Numbers 14:27

27 How long shall I hear this evil congregation, which murmurs against me, the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they murmur against me?

Numbers 14:27 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 14:27

How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which
murmur against me?
&c.] Bear with their murmurings, spare them, and not cut them off? how long must sparing mercy be extended to them? the Lord speaks as one weary of forbearing, so frequent and aggravated were their murmurings. The Jews understand this not of the whole congregation of Israel, but of the ten spies, from whence they gather, that ten make a congregation; and they interpret the phrase, "which murmur against me", transitively, "which cause to murmur against me"; made the children of Israel murmur against him, so Jarchi; but rather all the people are meant, as appears from ( Numbers 14:28 ) , and from the following clause:

I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they
murmur against me;
for their murmurings were not only against Moses and Aaron, but against the Lord himself, ( Numbers 14:2 Numbers 14:3 ) .

Numbers 14:27 In-Context

25 and even the Amalekite and the Canaanite who dwell in the valley. Turn around tomorrow and go into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

26 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

27 How long shall I hear this evil congregation, which murmurs against me, the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they murmur against me?

28 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, according as ye have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you.

29 Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against me;