Bible Commentaries
Numbers 14

Verse 1

14:1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the {a} people wept that night.

(a) Those who were afraid at the report of the ten spies.

Verse 3

14:3 And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be {b} a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?

(b) To our enemies the Canaanites.

Verse 5

14:5 Then Moses and Aaron {c} fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

(c) Lamenting the people, and praying for them.

Verse 6

14:6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, [which were] of them that searched the land, {d} rent their clothes:

(d) For sorrow, hearing their blasphemy.

Verse 9

14:9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they [are] {e} bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD [is] with us: fear them not.

(e) We shall easily overcome them.

Verse 10

14:10 But all the congregation bade {f} stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

(f) This is the condition of those who would persuade in God’s cause, to be persecuted by the multitude.

Verse 15

14:15 Now [if] thou shalt kill [all] this people as {g} one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,

(g) So that none shall escape.

Verse 20

14:20 And the LORD said, I have pardoned {h} according to thy word:

(h) In that he did not utterly destroy them, but allowed their children and certain others to enter.

Verse 22

14:22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these {i} ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;

(i) That is, various times and often.

Verse 24

14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another {k} spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

(k) A meek and obedient spirit, and not rebellious.

Verse 25

14:25

(Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites {l} dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the {m} wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

(l) And lie in wait for you.

(m) For I will not defend you.

Verse 33

14:33 And your children shall {n} wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your {o} whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.

(n) The word signifies to be shepherds, or to wander like shepherds to and fro.

(o) Your infidelity and disobedience against God.

Verse 34

14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, [even] forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, [even] forty years, and ye {p} shall know my breach of promise.

(p) Whether my promise is true or not.

Verse 40

14:40 And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we [be here], and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have {q} sinned.

(q) They confessed their sin in rebelling against God, but did not consider their offence in going up without God’s commandment.

Verse 44

14:44 But they {r} presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.

(r) They could not be stayed by any means.