Numbers 14:13-23

Moses Intercedes for the People

13 But ¹Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them,

14 and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. ²They have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people. For you, O Lord, are seen face to face, and ³your cloud stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.

15 Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say,

16 ‘It is because the Lord ⁴was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness. ’

17 And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying,

18 ⁵‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, ⁶visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation. ’

19 Please ⁷pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just ⁸as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now. ”

God Promises Judgment

20 Then the Lord said, “I have pardoned, ⁹according to your word.

21 But truly, as I live, and as all ¹⁰the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord,

22 ¹¹none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ¹²ten times and have not obeyed my voice,

23 ¹³shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it.

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.

Cross References

• 1. 14:13 Ex. 32:12; [Deut. 9:28; 32:27; Ps. 106:23; Ezek. 20:9, 14]
• 2. 14:14 Ex. 15:14; Josh. 2:9, 10; 5:1
• 3. 14:14 See Ex. 13:21
• 4. 14:16 Deut. 9:28; [Josh. 7:9]
• 5. 14:18 See Ex. 34:6, 7
• 6. 14:18 See Ex. 20:5
• 7. 14:19 Ex. 34:9
• 8. 14:19 Ps. 78:38; 106:45
• 9. 14:20 Ps. 106:23; [James 5:16]; See 1 John 5:14-16
• 10. 14:21 Ps. 72:19; Hab. 2:14
• 11. 14:22 Deut. 1:35; Ps. 95:11; 106:26; Heb. 3:17, 18
• 12. 14:22 [Gen. 31:7; Job 19:3]
• 13. 14:23 ch. 32:11; Ezek. 20:15; [ch. 26:64]