Numbers 14:13-23

13 Then Moses said to the Lord, "The Egyptians will hear about it! You brought these people from there by your great power,

14 and the Egyptians will tell this to those who live in this land. They have already heard about you, Lord. They know that you are with your people and that you were seen face to face. They know that your cloud stays over your people and that you lead your people with that cloud during the day and with fire at night.

15 If you put these people to death all at once, the nations who have heard about your power will say,

16 'The Lord was not able to bring them into the land he promised them. So he killed them in the desert.'

17 "So show your strength now, Lord. Do what you said:

18 'The Lord doesn't become angry quickly, but he has great love. He forgives sin and law breaking. But the Lord never forgets to punish guilty people. When parents sin, he will also punish their children, their grandchildren, their great-grandchildren, and their great-great-grandchildren.'

19 By your great love, forgive these people's sin, just as you have forgiven them from the time they left Egypt until now."

20 The Lord answered, "I have forgiven them as you asked.

21 But, as surely as I live and as surely as my glory fills the whole earth, I make this promise:

22 All these men saw my glory and the miracles I did in Egypt and in the desert, but they disobeyed me and tested me ten times.

23 So not one of them will see the land I promised to their ancestors. No one who rejected me will see that land.

Numbers 14:13-23 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.