Gen. xlii. 16.SPY. The Patriarch Joseph pretended to arrest his Bretheren, and did in Effect secure his Brother Simeon in Prison, feigning that he took them for Spies. According to the Rules of War, a Spy taken in a Camp deserves to be hanged. Moses sent twelve Num. xiii. 2, 3, &c.Spies to explore the Land of Canaan, and to find out the Nature of the Country, what was its Strength, its Cities, its Inhabitants. They departed from the Camp at Paran, were forty Days in making the Tour of the Country, and return’d to the Camp of the Israelites loaded with a Vine-branch and its Grapes, which they carry’d on a Staff between two, as well because of the Largeness of the Fruit, as for fear of bruising it. When they return’d, they made their Report to the People, saying; “The Country where we have been is indeed a Country flowing with Milk and Honey, as may be understood from the Fruits we have brought with us; but the Inhabitants are robust and warlike, and the Cities are very strong and well fortify’d. We have seen there Giants of the Race of Anak. Amalek dwells to the South, the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Ammorites, in the Mountains, and the Canaanites along the Sea-coast.” Then the People began to murmur, saying; “We shall never be able to become Masters of this Country, Num. xiv. 1, 2, 3, &c.because the People that inhabit it are stronger than we are.” But Caleb, one of the Messengers, endeavour’d to encourage them, saying; “Let us go and take Possession of this Country, which we shall easily be able to accomplish.” The others, on the contrary, disparaged the Land, insisted upon the great Difficulty there would be to conquer it, and said; “This Country devours its Inhabitants, and the People we have seen are of an extraordinary Size: We saw there Monsters of Men, Giants of the Race of Anak, in Comparison of whom we are but Grasshoppers.” At these Words all the People began to cry, and bewail’d themselves all that Night, loudly exclaiming against Moses and Aaron, and saying one to another; “Let us set a Captain over us, that may lead us back to Egypt.” Joshua and Caleb used all their Endeavours in vain to pacify them; they took up Stones to stone them.
But of a sudden the Glory of the Lord appear’d over the Tabernacle of the Covenant, directing his Voice to Moses, and threatned to smite the whole Congregation, and utterly to destroy them. But Moses interceded for them, and obtain’d, that they might not all die at once. But the Lord swore, that none of those, who had thus Josh. ii. 1, 2, 3, &c.murmur’d against him, should see the Land which he had promis’d to their Fathers, except Caleb and Joshua, who had continued faithful to him.
Mention is again made of Spies in the Book of Joshua. This Captain of the People of the Lord being ready to pass over Jordan at the Head of the Israelites, to put them in Possession of the Land of Promise, sent two Men to Jericho, to learn the Condition of that Place. They went thither, and entered into the House of a Woman named Rahab. She entertain’d them; and when the King of Jericho had Intelligence of their Arrival, he sent to demand them of Rahab. But she concealed them upon the Platform of her House, and told the Messengers, that they went out again a little before Night, and before the Gates of the City were shut. As soon as the Messengers were gone away, she went to the Spies, and told them, that she knew the Lord had delivered up the Land of Canaan to the Hebrews, and that Fear and Consternation had seized all the Inhabitants; that the Fame of the Miracles that the Lord had wrought in their Favour, was spread far and near, and struck the whole Land with a Panick. She desired them, as an Acknowledgement of what she had done to save their Lives, that they would promise her with an Oath, to preserve her and her Family, when they should become Masters of Jericho. The Spies made her this Promise, and she let them down by a Rope, over the Wall of the City, which was just behind her House, and they returned back to Joshua safe and found. St. Paul commends the Faith of Rahab, who received and entertained the Spies.