Numbers 14:14-24

14 and (they shall tell it to) the dwellers of this land, which heard that thou, Lord, art in this people (who have heard that thou, Lord, art with these people), and art seen face to face, and that thy cloud defendeth them, and that thou goest before them in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night,

15 that thou hast slain so great a multitude as (if they be just) one man, and (then they shall) say,

16 He might not bring this people into the land for which he swore to give to them, therefore he killed them in (the) wilderness; (Because he could not bring these people into the land which he had sworn to give them, and so he killed all of them in this wilderness;)

17 therefore (let) the strength of the Lord be magnified, or made great, as thou hast sworn, (saying of thyself),

18 [The] Lord (is) patient, and of much mercy, doing away wickedness and trespasses, and leaving no man unguilty, (or innocent,) which visitest the sins of (the) fathers into (the) sons into the third and fourth generation (and who visitest the sins of the fathers upon the children into the third and fourth generations),

19 (so) I beseech thee, forgive thou the sin of this thy people, after the greatness of thy mercy, as thou were merciful to them going out of Egypt till to this place.

20 And the Lord said, I have forgiven to them, by thy word. (And the Lord said, I now forgive them, because of thy words.)

21 And as soothly (as) I live; and the glory of the Lord shall be filled in all [the] earth; (But as truly as I live, the glory of the Lord shall fill all the earth;)

22 nevertheless all [the] men that saw my majesty, and my signs, (and wonders,) which I did in Egypt and (here) in the wilderness, and [have] tempted me now by ten times, and obeyed not to my voice,

23 shall not see the land for which I swore to their fathers, neither any of them that backbited me, shall see it.

24 I shall lead my servant Caleb, that was full of another spirit and followed me, into this land, which he compassed, and his seed shall wield it. (But I shall lead my servant Caleb, who was full of another spirit and followed me, into this land, which he went about, and his descendants shall possess it.)

Numbers 14:14-24 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.