Bamidbar 32:15

15 For if ye turn away from after Him, He will yet again leave them in the midbar; and ye shall destroy kol HaAm Hazeh.

Bamidbar 32:15 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 32:15

For if ye turn away from after him
From following him in the way of his commandments, from attending his word, worship, and ordinances, and from walking after him, who went before them in a pillar of cloud and fire, as it is suggested they would, should they stop short here and not go over Jordan into the land of Canaan:

he will yet again leave them in the wilderness;
as he did at the time of the affair of the spies, when they were ordered to turn and get into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, and where they had been ever since unto this time, ( Numbers 14:25 ) ,

and ye shall destroy all this people;
be the cause of their destruction, if the Lord should in such a manner resent this step of theirs, as to order them back into the wilderness again, though they were now as they were before, on the border of the land of Canaan.

Bamidbar 32:15 In-Context

13 And the Af Hashem was kindled against Yisroel, and He made them wander in the midbar arba’im shanah, until kol hador that had done harah in the sight of Hashem, were consumed.

14 And, hinei, ye are risen up in the place of Avoteichem a brood of anashim chatta’im to add even more to charon af Hashem against Yisroel.

15 For if ye turn away from after Him, He will yet again leave them in the midbar; and ye shall destroy kol HaAm Hazeh.

16 And they came near unto him, and said, We will build gidrot tzon here for our mikneh, and towns for our little ones;

17 But we ourselves will go ready armed ahead of the Bnei Yisroel, until we have brought them unto their makom; and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of HaAretz.