The Israelites approach the border of Canaan, and Moses sends 12 princes of the tribes to scout the land in this portion. Among them are Caleb and Joshua. The scouts’ mission is to investigate the natural properties of the land and evaluate the strength of its people. After 40 days, the scouts return bearing a single cluster of grapes so heavy that it takes two men to carry it on a pole between them. They report that the land is indeed bountiful, but it is inhabited by powerful people living in fortified cities. The scouts maintain that the Israelites are too weak to conquer the land, but Caleb and Joshua argue that, if the people have faith in God and His promise, they will be able to overcome the inhabitants. The people accept the majority report, thus incurring God’s wrath. He decrees that they will spend 40 years in the wilderness, until an entire generation dies out and a free generation grows up.
