Deuteronomy 1 22

Deuteronomy 1:22 kjv

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.

Deuteronomy 1:22 nkjv

"And every one of you came near to me and said, 'Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us, and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we shall come.'

Deuteronomy 1:22 niv

Then all of you came to me and said, "Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to."

Deuteronomy 1:22 esv

Then all of you came near me and said, 'Let us send men before us, that they may explore the land for us and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up and the cities into which we shall come.'

Deuteronomy 1:22 nlt

"But you all came to me and said, 'First, let's send out scouts to explore the land for us. They will advise us on the best route to take and which towns we should enter.'

Deuteronomy 1 verses

Deuteronomy 1 22 Meaning

Deuteronomy 1:22 describes the pivotal moment at Kadesh-Barnea when the entire Israelite congregation approached Moses with a proposal. Despite God's clear command for them to "go up and take possession" of the Promised Land (Dt 1:21), the people suggested sending men ahead to "explore the land." Their request aimed to gather intelligence on the terrain, the best routes, and the strength of the cities, intending to make their entry more predictable and seemingly secure. This act, while appearing as prudent military planning from a human standpoint, stemmed from a deep-seated fear and distrust in God's explicit promises and unwavering presence. It signified a reliance on human foresight and sensory data rather than complete, immediate obedience to the Lord's divine guidance.

Deuteronomy 1 22 Context

Deuteronomy 1 serves as Moses' historical prologue in his final series of speeches to the new generation of Israelites on the plains of Moab. Before they cross into the Promised Land, Moses recounts the major events of the past forty years, especially focusing on their failures and God's faithfulness, aiming to teach the new generation the lessons their parents failed to learn. Verse 22 specifically harks back to the critical moment at Kadesh-Barnea (recorded also in Num 13-14), immediately after God had commanded the Israelites to "go up" and possess the land He swore to their fathers (Dt 1:20-21). Their suggestion to send spies, as recounted here, reveals their hesitation and reluctance to simply trust and obey, leading to the devastating consequence of being denied immediate entry into the land for a full generation. Moses frames this incident not as a mere military reconnaissance, but as a direct challenge to God's trustworthy command and their collective act of unbelief.

Deuteronomy 1 22 Word analysis

• Then all of you: Implies a collective, unified decision from the entire assembly, highlighting shared responsibility in their lack of faith. Not just leaders, but the whole community.

• came near to me: Demonstrates their direct, unified approach to Moses with their proposition, indicating this was a widely accepted and desired action among the people.

• and said, 'Let us send men ahead of us': This phrase clearly states the origin of the idea: it came from the people themselves, not God or Moses' initial directive. This "let us" (נִשְׁלַח - nishlakh) signifies their own initiative. The Hebrew for "men" is אֲנָשִׁים (anashim), general term for males, acting as delegates.

• 'that they may explore the land': The verb "explore" (וְיַחְפְּרוּ - veyakhperu) from the root חָפַר (chaphar) implies to 'dig out,' 'search deeply,' or 'spy out.' It suggests a desire for thorough investigation, born from a need for tangible proof and reassurance before taking action, rather than relying on divine promise. This probing suggests skepticism.

• 'for us': Emphasizes their self-interest in seeking this intelligence. It was for their own comfort, planning, and security, rather than out of trust in God's prior assurances of the land's goodness and conquerability.

• 'and bring us word again': (וְיָשִׁבוּ אֹתָנוּ דָבָר - veyashivu otanu davar) "Bring us back a report" or "give us back a word." Davar can mean "word," "matter," or "thing." They wanted actionable intelligence to alleviate their fears and guide their next steps.

• 'of the way by which we must go up': Seeking practical information on topography and travel routes, indicating a concern for the journey itself rather than God's promise to lead them.

• 'and the cities into which we shall come': Desire for strategic reconnaissance of the strongholds and inhabitants. This shows military concern, but in this context, it stemmed from a lack of confidence in God's power to defeat the inhabitants, whose strength they exaggerated based on the spy report (Dt 1:28).

• Word-Group Analysis:

  • "all of you came near to me and said": This emphasizes the collective and consensual nature of their fear-driven initiative. It wasn't a fringe element, but the whole body of Israel standing before Moses with this suggestion, underscoring their shared responsibility for the resulting disobedience.
  • "Let us send men ahead of us, that they may explore the land for us": This phrase encapsulates the core issue: the people proposing a human-devised plan (sending spies) for their own benefit and security ("for us") when God had already provided His divine assurance. It speaks to a reliance on human wisdom and reconnaissance rather than immediate, faithful obedience to God's clear command.
  • "bring us word again of the way by which we must go up and the cities into which we shall come": This demonstrates their desire for predictive certainty and comprehensive tactical information before they would act. They sought a detailed map and enemy intel, reflecting a preference for calculable risks over trusting God's mysterious, yet guaranteed, pathway.

Deuteronomy 1 22 Bonus section

• The parallel accounts in Numbers 13 and Deuteronomy 1 show slightly different emphasis. Numbers emphasizes God's command to send spies (a legitimate act in warfare), while Deuteronomy (retelling the story from Moses' perspective years later) emphasizes that the idea originated with the people due to their fear and hesitation. This highlights that while God permitted it, their motivation was the issue.
• This episode sets a precedent for understanding the severe consequences of unbelief and grumbling throughout Israelite history, lessons explicitly drawn upon in the New Testament (e.g., Hebrews 3-4).
• The desire for certainty and the "sight" of things (as in "walk by sight, not by faith") is a recurring human temptation that this verse poignantly illustrates. They needed to see before they would trust, when God called them to trust before they would see.
• The incident highlights the dangers of popular opinion guiding decisions instead of divine revelation. The entire congregation's consensus was wrong, showing that collective agreement does not equate to divine endorsement.

Deuteronomy 1 22 Commentary

Deuteronomy 1:22 lays bare the foundational sin of unbelief that characterized the wilderness generation, triggering their forty-year judgment. God had delivered His people, guided them miraculously, provided for them, and brought them to the very edge of the Promised Land with a simple command: "Go up, take possession" (Dt 1:21). Their response, however, was not one of faithful obedience but of hesitant calculation. Their proposal to send spies, while appearing sound from a human military perspective, exposed a deeper mistrust in God's omnipotence and unwavering faithfulness. They sought confirmation from human sources and tangible proof of what God had already declared true and promised to accomplish.

This wasn't merely a logistical request; it was an act born from fear that superseded their faith. Instead of relying on God to make the way plain and overcome the giants, they desired human assurance and self-determined strategy. Moses agreed to their request, perhaps as a concession to their hard hearts or to expose their unbelief further, leading to the infamous negative report of the ten spies (Num 13). The incident serves as a powerful cautionary tale: true obedience trusts God's command implicitly, even when circumstances seem daunting. It illustrates that "prudence" apart from faith can be disguised disobedience, ultimately leading to forfeiture of divine blessing.