Numbers 14

Israel's Refusal to Enter Canaan

1 Then the whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that night.

2 All the Israelites complained about Moses and Aaron,^[a] and the whole community told them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!

3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to die by the sword? Our wives and little children will become plunder.^[b] Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?"^[c]

4 So they said to one another, "Let's appoint a leader and go back to Egypt."

5 Then Moses and Aaron fell down with their faces [to the ground] in front of the whole assembly of the Israelite community.

6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who scouted out the land, tore their clothes

7 and said to the entire Israelite community: "The land we passed through and explored is an extremely good land.^[d]

8 If the Lord is pleased with us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey,^[e] and give it to us.

9 Only don't rebel against the Lord, and don't be afraid of the people of the land, for we will devour them.^[f] Their protection^[g] has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us. Don't be afraid of them!"

10 While the whole community threatened to stone them,^[h] the glory of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the tent of meeting.

God's Judgment of Israel's Rebellion

11 The Lord said to Moses, "How long will these people despise Me? How long will they not trust in Me despite all the signs I have performed among them?^[i]

12 I will strike them with a plague and destroy them. Then I will make you into a greater and mightier nation than they are."^[j]

13 But Moses replied to the Lord, "The Egyptians will hear about it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from them.

14 They will tell [it to] the inhabitants of this land.^[k] They have heard that You, Lord, are among these people, how You, Lord, are seen face to face, how Your cloud stands over them, and how You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.^[l]

15 If You kill this people with a single blow,^{[m] [n]} the nations that have heard of Your fame^[o] will declare,

16 'Since the Lord wasn't able to bring this people into the land He swore to [give] them,^[p] He has slaughtered them in the wilderness.'

17 "So now, may My Lord's power be magnified just as You have spoken:

18 The Lord is slow to anger and rich in faithful love,^[q] forgiving wrongdoing and rebellion.^[r] But He will not leave [the guilty] unpunished,^[s] bringing the consequences of the fathers' wrongdoing on the children to the third and fourth generation.^[t]

19 Please pardon the wrongdoing of this people in keeping with the greatness of Your faithful love,^[u] just as You have forgiven them from Egypt until now."

20 The Lord responded, "I have pardoned [them] as you requested.

21 Yet as surely as I live and as the whole earth is filled with the Lord's glory,^[v]

22 none of the men who have seen My glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tested Me these 10 times and did not obey Me,

23 will ever see the land I swore to [give] their fathers.^[w] None of those who have despised Me^[x] will see it.

24 But since My servant Caleb has a different spirit and has followed Me completely, I will bring him into the land where he has gone, and his descendants will inherit it.^[y]

25 Since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the lowlands,^[z] turn back tomorrow and head for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea."^[aa]

26 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:

27 "How long [must I endure] this evil community that keeps complaining about Me? I have heard the Israelites' complaints that they make against Me.^[ab]

28 Tell them: As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you exactly as I heard you say.

29 Your corpses will fall in this wilderness-all of you who were registered [in the census], the entire number of you 20 years old or more^[ac]-because you have complained about Me.

30 I swear that none of you will enter the land I promised^[ad] to settle you in, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

31 I will bring your children whom you said would become plunder^[ae] into the land you rejected, and they will enjoy it.^[af]

32 But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness.

33 Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for 40 years and bear the penalty for your acts of unfaithfulness until all your corpses lie [scattered] in the wilderness.

34 You will bear the consequences of your sins 40 years based on the number of the 40 days that you scouted the land, a year for each day.^{[ag] [ah]} You will know My displeasure.^[ai]

35 I, the Lord, have spoken. I swear that I will do this to the entire evil community that has conspired against Me.^[aj] They will come to an end in the wilderness, and there they will die."^[ak]

36 So the men Moses sent to scout out the land, and who returned and incited the entire community to complain about him by spreading a bad report about the land-

37 those men who spread the report about the land were struck down by the Lord.

38 Only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive of those men who went to scout out the land.

Israel Routed

39 When Moses reported these words to all the Israelites, the people were overcome with grief.

40 They got up early the next morning and went up the ridge of the hill country, saying, "Let's go to the place the Lord promised, for we were wrong."^[al]

41 But Moses responded, "Why are you going against the Lord's command? It won't succeed.

42 Don't go, because the Lord is not among you and you will be defeated by your enemies.

43 The Amalekites and Canaanites are right in front of you, and you will fall by the sword. The Lord won't be with you, since you have turned from following Him."

44 But they dared to go up the ridge of the hill country, even though the ark of the Lord's covenant and Moses did not leave the camp.

45 Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that [part of the] hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them as far as Hormah.^[am]

Numbers 14 Commentary

Chapter 14

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)

Verses 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.

Verses 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.

Verses 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.

Verses 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.

