Twelve Men Are Sent into Canaan
(Deuteronomy 1.19-33)1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Choose a leader from each tribe and send them into Canaan to explore the land I am giving you.”
3 So Moses sent twelve tribal leaders from Israel's camp in the Paran Desert 4-16 with orders to explore the land of Canaan. And here are their names:
Shammua son of Zaccur
from Reuben,
Shaphat son of Horifrom Simeon,
Caleb son of Jephunnehfrom Judah,
Igal son of Josephfrom Issachar,
Joshua son of Nunfrom Ephraim,
Palti son of Raphufrom Benjamin,
Gaddiel son of Sodifrom Zebulun,
Gaddi son of Susifrom Manasseh,
Ammiel son of Gemallifrom Dan,
Sethur son of Michaelfrom Asher,
Nahbi son of Vophsifrom Naphtali,
and Geuel son of Machifrom Gad.
17 Before Moses sent them into Canaan, he said:
After you go through the Southern Desert of Canaan, continue north into the hill country 18 and find out what those regions are like. Be sure to remember how many people live there, how strong they are, 19-20 and if they live in open towns or walled cities. See if the land is good for growing crops and find out what kinds of trees grow there. It's time for grapes to ripen, so try to bring back some of the fruit that grows there.
21 The twelve men left to explore Canaan from the Zin Desert in the south all the way to the town of Rehob near Lebo-Hamath in the north. 22 As they went through the Southern Desert, they came to the town of Hebron, which was seven years older than the Egyptian town of Zoan. In Hebron, they saw the three Anakim clans of Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai. 23-24 When they got to Bunch Valley, they cut off a branch with such a huge bunch of grapes, that it took two men to carry it on a pole. That's why the place was called Bunch Valley. Along with the grapes, they also took back pomegranates and figs.
The Men Report Back to the People
25 After exploring the land of Canaan for 40 days, 26 the twelve men returned to Kadesh in the Paran Desert and told Moses, Aaron, and the people what they had seen. They showed them the fruit 27 and said:
Look at this fruit! The land we explored is rich with milk and honey. 28 But the people who live there are strong, and their cities are large and walled. We even saw the three Anakim clans. 29 Besides that, the Amalekites live in the Southern Desert; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites are in the hill country; and the Canaanites live along the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.
30 Caleb calmed down the crowd and said, “Let's go and take the land. I know we can do it!”
31 But the other men replied, “Those people are much too strong for us.” 32 Then they started spreading rumors and saying, “We won't be able to grow anything in that soil. And the people are like giants. 33 In fact, we saw the Nephilim who are the ancestors of the Anakim. They were so big that we felt as small as grasshoppers.”
1 Then afterwarde the people remooued from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wildernesse of Paran. 2 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying, 3 Sende thou men out to search the lande of Canaan which I giue vnto the children of Israel: of euery tribe of their fathers shall ye sende a man, such as are all rulers among them. 4 Then Moses sent them out of the wildernesse of Paran at the commandement of the Lord: all those men were heades of the children of Israel. 5 Also their names are these: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the sonne of Zaccur: 6 Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the sonne of Hori: 7 Of the tribe of Iudah, Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh: 8 Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the sonne of Ioseph: 9 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the sone of Nun: 10 Of the tribe of Beniamin, Palti the sonne of Raphu: 11 Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the sone of Sodi: 12 Of the tribe of Ioseph, to wit, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the sonne of Susi: 13 Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the sonne of Gemalli: 14 Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the sonne of Michael: 15 Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the sonne of Vophsi: 16 Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the sonne of Machi. 17 These are the names of the men, which Moses sent to spie out the lande: and Moses called ye name of Oshea the sonne of Nun, Iehoshua. 18 So Moses sent them to spie out the lande of Canaan, and said vnto them, Go vp this way toward the South, and go vp into the moutaines, 19 And consider the land what it is, and the people that dwel therein, whether they be strong or weake, either fewe or many, 20 Also what the lande is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad: and what cities they be, that they dwell in, whether they dwell in tents, or in walled townes: 21 And what the land is: whether it be fat or leane, whether there be trees therein, or not. And be of good courage, and bring of the fruite of the lande (for then was the time of the first ripe grapes) 22 So they went vp, and searched out the lande, from the wildernesse of Zin vnto Rehob, to go to Hamath, 23 And they ascended toward the South, and came vnto Hebron, where were Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the sonnes of Anak. And Hebron was built seuen yeere before Zoan in Egypt. 24 Then they came to the riuer of Eshcol, and cut downe thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it vpon a barre betweene two, and brought of the pomegranates and of the figges. 25 That place was called the riuer Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes, which the children of Israel cut downe thence. 26 Then after fourtie dayes, they turned againe from searching of the land. 27 And they went and came to Moses and to Aaron and vnto al the Congregation of the children of Israel, in the wildernesse of Paran, to Kadesh, and brought to the, and to all the Congregation tydings, and shewed them the fruite of the lande. 28 And they tolde him, and saide, We came vnto the land whither thou hast sent vs, and surely it floweth with milke and honie: and here is of the fruite of it. 29 Neuerthelesse the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled and exceeding great: and moreouer, we sawe the sonnes of Anak there. 30 The Amalekites dwell in the South countrey, and the Hittites, and the Iebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountaines, and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Iorden. 31 Then Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and saide, Let vs go vp at once, and possesse it: for vndoubtedly we shall ouercome it. 32 But the men, that went vp with him, saide, we be not able to goe vp against the people: for they are stronger then we. 33 So they brought vp an euill report of the land which they had searched for the children of Israel, saying, The lande which we haue gone through to search it out, is a land that eateth vp the inhabitants thereof: for all the people that we sawe in it, are men of great stature. 34 For there we sawe gyants, the sonnes of Anak, which come of the gyants, so that we seemed in our sight like grashoppers: and so wee were in their sight.