Commentary for Deuteronomy 1:28
אָנָ֣ה ׀ אֲנַ֣חְנוּ עֹלִ֗ים אַחֵינוּ֩ הֵמַ֨סּוּ אֶת־לְבָבֵ֜נוּ לֵאמֹ֗ר עַ֣ם גָּד֤וֹל וָרָם֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ עָרִ֛ים גְּדֹלֹ֥ת וּבְצוּרֹ֖ת בַּשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְגַם־בְּנֵ֥י עֲנָקִ֖ים רָאִ֥ינוּ שָֽׁם׃
Whither are we going up? our brethren have made our heart to melt, saying: The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.’
Rashi on Deuteronomy
ערים גדלת ובצורת בשמים THE CITIES ARE GREAT AND FORTIFIED TO HEAVEN — Scriptural texts sometimes speak in exaggerated terms (Sifrei Devarim 25:4; Chullin 90b).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Siftei Chakhamim
Exaggerated terms. Rashi explains in the chapter [entitled], “The Sciatic Nerve,” (Maseches Chulin 90b): “לשון הבאי means, ‘a common person’s manner of speech.’ He is not precise with his words, and says things that are not true. He does not lie intentionally; he is just not precise [in what he says].”
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy