Deuteronomy 1:23
New International Version
The idea seemed good to me; so I selected twelve of you, one man from each tribe.

New Living Translation
“This seemed like a good idea to me, so I chose twelve scouts, one from each of your tribes.

English Standard Version
The thing seemed good to me, and I took twelve men from you, one man from each tribe.

Berean Standard Bible
The plan seemed good to me, so I selected twelve men from among you, one from each tribe.

King James Bible
And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe:

New King James Version
“The plan pleased me well; so I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe.

New American Standard Bible
The plan pleased me, and I took twelve of your men, one man for each tribe.

NASB 1995
“The thing pleased me and I took twelve of your men, one man for each tribe.

NASB 1977
“And the thing pleased me and I took twelve of your men, one man for each tribe.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the thing was good in my sight, and I took twelve of your men, one man for each tribe.

Amplified Bible
The plan pleased me and I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe.

Christian Standard Bible
The plan seemed good to me, so I selected twelve men from among you, one man for each tribe.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The plan seemed good to me, so I selected 12 men from among you, one man for each tribe.

American Standard Version
And the thing pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe:

Contemporary English Version
It seemed like a good idea, so I chose twelve men, one from each tribe.

English Revised Version
And the thing pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
It seemed like a good idea to me. So I chose 12 of your men, one from each tribe.

Good News Translation
"That seemed like a good thing to do, so I selected twelve men, one from each tribe.

International Standard Version
Because this suggestion seemed good to me, I chose twelve men from among you, one from each tribe.

Majority Standard Bible
The plan seemed good to me, so I selected twelve men from among you, one from each tribe.

NET Bible
I thought this was a good idea, so I sent twelve men from among you, one from each tribe.

New Heart English Bible
The thing pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe:

Webster's Bible Translation
And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe:

World English Bible
The thing pleased me well. I took twelve of your men, one man for every tribe.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the thing is good in my eyes, and I take twelve men from you, one man for the tribe.

Young's Literal Translation
and the thing is good in mine eyes, and I take of you twelve men, one man for a tribe.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the word will be good in mine eyes: and I will take from you twelve men, one man to a tribe.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And because the saying pleased me, I sent of you twelve men, one of every tribe:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And since the word was pleasing to me, I sent from among you twelve men, one from each tribe.

New American Bible
Agreeing with the proposal, I took twelve men from your number, one from each tribe.

New Revised Standard Version
The plan seemed good to me, and I selected twelve of you, one from each tribe.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the saying pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one man of each tribe;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the answer was good in my eyes, and I brought twelve men of you, each man from a tribe:
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the thing pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the saying pleased me: and I took of you twelve men, one man of a tribe.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Twelve Spies Sent Out
22Then 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.” 23The plan seemed good to me, so I selected twelve men from among you, one from each tribe. 24They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied out the land.…

Cross References
Numbers 13:1-3
And the LORD said to Moses, / “Send out for yourself men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each of their fathers’ tribes send one man who is a leader among them.” / So at the command of the LORD, Moses sent them out from the Wilderness of Paran. All the men were leaders of the Israelites,

Numbers 13:17-20
When Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, he told them, “Go up through the Negev and into the hill country. / See what the land is like and whether its people are strong or weak, few or many. / Is the land where they live good or bad? Are the cities where they dwell open camps or fortifications? ...

Numbers 13:25-33
After forty days the men returned from spying out the land, / and they went back to Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They brought back a report for the whole congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. / And they gave this account to Moses: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and indeed, it is flowing with milk and honey. Here is some of its fruit! ...

Numbers 14:6-9
Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes / and said to the whole congregation of Israel, “The land we passed through and explored is an exceedingly good land. / If the LORD delights in us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and He will give it to us. ...

Numbers 14:36-38
So the men Moses had sent to spy out the land, who had returned and made the whole congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report about the land— / those men who had brought out the bad report about the land—were struck down by a plague before the LORD. / Of those men who had gone to spy out the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive.

Joshua 2:1-24
Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. / And it was reported to the king of Jericho: “Behold, some men of Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land.” / So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they have come to spy out the whole land.” ...

Joshua 14:6-9
Then the sons of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh-barnea about you and me. / I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back to him an honest report. / Although my brothers who went with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear, I remained loyal to the LORD my God. ...

