Numbers 14:11

11 And the Lord said to Moses, How long does this people provoke me? and how long do they refuse to believe me for all the signs which I have wrought among them?

Numbers 14:11 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 14:11

And the Lord said unto Moses
Out of the cloud upon the tabernacle:

how long will this people provoke me?
which suggests that they had often provoked him, and had done it long ago, and still continued to do so; and he had long bore their provocations; but it was not reasonable, nor could it be expected by Moses or any other, that he would bear them much longer,

and how long will it be ere they believe me;
unbelief was a sin they had often and long been guilty of, and which greatly prevailed among them, and was the root of all their murmurings, mutiny, and rebellion; and what was highly provoking to the Lord, since they ought to have believed him, and that he was able to make good, and would make good his promises to them:

for all the signs which I have showed among them;
the wonders and miracles he had wrought in Egypt, at the Red sea, and in the wilderness, and in their sight; on account of which they should have given credit to his word, and which were strong aggravations of their unbelief; and is the true reason why they entered not into the good land, ( Hebrews 3:18 Hebrews 3:19 ) .

Numbers 14:11 In-Context

9 Only depart not from the Lord; and fear ye not the people of the land, for they are meat for us; for the season is departed from them, but the Lord among us: fear them not.
10 And all the congregation bade stone them with stones; and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud on the tabernacle of witness to all the children of Israel.
11 And the Lord said to Moses, How long does this people provoke me? and how long do they refuse to believe me for all the signs which I have wrought among them?
12 I will smite them with death, and destroy them; and I will make of thee and of thy father's house a great nation, and much greater than this.
13 And Moses said to the Lord, So Egypt shall hear, for thou hast brought up this people from them by thy might.

Footnotes 1

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.