They said, Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are you still? don't be slothful to go and to enter in to possess the land.
The spies’ use of the phrase "to possess the land" (Judges 18:9) appears to have been a pious ploy to convince their brethren that this self-seeking plan was God’s will. Moses and Joshua had repeatedly urged the Israelites to "possess the land," but only the land that was God’s will for them to possess. The Danite spies were trying to provide security for their tribe contrary to God’s previous directions. Likewise the phrase "for God has given it into your hand" (Judges 18:10) had previously been Joshua’s battle cry (cf. Joshua 6:16; et al.).