Numbers 14:27

27 "How long am I to put up with this evil community who keep grumbling about me? I have heard the complaints of the people of Isra'el, which they continue to raise against me.

Numbers 14:27 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 14:27

How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which
murmur against me?
&c.] Bear with their murmurings, spare them, and not cut them off? how long must sparing mercy be extended to them? the Lord speaks as one weary of forbearing, so frequent and aggravated were their murmurings. The Jews understand this not of the whole congregation of Israel, but of the ten spies, from whence they gather, that ten make a congregation; and they interpret the phrase, "which murmur against me", transitively, "which cause to murmur against me"; made the children of Israel murmur against him, so Jarchi; but rather all the people are meant, as appears from ( Numbers 14:28 ) , and from the following clause:

I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they
murmur against me;
for their murmurings were not only against Moses and Aaron, but against the Lord himself, ( Numbers 14:2 Numbers 14:3 ) .

Numbers 14:27 In-Context

25 "Now, since the 'Amaleki and the Kena'ani are living in the valley, tomorrow turn around and get yourselves into the desert along the way to the Sea of Suf."
26 ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon,
27 "How long am I to put up with this evil community who keep grumbling about me? I have heard the complaints of the people of Isra'el, which they continue to raise against me.
28 Tell them this: 'As surely as I live, ADONAI swears, as surely as you have spoken in my ears, I will do this to you:
29 your carcasses will fall in this desert! Every single one of you who were included in the census over the age of twenty, you who have complained against me,
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.