ESPY

es-pi': "Espy" in modern English means "to catch sight of," rather than "to explore secretly." the Revised Version (British and American) therefore retains it in Genesis 42:27, "He espied his money" (Hebrew ra'ah, "see"), while in Joshua 14:7 "espy out the land" (the King James Version) becomes "spy out the land." the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "watch" for "espy" in Jeremiah 48:19, and "searched out" for "espied" in Ezekiel 20:6, with a gain in accuracy of rendering (compare the context).

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Edited by James Orr, published in 1939 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.