Numbers14
New International Version
1That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.
2All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness!
3Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
4And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
5Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there.
6Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes
7and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.
8If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.
9Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”
10But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites.
11The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?
12I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.”
13Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them.
14And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, Lord, are with these people and that you, Lord, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
15If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say,
16‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’
17“Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared:
18‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’
19In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.”
20The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked.
21Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth,
22not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times—
23not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it.
24But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.
25Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.”
26The Lord said to Moses and Aaron:
27“How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites.
28So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say:
29In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me.
30Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
31As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected.
32But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness.
33Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness.
34For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’
35I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.”
36So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it—
37these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord.
38Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.
39When Moses reported this to all the Israelites, they mourned bitterly.
40Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country, saying, “Now we are ready to go up to the land the Lord promised. Surely we have sinned!”
41But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed!
42Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies,
43for the Amalekites and the Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.”
44Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp.
45Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Numbers 14.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The people murmur at the account of the spies. (1–4). Joshua and Caleb labour to still the people. (5–10). The Divine threatenings, The intercession of Moses. (11–19). The murmurers forbidden to enter the promised land. (20–35). Death of the evil spies. (36–39). Defeat of the people, who now would invade the land. (40–45).
vv1-4
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.
vv5-10
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. (Nu 14:11-19)
vv11-19
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.
Key Words
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
עֵדָה: a stated assemblage (specifically, a concourse, or generally, a family or crowd)
נָשָׂא: to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
קוֹל: a voice or sound
נָתַן: to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
עַם: a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
בָּכָה: to weep; generally to bemoan
לַיִל: properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; figuratively, adversity
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
Cross References
Numbers 14Moses quotes God's self-revelation of mercy and justice as the basis for his intercession.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Nehemiah recalls the rebellion, noting they appointed a captain to return to their bondage.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
New Testament warning concerning those whose carcasses fell in the wilderness through unbelief.
Supported by JFB
Moses recounts how the children, presumed to be prey, were preserved to enter the land.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallel intercession where Moses appeals to God's reputation among the Egyptians.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The solemn divine oath that this generation would not enter His rest.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Caleb's original faithful and quiet spirit in encouraging the people to go up.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Identifies the Amalekites and Canaanites who block Israel's forward progress.
Supported by JFB
Moses' later recollection of the defeat at Hormah by the pursuing Amorites.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Moses falling on his face as his characteristic appeal to God during crises.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Metaphor of eating up people like bread, mirroring Joshua and Caleb's description.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Previous instance where the people were ready to stone Moses in anger.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Paul's commentary that God was not pleased with them, overthrowing them in the wilderness.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The historical census showing only Caleb and Joshua remained of that generation.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The Psalmist characterizes the wilderness rebellion as despising the pleasant land.
Supported by John Calvin