Deuteronomy 1:23

Deuteronomy 1:23

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

a. ASV: And the thing pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe:

b. YLT: And the thing is good in mine eyes, and I take of you twelve men, one man for a tribe.

c. Amplified Bible Classic: The thing pleased me well, and I took twelve men of you, one for each tribe.

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

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: The idea was good in my eyes, so i took from you twelve men, one man for each tribe.

1. “And the saying pleased me well…”

a. [And the] saying [Strong: 1697 dâbâr, daw-baw'; from H1696; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause:—act, advice, affair, answer, × any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, chronicles, commandment, × commune(-ication), concern(-ing), confer, counsel, dearth, decree, deed, × disease, due, duty, effect, eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-) ness, glory, harm, hurt, iniquity, judgment, language, lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, × ought, × parts, pertaining, please, portion, power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, × (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, sign, so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, song, speech, × spoken, talk, task, that, × there done, thing (concerning), thought, thus, tidings, what(-soever), wherewith, which, word, work.]

b. [pleased me] well [Strong: 3190 yâṭab, yaw-tab'; a primitive root; to be (causative) make well, literally (sound, beautiful) or figuratively (happy, successful, right):—be accepted, amend, use aright, benefit, be (make) better, seem best, make cheerful, be comely, be content, diligent(-ly), dress, earnestly, find favour, give, be glad, do (be, make) good(-ness), be (make) merry, please ( well), shew more (kindness), skilfully, × very small, surely, make sweet, thoroughly, tire, trim, very, be (can, deal, entreat, go, have) well (said, seen).]

c. [Strong: 5869 ʻayin, ah'-yin; probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape):—affliction, outward appearance, before, think best, colour, conceit, be content, countenance, displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), × him, humble, knowledge, look, (+ well), × me, open(-ly), + (not) please, presence, regard, resemblance, sight, × thee, × them, + think, × us, well, × you(-rselves).

2. “...and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe:”

a. [and I] took [Strong: 3947 lâqach, law-kakh'; a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):—accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, × many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.]

b. two [Strong: 8147 shᵉnayim, shen-ah'-yim; dual of H8145; feminine שְׁתַּיִם shᵉttayim; two; also (as ordinal) twofold:—both, couple, double, second, twain, twelfth, twelve, twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.]

c. ten [Strong: 6240 ʻâsâr, aw-sawr'; for H6235; ten (only in combination), i.e. -teen; also (ordinal) -teenth:—(eigh-, fif-, four-, nine-, seven-, six-, thir-) teen(-th), + eleven(-th), + sixscore thousand, + twelve(-th).]

d. men [Strong: 582 ʼĕnôwsh, en-oshe'; from H605; properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the more dignified 120); hence, a man in general (singly or collectively):—another, ×(blood-) thirsty, certain, chap(-man); divers, fellow, × in the flower of their age, husband, (certain, mortal) man, people, person, servant, some (× of them), stranger, those, their trade. It is often unexpressed in the English versions, especially when used in apposition with another word.]

e. of you [Strong: 4480 min min or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural) {min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482; properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as follows):--above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over, since, X then, through, X whether, with.]

f. one [Strong: 259 ʼechâd, ekh-awd'; a numeral from H258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first:—a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), eleven, every, few, first, highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,]

g. [of a] tribe [Strong: 7626 shêbeṭ, shay'-bet; from an unused root probably meaning to branch off; a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan:—× correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.]

1). It appears that Israel first approached Moses and asked him to send spies. He then asked God who gave them the commandment to send spies.

a). Numbers 13:1-3 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

13:2 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.

13:3 And Moses by the commandment of the Lord sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel.