Numbers 14:1-7

1 Therefore all the company cried, and wept in that night,

2 and all the sons of Israel grouched against Moses and Aaron, and said, We would that we had been dead in Egypt, either that we were dead in this wilderness; we would that we perished, (and all the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and said, We wish that we had died in Egypt, or that we had already died here in this wilderness; yea, we wish that we were dead,)

3 and that the Lord lead us not into this land, lest we fall by sword, and our wives and our free children be led, or taken, prisoners; whether it is not better to us to turn again into Egypt? (is it not better for us to return to Egypt?)

4 And they said one to another, Ordain we a duke, or a leader, to us, and turn we again into Egypt. (And they said to one another, Let us choose a new leader, and let us return to Egypt.)

5 And when this was heard, Moses and Aaron fell down low to the earth (Moses and Aaron fell down on the ground), before all the multitude of the sons of Israel.

6 And soothly Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, which also compassed the land, rent their clothes, (And truly Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, two of the spies who had gone throughout the land, tore their clothes,)

7 and they spake thus to all the multitude of the sons of Israel, (and said,) The land which we compassed is full good; (and they spoke thus to all the multitude of the Israelites, and said, The land which we went about is very good;)

Numbers 14:1-7 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.