Commentaire sur Les Nombres 13:31

חזק הוא ממנו [FOR] THEY ARE STRONGER ממנו — They said this, — if this were at all possible (i.e. if one may be permitted to say so of God) — with reference to the Omnipresent (ממנו, stronger than “He”, they thus uttered blasphemy) (Sotah 35a; Arakhin 15a).

לא נוכל לעלות, for they will stand up against us and will prevent us from making progress just as happened after the sin when the Torah describes the Amalekites (described as Canaanites) descending and inflicting casualties in 14,45.

The spies retorted by bad-mouthing the land of Canaan saying that even supposing that the Israelites were able to overcome the local inhabitants, the land was not worth having as it consumed its inhabitants.

לא נוכל לעלות אל העם כי חזק הוא ממנו, “we cannot ascend to that people for they are stronger than we.” The meaning of the expression is not limited to a war of aggression. The majority of the spies meant that even if the Canaanites would leave their fortified towns and wage war against the Israelites in open territory the Israelites would not be a match for them. The wording is parallel to that used by Goliath when he challenged the Israelites to a duel. (Samuel I 17,8)

About the One above. Since it is written “כי חזק הוא ממנו” (for he/it is more powerful than we) while it should have written only “כי חזק ממנו” [i.e. the word ‘“הוא — he/it”’ is superfluous and can be expounded]. Also, above (v. 28), [in reference to the nation], the word הוא (he/it) is not written, only “אפס כי $אז העם” (however the nation is mighty). Therefore, [the word “הוא – he/it” that is written here] refers to “the One above…” (Gur Aryeh) It is impossible to say that [the phrase “more powerful] than we” refers to Israel, since this would imply that Israel were also strong and only that they are stronger. This would be similar to Rashi’s explanation on the verse “[greater] and more powerful than you” (Devarim 9:1), that you are powerful but they are even more powerful than you. But here this explanation is improbable, because the spies likened themselves to locusts in relation to the people who lived in the Land. Rather, “[they said it] about the One above.”