Numbers 14:1-10

The People Rebel

1 Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.

2 All the sons of Israel ¹grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, "²Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!

3 "Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, ³to fall by the sword? ⁴Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?"

4 So they said to one another, "⁵Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt."

5 ⁶Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.

6 Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;

7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, "⁷The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.

8 "⁸If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us-⁹a land which flows with milk and honey.

9 "Only ¹⁰do not rebel against the LORD; and do not ¹¹fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them."

10 ¹²But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then ¹³the glory of the LORD appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.

Numbers 14:1-10 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.

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 11:1
• 2. Numbers 11:5; Numbers 16:13; Numbers 20:3, 4; Numbers 21:5
• 3. Exodus 5:21; Exodus 16:3
• 4. Numbers 14:31; Deuteronomy 1:39
• 5. Nehemiah 9:17
• 6. Numbers 16:4
• 7. Numbers 13:27; Deuteronomy 1:25
• 8. Deuteronomy 10:15
• 9. Exodus 3:8; Numbers 13:27
• 10. Deuteronomy 1:26; Deuteronomy 9:23, 24
• 11. Deuteronomy 1:21, 29
• 12. Exodus 17:4
• 13. Exodus 16:10; Leviticus 9:23

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "lifted and gave their voice"
• [b]. Lit "in that"
• [c]. Lit "food"
• [d]. Lit "shadow"