Gemalli גְּמַלִּי

Male H1582 1 book

Father of Ammiel, the spy from the tribe of Dan.

Who is Gemalli in the Bible?

Gemalli was the father of Ammiel, who represented the tribe of Dan as one of the twelve spies Moses sent to explore Canaan (Numbers 13:12). Ammiel was chosen alongside one representative from each of Israel's tribes to scout the land and report back on its inhabitants and resources. After forty days of exploration, Ammiel returned with a discouraging report that emphasized the strength of Canaan's people and the difficulty of conquest, joining ten other spies in their faithless assessment (Numbers 13:25-33). His report contrasted sharply with the faithful encouragement of Joshua and Caleb, whose positive testimony urged the Israelites to trust God's promise. Though Gemalli himself is mentioned only briefly, his son's role in this pivotal moment demonstrates how individual choices of faith or doubt shaped Israel's wilderness journey.

Biography

Gemalli is mentioned briefly in Num.13.12 as the father of Ammiel, the representative of the tribe of Dan among the twelve spies sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan. The twelve spies, one from each tribe, were chosen to assess the land, its inhabitants, and its resources (Num.13.17-20). Ammiel, son of Gemalli, was the spy selected from the tribe of Dan. The spies returned after forty days with a report of a land flowing with milk and honey, but also inhabited by strong peoples (Num.13.25-28). Ten of the spies, including Ammiel, brought back a discouraging report, emphasizing the challenges of conquering the land (Num.13.31-33). Only Joshua and Caleb, the spies from the tribes of Ephraim and Judah, respectively, gave a positive report and encouraged the people to trust in God's promise (Num.14.6-9). As a result of the people's unbelief and rebellion, God declared that the generation who had witnessed the Exodus would not enter the Promised Land, except for Joshua and Caleb (Num.14.20-35).

Family

In Scripture

1 biblical book
Numbers 1 verse
  • Numbers 13:12

    "from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli;"

Names & Aliases

Form Language Script
Named Hebrew גְּמַלִּי
Encyclopedia Article

Gemalli

ISBE 1915 (Public Domain)

tryFree n="GEMARA">

ge-ma'-ra.

See TALMUD.

gem-a-ri'-a (gemaryahu, gemaryah, "Yahweh hath accomplished"):

(1) Son of Shaphan the scribe, one of the p