Bible Strands

Deuteronomy 1:22

Then all of you approached me and said, “Let us send men ahead of us to search out the land and bring us word of what route to follow and which cities to enter.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites at the border of Canaan, recounting their response after he relayed God’s command to advance and take possession of the territory (Deuteronomy 1:21).

The words — The Hebrew phrase נִשְׁלְחָ֤ה אֲנָשִׁים (nish.le.Chah 'a.na.Shim) translates to "let us send out men," coupled with וְ/יַחְפְּרוּ־ (ve./yach.pe.ru-, "so they may spy out"), capturing the group's specific proposal for reconnaissance.

The thread — This proposal precedes the formal scouting expedition recorded in Numbers 13:1, where the text explicitly states the LORD initiated the mission by commanding Moses to send the spies.

Why it lands — The verse records the people substituting divine instruction with a request for human confirmation, requiring readers to note how collective anxiety can prompt proposals that bypass direct obedience.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַתִּקְרְב֣וּןva./tik.re.Vu/nand/ you drew near/ !אֵלַי֮'e.La/ito/ meכֻּלְּכֶם֒ku.le./Khemall of/ youוַתֹּאמְר֗וּva./to.me.Ruand/ you saidנִשְׁלְחָ֤הnish.le.Chahlet us send outאֲנָשִׁים֙'a.na.Shimmenלְפָנֵ֔ינוּle./fa.Nei./nu<to>/ before/ usוְיַחְפְּרוּ־ve./yach.pe.ru-so/ they may spy outלָ֖נוּLa./nufor/ usאֶת־'et-<obj.>הָאָ֑רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ landוְיָשִׁ֤בוּve./ya.Shi.vuso/ they may bring backאֹתָ֙נוּ֙'o.Ta./nu<obj.>/ usדָּבָ֔רda.Varwordאֶת־'et-<obj.>הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ha./De.rekhthe/ wayאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhichנַעֲלֶה־na.'a.leh-we will go upבָּ֔הּBa/hon/ itוְאֵת֙ve./'Etand/ <obj.>הֶֽעָרִ֔יםhe./'a.Rimthe/ citiesאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwhichנָבֹ֖אna.Vo'we will goאֲלֵיהֶֽן׃'a.lei./Hento/ them

King James Version

And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.

Cross-references