Numbers 14:5-15

5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces {before} the assembly of the community of the {Israelites}.

6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, from the explorers [of] the land, tore their garments.

7 And they said to all the community of the {Israelites}, "The land that we went through to explore [is] an {exceptionally good land}.

8 If Yahweh delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and he will give it to us, a land that [is] flowing [with] milk and honey.

9 Only do not rebel against Yahweh, and you will not fear the people of the land, because they will be our food. {Their protection} has been turned from them; Yahweh [is] with us. You should not fear them."

10 And all the community said to stone them with stones, but the glory of Yahweh appeared in the tent of assembly among the {Israelites}.

11 And Yahweh said to Moses, "How long until this people will despise me, and how long until they will not believe in me, [and] in all the signs that I have done in their midst?

12 I will strike them with disease, and I will dispossess them; I will make you into a greater and stronger nation than them."

13 And Moses said to Yahweh, "Then the Egyptians will hear that you brought up this people from their midst in your power,

14 and they will {tell it} to the inhabitants of this land. They heard that you, Yahweh, [are] in the midst of this people, that you are seen eye to eye, and your cloud [is] standing over them, and in a column of cloud you go before them by day and in a column of fire [at] night.

15 But if you destroy this people {all at once}, the nations that will have heard your message will say,

Numbers 14:5-15 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "in the presence of"
• [b]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [c]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [d]. Literally "the land is very very good"
• [e]. Literally "Their shadow"
• [f]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [g]. Hebrew "his"
• [h]. Hebrew "him"
• [i]. Hebrew "him"
• [j]. Hebrew "him"
• [k]. Hebrew "his"
• [l]. Literally "say"
• [m]. Literally "as one man"