Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah

Sforno on Numbers 14:24/ספורנו על במדבר י״ד:כ״ד

אוְזַרְעוֹ יוֹרִשֶׁנָּה. הוּא יוֹרִשֶׁנָּה לְזַרְעוֹ, לֹא כְּעִנְיַן שְׁאָר דּוֹר הַמִּדְבָּר, שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבְּנֵיהֶם יָרְשׁוּ אוֹתָם, לֹא הָיוּ הֵם הַמּוֹרִישִׁים, אֲבָל הוֹרִישָׁם סֵדֶר הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּמִצְוָתוֹ לְמַנְחִילֵי הָאָרֶץ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיָּעַד בְּאָמְרוֹ ״וְאוֹרִשֶׁנּוּ״ (במדבר יד:יב).
1וזרעו יורישנה; Calev’s children will not only take possession of their share in the Holy Land, but will pass on their share to his descendants in future generations. This is different from the other members of the present adult generation who, though not taking possession of any part of the land themselves, assigned it to their children by reason of having become the “original” (potential) owners at the time they left Egypt. Their children “inherited” by a Divine decree only, as opposed to Calev’s children, etc. (compare verse 12)