Verses 36-39 Here is the sudden death of the ten evil spies. They sinned in bringing a slander upon the land of promise. Those greatly provoke God, who misrepresent religion, raise dislike in men's minds toward it, or give opportunity to those to do so, who seek occasion. Justly are murmurers made mourners. If they had mourned for the sin, when they were faithfully reproved, the sentence had been prevented; but as they mourned for the judgment only, it did them no service. There is in hell such mourning as this; but tears will not quench the flames, nor cool the tongue.

Verses 40-45 Some of the Israelites were now earnest to go forward toward Canaan. But it came too late. If men would but be as earnest for heaven while their day of grace lasts, as they will be when it is over, how well would it be for them! That which has been duty in its season, when mistimed, may be turned into sin. Those who are out of the way of their duty, are not under God's protection, and go at their peril. God bade them go, and they would not; he forbade them, and they would go. Thus is the carnal mind enmity against God. They had distrusted God's strength; they now presume upon their own without his. And the expedition fails accordingly; now the sentence began to be executed, that their carcases should fall in the wilderness. That affair can never end well, which begins with sin. The way to obtain peace with our friends, and success against our enemies, is, to have God, as our Friend, and to keep in his love. Let us take warning from the fate of Israel, lest we perish after the same example of unbelief. Let us go forth, depending on God's mercy, power, promise, and truth; he will be with us, and bring our souls to everlasting rest.

Footnotes

• [a]. Nm 14:27; 16:11,41; Ex 16:2,7-8; 17:3
• [b]. Nm 14:31; Gn 34:29
• [c]. Nm 11:5; Dt 17:16; Neh 9:17; Ac 7:39
• [d]. Nm 13:27; Ex 3:8; Dt 1:25; 3:25
• [e]. Nm 13:17; 16:13-14; Ex 3:8; Lv 20:24
• [f]. Nm 14:3
• [g]. Ps 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 63:7; 91:1; Isa 49:2; 51:16
• [h]. Ex 17:4; Mt 23:37
• [i]. Nm 14:22; Ex 4:1-12:31; 14:11,21-22
• [j]. Gn 12:2; Ex 32:10
• [k]. Ex 15:13-15; Dt 2:25
• [l]. Nm 9:16-17; Ex 13:21-22; Dt 1:33
• [m]. Lit people as one man
• [n]. Ex 32:9-12
• [o]. Dt 2:25; Jos 2:10; 9:9; Isa 66:19; Hab 3:2
• [p]. Gn 12:7; 13:14-17; 15:7; Ac 7:5
• [q]. Ps 86:5; Jl 2:13
• [r]. Ezr 9:13; Ps 78:38; 85:2; 103:3,10; Isa 43:25; 44:22
• [s]. Pr 11:21; Jr 25:29; Nah 1:3
• [t]. Ex 20:5; 34:6-7
• [u]. Ex 34:9; Ps 25:11; 86:5; Jl 2:13
• [v]. Ps 72:19; Hab 2:14
• [w]. Gn 12:7; 13:14-17; 15:7; Ac 7:5
• [x]. Nm 14:11; Dt 31:20; Ps 74:18
• [y]. Jos 14:6-15; Jdg 1:10-12,20
• [z]. Lit valley
• [aa]. Nm 21:4; Dt 2:1
• [ab]. Nm 14:29,36; 16:11,41; Ex 16:2,7-8; 17:3; Dt 1:27
• [ac]. Nm 1:3
• [ad]. Lit I raised My hand
• [ae]. Nm 14:3
• [af]. Dt 1:39
• [ag]. Lit a day for the year, a day for the year
• [ah]. Nm 13:25; 32:13; Dt 2:14; Ps 95:10; Ezk 4:6
• [ai]. Or My opposition
• [aj]. Nm 16:11; 27:3; Ps 2:1-3
• [ak]. Nm 14:30; 26:64-65; 1 Co 10:5
• [al]. Dt 1:41-44
• [am]. Nm 21:3; Jdg 1:17

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 14

This chapter treats or the murmurings of the children of Israel upon the evil report of the spies, which greatly distressed Moses and Aaron, Nu 14:1-5; and of the endeavours of Joshua and Caleb to quiet the minds of the people with a good account of the land, and of the easy conquest of it, but to no purpose, Nu 14:6-10; and of the Lord's threatening to destroy the people with the pestilence, Nu 14:11,12; and of the intercession of Moses for them, which so far succeeded as to prevent their immediate destruction, Nu 14:13-20; nevertheless they are assured again and again, in the strongest terms, that none of them but Joshua and Caleb should enter into the land, but their carcasses should fall in the wilderness, even all the murmurers of twenty years old and upwards, Nu 14:21-35; and the ten men that brought the evil report of the good land died of a plague immediately, but the other two lived, Nu 14:36-38; and the body of the people that attempted to go up the mountain and enter the land were smitten and discomfited by their enemies, after they had with concern heard what the Lord threatened them with, Nu 14:39-45.