Spies: When the Israelites reached Kadesh for the first time, and were
encamped there, Moses selected twelve spies from among the chiefs of
the divisions of the tribes, and sent them forth to spy the land of
Canaan
(Numbers 13:1)ff and to bring back to him a report of its actual
condition. They at once proceeded on their important errand, and went
through the land as far north as the district round Lake Merom. After
about six weeks' absence they returned. Their report was very
discouraging, and the people were greatly alarmed, and in a
rebellious spirit proposed to elect a new leader and return to Egypt.
Only two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, showed themselves on this
occasion stout-hearted and faithful. All their appeals and
remonstrances were in vain. Moses announced that as a punishment for
their rebellion they must now wander in the wilderness till a new
generation should arise which would go up and posses the land. The
spies had been forty days absent on their expedition, and for each
day the Israelites were to be wanderers for a year in the desert.
(See ESHCOL)
Two spies were sent by Joshua "secretly" i.e., unknown to the people
(Joshua 2:1) "to view the land and Jericho" after the death of Moses,
and just before the tribes under his leadership were about to cross
the Jordan. They learned from Rahab (q.v.), in whose house they found
a hiding-place, that terror had fallen on all the inhabitants of the
land because of the great things they had heard that Jehovah had done
for them
(Exodus 15:14-16) comp.
(Exodus 23:27; Deuteronomy 2:25; 11:25) As the result
of their mission they reported: "Truly Jehovah hath delivered into our
hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do
faint because of us."
