Numbers 14:14

14 Moreover all the dwellers upon this land have heard that thou art Lord in the midst of this people, who, O Lord, art seen face to face, and thy cloud rests upon them, and thou goest before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire.

Numbers 14:14 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 14:14

And they will tell [it] to the inhabitants of this land
The land of Canaan, between which and Egypt there was an intercourse, though not by the way of the wilderness, being neighbours, and their original ancestors brethren, as Mizraim and Canaan were; or "they will say" F20, and that with joy, as the Targum of Jonathan adds; but what they would say does not appear so plain; either it was that the Israelites were killed in the wilderness, a tale they would tell with pleasure; but that the Canaanites would hear of doubtless before them, and not need their information, since the Israelites were upon their borders; or that the Lord had brought them out of Egypt indeed, but could carry them no further, could not introduce them into the land he had promised them; or rather they would say to them what follows, for the preposition "for" is not in the text, and may be omitted; and so the sense is, they will tell them,

they have heard that thou Lord [art] among this people;
in the tabernacle that was in the midst of them, in the most holy place of it:

that thou Lord art seen face to face:
as he was by Moses, who was at the head of them:

and [that] thy cloud standeth over them;
and sheltered and protected them from the heat of the sun in the daytime, when it rested upon them in their encampment:

and [that] thou goest before them, by daytime in a pillar of a cloud,
and in a pillar of fire by night;
in their journeys; they will tell of those favours thou hast shown Israel; and yet, after all, will observe that thou hast destroyed them, which will not redound to thine honour and glory.


FOOTNOTES:

F20 (wrmay) "et dicent", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius

Numbers 14:14 In-Context

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.
14 Moreover all the dwellers upon this land have heard that thou art Lord in the midst of this people, who, O Lord, art seen face to face, and thy cloud rests upon them, and thou goest before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire.
15 And thou shalt destroy this nation as one man; then all the nations that have heard thy name shall speak, saying,
16 Because the Lord could not bring this people into the land which he sware to them, he has overthrown them in the wilderness.

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