Palti is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Palti was one of the twelve men Moses sent from the wilderness of Paran to spy out the land of Canaan. He represented the tribe of Benjamin, and Scripture identifies him as “Palti the son of Raphu” (Numbers 13:9). His appointment came at a decisive moment in Israel’s journey: the people had come to the edge of the land God had promised them, and Moses, at the Lord’s command, chose one leader from each tribe to go up and assess the land, its people, and its cities.
Palti was among those who entered Canaan and returned after forty days with a report of the land. He is named only in the list of the spies; the text records nothing further of his words or actions. The account tells us that ten of the twelve spies brought back a discouraging report, and the people refused to enter the land, which led to a generation’s wandering in the wilderness. Whether Palti stood with the faithful minority—Joshua and Caleb—or with the fearful majority is not stated in Scripture.
What we know of him is therefore brief but weighty: he was a chosen representative of Benjamin, sent to see what God had prepared for His people, and his name is preserved in the sacred record of that mission. The Bible says of him only what the list records—his tribe, his father, and his role among the spies.
The Name
The name Palti (Hebrew *Palti*) is generally understood to derive from a root meaning “to escape” or “to deliver,” and it is often rendered with the sense of “my deliverance” or “the Lord has delivered.” This meaning is fairly well established among Hebrew name studies, though the exact nuance can vary. It is closely related to the name Paltiel, which appears elsewhere in Scripture and carries a similar sense of deliverance belonging to God.
A Closing Thought
Palti’s story is a reminder that faithfulness is often quiet and unnamed in the details. He was chosen, he was sent, and he saw the land—yet Scripture tells us little of what he did with that sight. Many of us live in similar obscurity, called to walk by faith without a recorded legacy. The lesson is not to be remembered by name, but to be found faithful when the report is given. May we, like the faithful few, trust God’s promise even when the way seems hard.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Numbers 13:9 — Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.