Mínshùjì 14

1 Dāngxià , quánhuì zhòng dàshēng xuān nāng . nà yè bǎixìng dōu kū haó .

2 Yǐsèliè zhòngrén xiàng Móxī , Yàlún fā yuànyán . quánhuì zhòng duì tāmen shuō , bābùdé wǒmen zǎo sǐ zaì Āijí dì , huò shì sǐ zaì zhè kuàngyĕ .

3 Yēhéhuá wèishénme bǎ wǒmen lǐng dào nà dì , shǐ wǒmen dǎo zaì dāo xià ne , wǒmen de qīzi hé háizi bì beìlǔ lue . wǒmen huí Āijí qù qǐbù hǎo ma ,

4 Zhòngrén bǐcǐ shuō , wǒmen bú rú lì yī gè shǒulǐng huí Āijí qù ba .

5 Móxī , Yàlún jiù fǔfú zaì Yǐsèliè quánhuì zhòng miànqián .

6 Kuītàn dì de rén zhōng , nèn de érzi Yuēshūyà hé Yéfúní de érzi Jiālè sī liè yīfu ,

7 Duì Yǐsèliè quánhuì zhòng shuō , wǒmen suǒ kuītàn , jīngguò zhī dì shì jí mĕi zhī dì .

8 Yēhéhuá ruò xǐyuè wǒmen , jiù bì jiàng wǒmen lǐng jìn nà dì , bǎ dì cìgĕi wǒmen . nà dì yuán shì liú nǎi yǔ mì zhī dì .

9 Dàn nǐmen bùkĕ beìpàn Yēhéhuá , yĕ búyào pà nà dì de jūmín . yīnwei tāmen shì wǒmen de shíwù , bìngqiĕ yīnbì tāmende yǐjing líkāi tāmen . yǒu Yēhéhuá yǔ wǒmen tóng zaì , búyào pà tāmen .

10 Dàn quánhuì zhòng shuō , ná shítou dá sǐ tāmen èr rén . hūrán , Yēhéhuá de róngguāng zaì huì mù zhōng xiàng Yǐsèliè zhòngrén xiǎnxiàn .

11 Yēhéhuá duì Móxī shuō , zhè bǎixìng miǎoshì wǒ yào dào jǐshí ne , wǒ zaì tāmen zhōngjiān xíng le zhè yīqiè shénjī , tāmen hái bú xìn wǒ yào dào jǐshí ne ,

12 Wǒ yào yòng wēnyì jī shā tāmen , shǐ tāmen bùdé chéngshòu nà dì , jiào nǐde hòuyì chéngwéi dà guó , bǐ tāmen qiǎng shèng .

13 Móxī duì Yēhéhuá shuō , Āijí rén bì tīngjian zhè shì . yīnwei nǐ céng shīzhǎn dà néng , jiàng zhè bǎixìng cóng tāmen zhōngjiān lǐng shàng lái .

14 Āijí rén yào jiàng zhè shì chuán gĕi Jiānán dì de jūmín . nà mín yǐjing tīngjian nǐ Yēhéhuá shì zaì zhè bǎixìng zhōngjiān . yīnwei nǐ miànduìmiàn beì rén kànjian , yǒu nǐde yúncai tíng zaì tāmen yǐshàng . nǐ rì jiàn zaì yún zhù zhōng , yè jiàn zaì huǒ zhù zhōng , zaì tāmen qiánmian xíng .

15 Rújīn nǐ ruò bǎ zhè bǎixìng shā le , rú shā yī rén , nàxiē tīngjian nǐ míngsheng de liè bāng bì yìlùn shuō ,

16 Yēhéhuá yīnwei bùnéng bǎ zhè bǎixìng lǐng jìn tā xiàng tāmen qǐshì yīngxǔ zhī dì , suǒyǐ zaì kuàngyĕ bǎ tāmen shā le .

17 Xiànzaì qiú zhǔ dà xiǎn nénglì , zhào nǐ suǒ shuō guō de huà shuō ,

18 Yēhéhuá bú qīngyì fānù , bìng yǒu fēngshèng de cíaì , shèmiǎn zuìniè hé guō fàn . wàn bú yǐ yǒu zuì de wéi wú zuì , bì zhuī tǎo tāde zuì , zì fǔ jí zǐ , zhídào sān , sì daì .

