Deuteronomy 1:23
in Deuteronomy 1The plan seemed good to me, so I selected twelve men from among you, one from each tribe.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the thing pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe:
KJV
And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe:
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This verse in Deuteronomy 1
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Then all of you approached me and said
on Deuteronomy 1:22-23
Numbers 13:1-2 has the LORD telling Moses to send the men, and verse 22 here has the people asking for them. Barnes reads it as a plan that began with the people, was approved by Moses, and was then sanctioned by God.
This site's exposition
The plan seemed good to me
Moses chose one man from each of the twelve tribes, named at Numbers 13:4-15. John Gill says Moses took the proposal as reasonable and prudent, without suspecting fear and distrust behind it. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown likewise say Moses believed the people sincere, though the proposal came from unbelief.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the saying pleased me well,.... Taking it to be a rational and prudent scheme, not imagining it was the effect of fear and distrust: and I took twelve men of you out of a tribe; whose names are given in Num 13:4.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
ye came . . . and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land--The proposal to despatch spies emanated from the people through unbelief; but Moses, believing them sincere, gave his cordial assent to this measure, and God on being consulted permitted them to follow the suggestion (see on Nu 13:1).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּיטַ֥ב | vaiyitav | and it was good | H3190 → | 117 times |
| בְּעֵינַ֖י | beeinai | in view my | H5869 → | 887 times |
| הַדָּבָ֑ר | hadavar | the thing | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| וָאֶקַּ֤ח | vaekach | and I took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מִכֶּם֙ | mikem | from you | ||
| שְׁנֵ֣ים | sheneim | two [plus] | H8147 → | 768 times |
| עָשָׂ֣ר | ʾasar | ten | H6240 → | 338 times |
| אֲנָשִׁ֔ים | ʾanashim | men | H582 → | 566 times |
| אִ֥ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶחָ֖ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| לַשָּֽׁבֶט׃ | lashavet | to the tribe | H7626 → | 190 times |
וַיִּיטַ֥בand it was good
vaiyitavH3190 →117 times
בְּעֵינַ֖יin view my
beeinaiH5869 →887 times
הַדָּבָ֑רthe thing
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
וָאֶקַּ֤חand I took
vaekachH3947 →966 times
מִכֶּם֙from you
mikem
שְׁנֵ֣יםtwo [plus]
sheneimH8147 →768 times
עָשָׂ֣רten
ʾasarH6240 →338 times
אֲנָשִׁ֔יםmen
ʾanashimH582 →566 times
אִ֥ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֶחָ֖דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
לַשָּֽׁבֶט׃to the tribe
lashavetH7626 →190 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies12
On this verse
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).