Then they said to him: ''Inquire of God, we pray, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out shall prosper.'' (וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ שְׁאַל־נָא בֵאלֹהִים וְנֵדְעָה הֲתִצְלַח דַּרְכֵּנוּ אֲשֶׁר אָנוּ הוֹלְכִים בָּהּ) — the spies request a divination or priestly inquiry: they ask the Levite to consult God regarding the success of their expedition. The phrase ``Inquire of God'' (שְׁאַל־נָא בֵאלֹהִים) suggests using the priestly means of determining God's will, perhaps the ephod or Urim and Thummim. The spies' request is framed as pious: they seek God's guidance before proceeding. Yet the request to a private priest for a blessing on what amounts to tribal conquest reveals the spiritual confusion of the age. Religious authority and priestly function have been privatized to the point that the Danites feel they can commission divine guidance from any available Levite.

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