Numbers 14:3

3 Wherfore hath the Lorde broughte vs vnto this londe to fall apon the swerde that both oure wyues and also oure childre shulde be a praye? is it not better that we returne vnto Egipte agayne?

Numbers 14:3 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 14:3

Wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land
Unto the borders of it: their murmuring did not cease at Moses and Aaron, the instruments, but proceeded against God himself, who had done such wonderful things for them, not only in bringing them out of Egypt, but since they had been in the wilderness; and yet so ungrateful to complain of him and argue with him about favours bestowed on them, as if they were injuries done to them; and particularly as if God had no other intention in bringing them out of Egypt to the place where they were, but

to fall by the sword:
the sword of the Canaanites, as the Targum of Jonathan adds:

that our wives and our children shall be a prey?
to the same people; they supposed they should be killed, their wives abused, and their children made slaves of:

were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
and so escape the hands of the inhabitants of Canaan, of whom they had terrible apprehensions from the report made of them.

Numbers 14:3 In-Context

1 And all the multitude cryed out and the people wepte thorow out that nyght

2 and all the childern of Ysrael murmured agenst Moses and Aaron. And the hole congregacion sayed vnto them: wolde god that we had dyed in the lond of Egipte ether we wolde that we had dyed in thys wildernesse.

3 Wherfore hath the Lorde broughte vs vnto this londe to fall apon the swerde that both oure wyues and also oure childre shulde be a praye? is it not better that we returne vnto Egipte agayne?

4 And they sayde one to another: let vs make a captayne and returne vnto Egipte agayne.

5 And Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the congregacion of the multitude of the childern of Israel.