In the Torah portion of Shelah, it is related that Moses chose the spies on the basis of God’s command. By contrast, when Moses describes the incident in the Torah portion of Devarim, it appears that he chose the spies himself. The Sages resolve the contradiction between the verses.

These men were chosen from the entire people of Israel at the directive of the Holy One, Blessed be He, and at the directive of Moses, as the verse states: “The matter was good in my eyes and I took from you twelve men, one man for each tribe” (Deuteronomy 1:23). From where do you say that the men selected were righteous? For Moses did not want to send them at his own initiative, and he consulted with the Holy One, Blessed be He, concerning each one. Moses said: Shall I send so-and-so from such and such tribe? God told him: They are worthy. From where is it derived that the Holy One, Blessed be He, told Moses that the spies are worthy? As it is stated: “Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran according to the directive of the Lord” (Numbers 13:3). Thereafter, at the conclusion of their mission, after forty days, they underwent a transformation and they caused this entire tragedy, and they caused that generation to be stricken with that calamity. (Tanĥuma, Shelah)