Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.
Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each of their ancestral tribes, send one man who is a leader among them.
God is instructing Moses to send twelve scouts (one from each tribe) to explore the Promised Land that He's giving to Israel.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during Israel's wilderness journey after leaving Egypt, when they were camped near the border of the Promised Land. The Israelites had been traveling for about two years and were finally ready to enter Canaan, the land God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob centuries earlier. This scouting mission would help them understand what they were about to inherit and how to approach taking possession of it.
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