Numbers 14:1-7

1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried, and the people wept that night.

2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said unto them, "Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would God we had died in this wilderness!

3 And why hath the LORD brought us unto this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt?"

4 And they said one to another, "Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt."

5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who searched the land, rent their clothes;

7 and they spoke unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, "The land which we passed through to search it is an exceeding good land.

Numbers 14:1-7 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.