Numbers 14:1-8

1 igitur vociferans omnis turba flevit nocte illa

2 et murmurati sunt contra Mosen et Aaron cuncti filii Israhel dicentes

3 utinam mortui essemus in Aegypto et non in hac vasta solitudine utinam pereamus et non inducat nos Dominus in terram istam ne cadamus gladio et uxores ac liberi nostri ducantur captivi nonne melius est reverti in Aegyptum

4 dixeruntque alter ad alterum constituamus nobis ducem et revertamur in Aegyptum

5 quo audito Moses et Aaron ceciderunt proni in terram coram omni multitudine filiorum Israhel

6 at vero Iosue filius Nun et Chaleb filius Iepphonne qui et ipsi lustraverant terram sciderunt vestimenta sua

7 et ad omnem multitudinem filiorum Israhel locuti sunt terram quam circuivimus valde bona est

8 si propitius fuerit Dominus inducet nos in eam et tradet humum lacte et melle manantem

Numbers 14:1-8 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.