141 And all the company lifteth up and give forth their voice, and the people weep during that night; 2 and all the sons of Israel murmur against Moses, and against Aaron, and all the company say unto them, 'O that we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wilderness, O that we had died! 3 and why is Jehovah bringing us in unto this land to fall by the sword? our wives and our infants are become a prey; is it not good for us to turn back to Egypt?' 4 And they say one unto another, 'Let us appoint a head, and turn back to Egypt.'
5 And Moses falleth—Aaron also—on their faces, before all the assembly of the company of the sons of Israel. 6 And Joshua son of Nun, and Caleb son of Jephunneh, of those spying the land, have rent their garments, 7 and they speak unto all the company of the sons of Israel, saying, 'The land into which we have passed over to spy it, 'is' a very very good land; 8 if Jehovah hath delighted in us, then He hath brought us in unto this land, and hath given it to us, a land which is flowing with milk and honey; 9 only, against Jehovah rebel not ye: and ye, fear not ye the people of the land, for our bread they 'are'; their defence hath turned aside from off them, and Jehovah 'is' with us; fear them not.' 10 And all the company say to stone them with stones, and the honour of Jehovah hath appeared in the tent of meeting unto all the sons of Israel.
11 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Until when doth this people despise Me? and until when do they not believe in Me, for all the signs which I have done in its midst? 12 I smite it with pestilence, and dispossess it, and make thee become a nation greater and mightier than it.' 13 And Moses saith unto Jehovah, 'Then have the Egyptians heard! for Thou hast brought up with Thy power this people out of their midst, 14 and they have said 'it' unto the inhabitant of this land, they have heard that Thou, Jehovah, 'art' in the midst of this people, that eye to eye Thou art seen—O Jehovah, and Thy cloud is standing over them,—and in a pillar of cloud Thou art going before them by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 'And Thou hast put to death this people as one man, and the nations who have heard Thy fame have spoken, saying, 16 From Jehovah's want of ability to bring in this people unto the land which He hath sworn to them—He doth slaughter them in the wilderness. 17 'And now, let, I pray Thee, the power of my Lord be great, as Thou hast spoken, saying: 18 Jehovah 'is' slow to anger, and of great kindness; bearing away iniquity and transgression, and not entirely acquitting, charging iniquity of fathers on sons, on a third 'generation', and on a fourth;— 19 forgive, I pray Thee, the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of Thy kindness, and as Thou hast borne with this people from Egypt, even until now.'
20 And Jehovah saith, 'I have forgiven, according to thy word; 21 and yet, I live—and it is filled—the whole earth—'with' the honour of Jehovah; 22 for all the men who are seeing My honour, and My signs, which I have done in Egypt, and in the wilderness, and try Me these ten times, and have not hearkened to My voice— 23 they see not the land which I have sworn to their fathers, yea, none of those despising Me see it; 24 and My servant Caleb, because there hath been another spirit with him, and he is fully after Me—I have brought him in unto the land whither he hath entered, and his seed doth possess it. 25 'And the Amalekite and the Canaanite are dwelling in the valley; to-morrow turn ye and journey for yourselves into the wilderness—the way of the Red Sea.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 14:1-25
Commentary on Numbers 14:1-4
(Read Numbers 14:1-4)
Those who do not trust God, continually vex themselves. The sorrow of the world worketh death. The Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, and in them reproached the Lord. They look back with causeless discontent. See the madness of unbridled passions, which makes men prodigal of what nature accounts most dear, life itself. They wish rather to die criminals under God's justice, than to live conquerors in his favour. At last they resolve, that, instead of going forward to Canaan, they would go back to Egypt. Those who walk not in God's counsels, seek their own ruin. Could they expect that God's cloud would lead them, or his manna attend them? Suppose the difficulties of conquering Canaan were as they imagined, those of returning to Egypt were much greater. We complain of our place and lot, and we would change; but is there any place or condition in this world, that has not something in it to make us uneasy, if we are disposed to be so? The way to better our condition, is to get our spirits in a better frame. See the folly of turning from the ways of God. But men run on the certain fatal consequences of a sinful course.
Commentary on Numbers 14:5-10
(Read Numbers 14:5-10)
Moses and Aaron were astonished to see a people throw away their own mercies. Caleb and Joshua assured the people of the goodness of the land. They made nothing of the difficulties in the way of their gaining it. If men were convinced of the desirableness of the gains of religion, they would not stick at the services of it. Though the Canaanites dwell in walled cities, their defence was departed from them. The other spies took notice of their strength, but these of their wickedness. No people can be safe, when they have provoked God to leave them. Though Israel dwell in tents, they are fortified. While we have the presence of God with us, we need not fear the most powerful force against us. Sinners are ruined by their own rebellion. But those who, like Caleb and Joshua, faithfully expose themselves for God, are sure to be taken under his special protection, and shall be hid from the rage of men, either under heaven or in heaven.
Commentary on Numbers 14:11-19
(Read Numbers 14:11-19)
Moses made humble intercession for Israel. Herein he was a type of Christ, who prayed for those that despitefully used him. The pardon of a nation's sin, is the turning away the nation's punishment; and for that Moses is here so earnest. Moses argued that, consistently with God's character, in his abundant mercies, he could forgive them.
Commentary on Numbers 14:20-35
(Read Numbers 14:20-35)
The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in the wilderness. They were made to groan under the burden of their own sin, which was too heavy for them to bear. Ye shall know my breach of promise, both the causes of it, that it is procured by your sin, for God never leaves any till they first leave him; and the consequences of it, that will produce your ruin. But your little ones, now under twenty years old, which ye, in your unbelief, said should be a prey, them will I bring in. God will let them know that he can put a difference between the guilty and the innocent, and cut them off without touching their children. Thus God would not utterly take away his loving kindness.