Nehemiah 9:13-15
You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them just ordinances, true laws, and good statutes and commandments. / You revealed to them Your holy Sabbath and gave them commandments and statutes and laws through Your servant Moses. / In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land that You had sworn to give them.

Psalm 106:24-27
They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise. / They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the LORD. / So He raised His hand and swore to cast them down in the wilderness, ...

Hebrews 3:16-19
For who were the ones who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? / And with whom was God angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? / And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed? ...

Hebrews 4:1-2
Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be deemed to have fallen short of it. / For we also received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, since they did not share the faith of those who comprehended it.

Acts 7:38-39
He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to pass on to us. / But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.

1 Corinthians 10:1-5
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea. / They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. / They all ate the same spiritual food ...

1 Corinthians 10:10-11
And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel. / Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

Hebrews 11:31
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient.


Treasury of Scripture

And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe:

Deuteronomy 13:3
Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

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Eyes Idea Matter Pleased Seemed Selected Tribe Twelve
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Eyes Idea Matter Pleased Seemed Selected Tribe Twelve
Deuteronomy 1
1. Moses' speech in the end of the fortieth year
6. briefly rehearsing the history of God's sending them from Horeb
14. of giving them officers
19. of sending the spies to search the land
34. of his anger for their incredulity
41. and disobedience














The plan seemed good to me
This phrase reflects Moses' agreement with the proposal to send spies into the Promised Land. It highlights the participatory leadership style Moses employed, valuing the input of the people. This decision, however, was not initially commanded by God but was a response to the people's request (Deuteronomy 1:22). It underscores the importance of seeking divine guidance rather than relying solely on human wisdom, as seen in Proverbs 3:5-6.

so I selected twelve men from among you
The selection of twelve men corresponds to the twelve tribes of Israel, ensuring representation and accountability. This mirrors the later selection of the twelve apostles by Jesus (Matthew 10:1-4), symbolizing the foundation of a new covenant community. The number twelve often signifies completeness and God's covenantal relationship with His people, as seen in the twelve stones on the high priest's breastplate (Exodus 28:21).

one from each tribe
This phrase emphasizes the unity and collective responsibility of the Israelite community. Each tribe had a stake in the mission, reflecting the communal nature of Israel's journey and inheritance. It also foreshadows the division of the land among the tribes (Joshua 13-19). The tribal system was central to Israel's identity and governance, as seen in the allocation of land and leadership roles throughout the Old Testament.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The leader of the Israelites, who recounts the events leading up to the exploration of the Promised Land.

2. Israelites
The people of God, who are on the brink of entering the Promised Land after their exodus from Egypt.

3. Twelve Men
Representatives from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, chosen to scout the land of Canaan.

4. Canaan
The Promised Land that God had sworn to give to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

5. The Tribes of Israel
The twelve tribes, each descending from one of the sons of Jacob, representing the whole nation.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Godly Leadership
Moses' decision to send the spies reflects the need for leaders to seek wisdom and counsel. In our lives, we should seek guidance from God and wise counsel from others.

Faith vs. Fear
The selection of the twelve men was a step of faith, but the subsequent report led to fear. We must choose faith over fear when facing challenges.

Unity in Diversity
Each tribe was represented, showing the importance of unity and diversity within the body of Christ. We should value and include diverse perspectives in our communities.

Consequences of Disobedience
The exploration of Canaan set the stage for Israel's disobedience and wandering. Our choices have consequences, and we must strive to obey God's commands.

Trust in God's Promises
Despite the challenges, the land was promised by God. We should hold fast to God's promises, trusting in His faithfulness even when circumstances seem daunting.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The plan
הַדָּבָ֑ר (had·dā·ḇār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

seemed
בְּעֵינַ֖י (bə·‘ê·nay)
Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | first person common singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

good to me,
וַיִּיטַ֥ב (way·yî·ṭaḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3190: To be good, well, glad, or pleasing

so I selected
וָאֶקַּ֤ח (wā·’eq·qaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3947: To take

twelve
שְׁנֵ֣ים (šə·nêm)
Number - md
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)

men
אִ֥ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

from among you,
מִכֶּם֙ (mik·kem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

one
אֶחָ֖ד (’e·ḥāḏ)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

from each tribe.
לַשָּֽׁבֶט׃ (laš·šā·ḇeṭ)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7626: Rod, staff, club, scepter, tribe


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 1:23 The thing pleased me well (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 1:22
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