וְנָתַתִּ֣י אֶת־אֶרֶץ֩ מִצְרַ֨יִם שְׁמָמָ֜ה בְּת֣וֹךְ ׀ אֲרָצ֣וֹת נְשַׁמּ֗וֹת וְעָרֶ֙יהָ֙ בְּת֨וֹךְ עָרִ֤ים מָֽחֳרָבוֹת֙ תִּֽהְיֶ֣יןָ שְׁמָמָ֔ה אַרְבָּעִ֖ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַהֲפִצֹתִ֤י אֶת־מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם וְֽזֵרִיתִ֖ים בָּאֲרָצֽוֹת׃ (פ)
At gagawin kong mapanglaw na kaguhuan ang lupain ng Egipto sa gitna ng mga lupaing mapanglaw, at ang kanyang mga lungsod sa gitna ng mga lungsod na giniba ay magiging kaguhuan sa loob ng apatnapung taon; at pangangalatin ko ang mga Egipcio sa mga bansa, at ikakalat ko sila sa mga lupain.
Rashi
they laid its beams Heb. קֵֵֵֵרוּהוּ the intensive conjugation, like “...behold he laid the beams (קֵרָה),” [which appears nowhere in Scripture;] similar to (Ps. 104:3): “Who roofs (הַמְקָרֶה) His upper chambers with water.” The “kuf” of קֵרוּהוּ is not customarily vowelized with a “hirik” in this context because of the “resh” following it, like (ibid. 10:3): “blessed (בֵּרֵךְ)”; (Prov. 17: 5): “blasphemed (חֵרֵף)”; (Gen. 17:16): “I shall bless her (וּבֵרַכְתִּיהָ)”;(Ezek. 29:12): “and I shall scatter them (וּזְרֵתִים) in the lands.”
Kli Yakar
And by way of homiletical interpretation, it seems to me that it can be explained, that the main intention of the spies in spreading an evil report about the land was to give themselves an excuse to say Let us appoint a head and return to Egypt. They knew that long ago Egypt had been sentenced to be desolate for forty years, as written in Ezekiel (29:12), shall be desolate for forty years. And Rashi explains there that it was decreed upon them a famine of forty-two years corresponding to the three times the dream was written seven cows, seven ears of corn, but they only experienced two years, because when Jacob arrived the famine ceased, and they remained liable for another forty years, as Rashi explained.
According to this, there is room to explain that the spies also knew that the Egyptians had to pay a debt of forty years, either to be desolate for forty years, or to experience forty years of famine. Therefore, they went for forty days to tell the Israelites that “these forty days in which we saw the danger of a land that devours its inhabitants are worse for us than the forty bad years decreed upon Egypt.” Therefore, they said, Let us return to Egypt. For it would be better for us to be in the desolation of Egypt for forty years than those forty days in which we were in danger of death and bereavement in the land.
Therefore it was said, according to the number of days in which you spied out the land, forty days, so that a day would correspond to a year of Egypt, saying that a year in Egypt is better than a day in the Land, even a year of famine or desolation. And this is the meaning of a day for a year, a day for a year — that is, for the year, a year of Egypt.
Therefore you shall bear your iniquities for forty years, corresponding to those forty bad years of Egypt which you chose to be there, in siege and distress, rather than a day in the Land. Therefore, you will be in siege and distress in the desert for forty years. And this is a precious interpretation.
According to this, there is room to explain that the spies also knew that the Egyptians had to pay a debt of forty years, either to be desolate for forty years, or to experience forty years of famine. Therefore, they went for forty days to tell the Israelites that “these forty days in which we saw the danger of a land that devours its inhabitants are worse for us than the forty bad years decreed upon Egypt.” Therefore, they said, Let us return to Egypt. For it would be better for us to be in the desolation of Egypt for forty years than those forty days in which we were in danger of death and bereavement in the land.
Therefore it was said, according to the number of days in which you spied out the land, forty days, so that a day would correspond to a year of Egypt, saying that a year in Egypt is better than a day in the Land, even a year of famine or desolation. And this is the meaning of a day for a year, a day for a year — that is, for the year, a year of Egypt.
Therefore you shall bear your iniquities for forty years, corresponding to those forty bad years of Egypt which you chose to be there, in siege and distress, rather than a day in the Land. Therefore, you will be in siege and distress in the desert for forty years. And this is a precious interpretation.