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;
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 14:13-20
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.