The Twelve Spies Series

The Twelve Spies

The Grapes of Canaan

Although the spies brought back a cluster of grapes so large that it took two men to carry it (Numbers 13:23), only two of the twelve brought back a good report of the land.

The Twelve Spies, as recorded in the Book of Numbers, were a group of Israelite chieftains, one from each of the Twelve Tribes, who were dispatched by Moses to scout out the Land of Canaan for 40 days as a future home for the Israelite people, when the Israelites were in the wilderness following their Exodus from Ancient Egypt. The account is found in Numbers 13:1–33 and is repeated with some differences in Deuteronomy 1:22–40.

God had promised Abraham that there would be a Promised Land for the nations to come out of his son, Isaac. The land of Canaan that the spies were to explore was the same Promised Land. Moses asked for an assessment of the land's geographic features, the population's strength and numbers, the agricultural potential and actual performance of the land, civic organization (whether their cities were like camps or strongholds), and forestry conditions. He also asked them to be positive in their outlook and return with local produce samples.

When ten of the twelve spies showed little faith in the adverse reports they gave about the land, they were slandering what they believed God had promised them. They did not believe God could help them, and the people were persuaded that it was impossible to take the land. As a result, the entire nation was made to wander in the desert for 40 years until almost the entire generation of men died. Joshua and Caleb were the two spies who brought back a good report and believed that God would help them succeed. They were the only men from their generation permitted to go into the Promised Land after the time of wandering.

God had promised the Israelites that they would be able to conquer the land with its indigenous Canaanite nations. Moses instructed the spies to report on the land's agriculture and lay. However, during their tour, the spies saw fortified cities and resident giants, which frightened them and led them to believe that the Israelites would not be able to conquer the land as God had promised. Ten spies decided to bring back an unbalanced report, emphasizing the task's difficulty before them.

They gave Moses this account, "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. However, the people who live there are mighty, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there."

—?Numbers, 13:27-28

Two of the spies — Joshua and Caleb — did not go along with the majority and tried to convince the Israelites that they could conquer the land:

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."

—?Numbers, 13:30

However, the Israelite community believed the majority's conclusions. All spies, except Joshua and Caleb, were struck down with a plague and died.

Joshua was, at first, a fierce warrior. He was chosen as the representative from his tribe, Ephraim, to explore the land of Canaan and agreed with Caleb that the Promised Land could be conquered. After the incident with the 12 spies, Joshua lived through the 40-year wandering period and was named successor to Moses as instructed by God. Joshua completed the task of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land and taking possession of it. Joshua also was the leader in renewing the Mosaic covenant with their God.

Caleb was from the tribe of Judah. He was also chosen to explore the land of Canaan, and he was (along with Joshua) the other man who said that the God of Israel could help the Israelite people to victory against the Canaanites. God promised Caleb and Joshua that they would receive the land they had explored for themselves and their descendants. Caleb was also told that he would live to go into the Promised Land.

The names of the twelve spies were:

1. Shammua, son of Zaccur, from the tribe of Reuben

2. Shaphat, son of Hori, from the tribe of Simeon

3. Caleb, son of Jephunneh, from the tribe of Judah

4. Igal, son of Joseph, from the tribe of Issachar

5. Hoshea (Joshua), son of Nun, from the tribe of Ephraim

6. Palti, son of Raphu, from the tribe of Benjamin

7. Gaddiel, son of Sodi, from the tribe of Zebulun

8. Gaddi, son of Susi, from the tribe of Manasseh

9. Ammiel, son of Gemalli, from the tribe of Dan

10. Sethur, son of Michael, from the tribe of Asher