The Twelve Spies
Numbers 13:1–14:45
Twelve men saw the same land. Ten saw giants. Two saw God.
Israel is on the doorstep of the Promised Land. Moses sends twelve spies — one from each tribe — to scout it out. They return after forty days carrying a cluster of grapes so large it takes two men to carry it. The land is extraordinary. But ten of the spies are terrified: the people there are giants, the cities are fortified, we looked like grasshoppers to them. Only Caleb and Joshua disagree: we can take it. The people side with the ten. They weep all night, talk about returning to Egypt, and even discuss stoning Moses. God's verdict: this generation will wander forty years. They'll never see the land.
- Fear
- Faith
- Consequences
- Missed Opportunity
The Twelve Spies: common questions
Why did the twelve spies bring back a bad report?
Ten of the twelve spies said the land was good but its people were too strong, its cities fortified, and 'we seemed like grasshoppers' next to them (Numbers 13:31-33). Their fear spread panic through the whole camp.
Which two spies trusted God?
Caleb and Joshua urged the people to go up and take the land, saying, 'If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land' (Numbers 14:6-9). They were the only two of that generation allowed to enter it.
What was the punishment for not entering the promised land?
Because Israel refused to enter and talked of returning to Egypt, God declared that everyone twenty and older would die in the wilderness over forty years—one year for each of the forty days the spies explored the land (Numbers 14:33-34).