19 Qiú nǐ zhào nǐde dà cíaì shèmiǎn zhè bǎixìng de zuìniè , hǎoxiàng nǐ cóng Āijí dào rújīn cháng shèmiǎn tāmen yíyàng .

20 Yēhéhuá shuō , wǒ zhào zhe nǐde huà shèmiǎn le tāmen .

21 Rán wǒ zhǐ zhe wǒde yǒngshēng qǐshì , biàn dì yào beì wǒde róngyào chōngmǎn .

22 Zhèxie rén suī kànjian wǒde róngyào hé wǒ zaì Āijí yǔ kuàngyĕ suǒ xíng de shénjī , réngrán shìtan wǒ zhè shí cì , bú tīng cóng wǒde huà ,

23 Tāmen duàn bùdé kànjian wǒ xiàng tāmende zǔzong suǒ qǐshì yīngxǔ zhī dì . fán miǎoshì wǒde , yī gè yĕ bùdé kànjian .

24 Wéidú wǒde púrén Jiālè , yīn tā Lìng yǒu yī gè xīnzhì , zhuān yī gēn cóng wǒ , wǒ jiù bǎ tā lǐng jìn tā suǒ qù guō de nà dì . tāde hòuyì yĕ bì de nà dì wéi yè .

25 Yàmǎlì rén hé Jiānán rén zhù zaì yù zhōng , míngtiān nǐmen yào zhuǎn huí , cóng Hónghǎi de lù wǎng kuàngyĕ qù .

26 Yēhéhuá duì Móxī , Yàlún shuō ,

27 Zhè è huì zhòng xiàng wǒ fā yuànyán , wǒ rĕnnaì tāmen yào dào jǐshí ne , Yǐsèliè rén xiàng wǒ suǒ fā de yuànyán , wǒ dōu tīngjian le .

28 Nǐmen gàosu tāmen , Yēhéhuá shuō , wǒ zhǐ zhe wǒde yǒngshēng qǐshì , wǒ bìyào zhào nǐmen dádào wǒ ĕr zhōng de huà daì nǐmen .

29 Nǐmen de shī shǒu bì dǎo zaì zhè kuàngyĕ , bìngqiĕ nǐmen zhōngjiān fán beì shǔ diǎn , cóng èr shí suì yǐwaì , xiàng wǒ fā yuànyán de ,

30 Bì bùdé jìn wǒ qǐshì yīngxǔ jiào nǐmen zhù de nà dì . wéiyǒu Yéfúní de érzi Jiālè hé nèn de érzi Yuēshūyà cáinéng jìn qù .

31 Dàn nǐmen de fùrén háizi , jiù shì nǐmen suǒ shuō , yào beìlǔ lüè de , wǒ bì bǎ tāmen lǐng jìn qù , tāmen jiù de zhì nǐmen suǒ yànqì de nà dì .

32 Zhìyú nǐmen , nǐmen de shī shǒu bì dǎo zaì zhè kuàngyĕ .

33 Nǐmen de érnǚ bì zaì kuàngyĕ piāoliú sì shí nián , dāndāng nǐmen yín xíng de zuì , zhídào nǐmen de shī shǒu zaì kuàngyĕ xiāomiè .

34 Àn nǐmen kuītàn nà dì de sì shí rì , yī nián dǐng yī rì , nǐmen yào dāndāng zuìniè sì shí nián , jiù zhīdào wǒ yǔ nǐmen shū yuǎn le ,

35 Wǒ Yēhéhuá shuō guō , wǒ zǒng yào zhèyàng daì zhè yīqiè jùjí dí wǒde è huì zhòng . tāmen bì zaì zhè kuàngyĕ xiāomiè , zaì zhèlǐ sǐwáng .

36 Móxī suǒ dǎfa , kuītàn nà dì de rén huí lái , bào nà dì de è xìn , jiào quánhuì zhòng xiàng Móxī fā yuànyán ,

37 Zhèxie bào è xìn de rén dōu zāo wēnyì , sǐ zaì Yēhéhuá miànqián .

38 Qízhōng wéiyǒu nèn de érzi Yuēshūyà hé Yéfúní de érzi Jiālè réngrán cún huó .

39 Móxī jiàng zhèxie huà gàosu Yǐsèliè zhòngrén , tāmen jiù shén bēiāi .

40 Qīngzǎo qǐlai , shàng shāndǐng qù , shuō , wǒmen zaì zhèlǐ , wǒmen yǒu zuì le . qíngyuàn shàng Yēhéhuá suǒ yīngxǔ de dìfang qù .

41 Móxī shuō , nǐmen wèihé wéibeì Yēhéhuá de mìnglìng ne , zhè shì bùnéng shùnlì le .

42 Búyào shàng qù . yīnwei Yēhéhuá bú zaì nǐmen zhōngjiān , kǒngpà nǐmen beì chóudí shā baì le .

43 Yàmǎlì rén hé Jiānán rén dōu zaì nǐmen miànqián , nǐmen bì dǎo zaì dāo xià . yīn nǐmen tuì huí bú gēn cóng Yēhéhuá , suǒyǐ tā bì bú yǔ nǐmen tóng zaì .

