Spy
Peopleâš¡ IN BRIEF (SUMMARY)
Twelve men, one from each tribe of Israel, were commissioned by Moses to scout the land of Canaan and assess its fertility, inhabitants, and fortifications before the Israelite conquest.
What is the meaning of Spy in the Bible?
Twelve men, one from each tribe of Israel, were commissioned by Moses to scout the land of Canaan and assess its fertility, inhabitants, and fortifications before the Israelite conquest.
SIGNIFICANCE
This narrative serves as a pivotal theological lesson on the consequences of unbelief, contrasting the faith of Joshua and Caleb with the fear of the other ten spies, thereby explaining the forty-year period of wilderness wandering as divine judgment for the community's refusal to trust in God's promise.
Bible Study Quick-Reference Guide
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Source Attribution & Provenance
Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been editorially modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and formatted for fast contextual reference.