The Lord spoke to Moses: “Send out men to investigate the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. You are to send one man from each ancestral tribe, each one a leader among them.” So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the command of the Lord. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.
Numbers 13:1-3 NET
Although Bible translators often use the word “spy” to describe what the twelve leaders do, Hebrew dictionaries also suggest “reconnaissance.” The Bible’s description of twelve tribal chiefs exploring the land to bring back information about logistical resources, enemy concentrations, and the nature of their defenses closely matches the modern military definition of a Leader’s Reconnaissance.
“During his reconnaissance, the leader pinpoints the objective, selects reconnaissance, security, support, and assault positions for his elements, and adjusts his plan based on his observation of the objective.”
Department of the Army, Ranger Handbook: TC 3-21.76 (Headquarters, Department of the Army, 2017), 7-4.
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