Awaken,” to inert stone!
Can that give an oracle?
Why, it is encased in gold and silver,
But there is no breath inside it. (20) But GOD in the holy Abode—
Be silent before [God], all the earth!
(יד) רׇנִּ֥י וְשִׂמְחִ֖י בַּת־צִיּ֑וֹן כִּ֧י הִנְנִי־בָ֛א וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֥י בְתוֹכֵ֖ךְ נְאֻם־ה'׃ (טו) וְנִלְווּ֩ גוֹיִ֨ם רַבִּ֤ים אֶל־ה' בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא וְהָ֥יוּ לִ֖י לְעָ֑ם וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֣י בְתוֹכֵ֔ךְ וְיָדַ֕עַתְּ כִּי־ה' צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֵלָֽיִךְ׃ (טז) וְנָחַ֨ל ה' אֶת־יְהוּדָה֙ חֶלְק֔וֹ עַ֖ל אַדְמַ֣ת הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וּבָחַ֥ר ע֖וֹד בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ (יז) הַ֥ס כׇּל־בָּשָׂ֖ר מִפְּנֵ֣י ה' כִּ֥י נֵע֖וֹר מִמְּע֥וֹן קׇדְשֽׁוֹ׃ {פ}
(14) Shout for joy, Fair Zion! For lo, I come; and I will dwell in your midst—declares GOD. (15) In that day many nations will attach themselves to GOD and become God’s [God’s Heb. “My.”] people, and God [God Heb. “I.”] will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that I was sent to you by GOD of Hosts. (16) GOD will claim Judah as a special portion [claim Judah as a special portion Emendation yields “allot to Judah its portion”; cf. Num. 34.17.] in the Holy Land—and will choose Jerusalem once more. (17) Be silent, all flesh, before GOD !
For [God] is roused from the holy habitation.