44 Tāmen què shàn gǎn shàng shāndǐng qù , ránér Yēhéhuá de yuē jǔ hé Móxī méiyǒu chū yíng .

45 Yúshì Yàmǎlì rén hé zhù zaì nà shān shàng de Jiānán rén dōu xià lái jī dá tāmen , bǎ tāmen shā tuì le , zhídào Héĕrmǎ .

Mínshùjì 14 Commentary

Chapter 14

The people murmur at the account of the spies. (1-4) Joshua and Caleb labour to still the people. (5-10) The Divine threatenings, The intercession of Moses. (11-19) The murmurers forbidden to enter the promised land. (20-35) Death of the evil spies. (36-39) Defeat of the people, who now would invade the land. (40-45)

Verses 1-4 Those who do not trust God, continually vex themselves. The sorrow of the world worketh death. The Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, and in them reproached the Lord. They look back with causeless discontent. See the madness of unbridled passions, which makes men prodigal of what nature accounts most dear, life itself. They wish rather to die criminals under God's justice, than to live conquerors in his favour. At last they resolve, that, instead of going forward to Canaan, they would go back to Egypt. Those who walk not in God's counsels, seek their own ruin. Could they expect that God's cloud would lead them, or his manna attend them? Suppose the difficulties of conquering Canaan were as they imagined, those of returning to Egypt were much greater. We complain of our place and lot, and we would change; but is there any place or condition in this world, that has not something in it to make us uneasy, if we are disposed to be so? The way to better our condition, is to get our spirits in a better frame. See the folly of turning from the ways of God. But men run on the certain fatal consequences of a sinful course.

Verses 5-10 Moses and Aaron were astonished to see a people throw away their own mercies. Caleb and Joshua assured the people of the goodness of the land. They made nothing of the difficulties in the way of their gaining it. If men were convinced of the desirableness of the gains of religion, they would not stick at the services of it. Though the Canaanites dwell in walled cities, their defence was departed from them. The other spies took notice of their strength, but these of their wickedness. No people can be safe, when they have provoked God to leave them. Though Israel dwell in tents, they are fortified. While we have the presence of God with us, we need not fear the most powerful force against us. Sinners are ruined by their own rebellion. But those who, like Caleb and Joshua, faithfully expose themselves for God, are sure to be taken under his special protection, and shall be hid from the rage of men, either under heaven or in heaven.

Verses 11-19 Moses made humble intercession for Israel. Herein he was a type of Christ, who prayed for those that despitefully used him. The pardon of a nation's sin, is the turning away the nation's punishment; and for that Moses is here so earnest. Moses argued that, consistently with God's character, in his abundant mercies, he could forgive them.

Verses 20-35 The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in the wilderness. They were made to groan under the burden of their own sin, which was too heavy for them to bear. Ye shall know my breach of promise, both the causes of it, that it is procured by your sin, for God never leaves any till they first leave him; and the consequences of it, that will produce your ruin. But your little ones, now under twenty years old, which ye, in your unbelief, said should be a prey, them will I bring in. God will let them know that he can put a difference between the guilty and the innocent, and cut them off without touching their children. Thus God would not utterly take away his loving kindness.

Verses 36-39 Here is the sudden death of the ten evil spies. They sinned in bringing a slander upon the land of promise. Those greatly provoke God, who misrepresent religion, raise dislike in men's minds toward it, or give opportunity to those to do so, who seek occasion. Justly are murmurers made mourners. If they had mourned for the sin, when they were faithfully reproved, the sentence had been prevented; but as they mourned for the judgment only, it did them no service. There is in hell such mourning as this; but tears will not quench the flames, nor cool the tongue.

Verses 40-45 Some of the Israelites were now earnest to go forward toward Canaan. But it came too late. If men would but be as earnest for heaven while their day of grace lasts, as they will be when it is over, how well would it be for them! That which has been duty in its season, when mistimed, may be turned into sin. Those who are out of the way of their duty, are not under God's protection, and go at their peril. God bade them go, and they would not; he forbade them, and they would go. Thus is the carnal mind enmity against God. They had distrusted God's strength; they now presume upon their own without his. And the expedition fails accordingly; now the sentence began to be executed, that their carcases should fall in the wilderness. That affair can never end well, which begins with sin. The way to obtain peace with our friends, and success against our enemies, is, to have God, as our Friend, and to keep in his love. Let us take warning from the fate of Israel, lest we perish after the same example of unbelief. Let us go forth, depending on God's mercy, power, promise, and truth; he will be with us, and bring our souls to everlasting rest.

Chapter Summary

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.