40 And they rose up early H7925 in the morning, H1242 and gat them up H5927 into the top H7218 of the mountain, H2022 saying, H559 Lo, H2009 we be here, and will go up H5927 unto the place H4725 which the LORD H3068 hath promised: H559 for we have sinned. H2398
Then ye answered H6030 and said H559 unto me, We have sinned H2398 against the LORD, H3068 we will go up H5927 and fight, H3898 according to all that the LORD H3068 our God H430 commanded H6680 us. And when ye had girded H2296 on every man H376 his weapons H3627 of war, H4421 ye were ready H1951 to go up H5927 into the hill. H2022
This is an evil H7451 among all things that are done H6213 under the sun, H8121 that there is one H259 event H4745 unto all: yea, also the heart H3820 of the sons H1121 of men H120 is full H4390 of evil, H7451 and madness H1947 is in their heart H3824 while they live, H2416 and after H310 that they go to the dead. H4191
Not G3756 every one G3956 that saith G3004 unto me, G3427 Lord, G2962 Lord, G2962 shall enter G1525 into G1519 the kingdom G932 of heaven; G3772 but G235 he that doeth G4160 the will G2307 of my G3450 Father G3962 which is in G1722 heaven. G3772 Many G4183 will say G2046 to me G3427 in G1722 that G1565 day, G2250 Lord, G2962 Lord, G2962 have we G4395 not G3756 prophesied G4395 in thy G4674 name? G3686 and G2532 in thy G4674 name G3686 have cast out G1544 devils? G1140 and G2532 in thy G4674 name G3686 done G4160 many G4183 wonderful works? G1411 And G2532 then G5119 will I profess G3670 unto them, G846 G3754 I never G3763 knew G1097 you: G5209 depart G672 from G575 me, G1700 ye that work G2038 iniquity. G458
For G1063 ye have G2192 the poor G4434 always G3842 with G3326 you; G1438 but G1161 me G1691 ye have G2192 not G3756 always. G3842 For in that G1063 she G3778 G846 hath poured G906 this G5124 ointment G3464 on G1909 my G3450 body, G4983 she did G4160 it for G4314 my G3165 burial. G1779
When once G575 G3739 G302 the master of the house G3617 is risen up, G1453 and G2532 hath shut G608 to the door, G2374 and G2532 ye begin G756 to stand G2476 without, G1854 and G2532 to knock G2925 at the door, G2374 saying, G3004 Lord, G2962 Lord, G2962 open G455 unto us; G2254 and G2532 he shall answer G611 and say G2046 unto you, G5213 I know G1492 you G5209 not G3756 whence G4159 ye are: G2075
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 14
Commentary on Numbers 14 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 14
Nu 14:1-45. The People Murmur at the Spies' Report.
1. all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried—Not literally all, for there were some exceptions.
2-4. Would God that we had died in Egypt—Such insolence to their generous leaders, and such base ingratitude to God, show the deep degradation of the Israelites, and the absolute necessity of the decree that debarred that generation from entering the promised land [Nu 14:29-35]. They were punished by their wishes being granted to die in that wilderness [Heb 3:17; Jude 5]. A leader to reconduct them to Egypt is spoken of (Ne 9:17) as actually nominated. The sinfulness and insane folly of their conduct are almost incredible. Their conduct, however, is paralleled by too many among us, who shrink from the smallest difficulties and rather remain slaves to sin than resolutely try to surmount the obstacles that lie in their way to the Canaan above.
5. Moses and Aaron fell on their faces—as humble and earnest suppliants—either to the people, entreating them to desist from so perverse a design; or rather, to God, as the usual and only refuge from the violence of that tumultuous and stiff-necked rabble—a hopeful means of softening and impressing their hearts.
6. Joshua … and Caleb, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes—The two honest spies testified their grief and horror, in the strongest manner, at the mutiny against Moses and the blasphemy against God; while at the same time they endeavored, by a truthful statement, to persuade the people of the ease with which they might obtain possession of so desirable a country, provided they did not, by their rebellion and ingratitude, provoke God to abandon them.
8. a land flowing with milk and honey—a general expression, descriptive of a rich and fertile country. The two articles specified were among the principal products of the Holy Land.
9. their defence is departed—Hebrew, "their shadow." The Sultan of Turkey and the Shah of Persia are called "the shadow of God," "the refuge of the world." So that the meaning of the clause, "their defence is departed from them," is, that the favor of God was now lost to those whose iniquities were full (Ge 15:16), and transferred to the Israelites.
10. the glory of the Lord appeared—It was seasonably manifested on this great emergency to rescue His ambassadors from their perilous situation.
12. the Lord said, … I will smite them with the pestilence—not a final decree, but a threatening, suspended, as appeared from the issue, on the intercession of Moses and the repentance of Israel.
17. let the power of my Lord be great—be magnified.
21. all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord—This promise, in its full acceptation, remains to be verified by the eventual and universal prevalence of Christianity in the world. But the terms were used restrictively in respect to the occasion, to the report which would spread over all the land of the "terrible things in righteousness" [Ps 65:5] which God would do in the infliction of the doom described, to which that rebellious race was now consigned.
22. ten times—very frequently.
24. my servant Caleb—Joshua was also excepted, but he is not named because he was no longer in the ranks of the people, being a constant attendant on Moses.
because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully—Under the influence of God's Spirit, Caleb was a man of bold, generous, heroic courage, above worldly anxieties and fears.
25. (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley)—that is, on the other side of the Idumean mountain, at whose base they were then encamped. Those nomad tribes had at that time occupied it with a determination to oppose the further progress of the Hebrew people. Hence God gave the command that they seek a safe and timely retreat into the desert, to escape the pursuit of those resolute enemies, to whom, with their wives and children, they would fall a helpless prey because they had forfeited the presence and protection of God. This verse forms an important part of the narrative and should be freed from the parenthetical form which our English translators have given it.
30. save Caleb … and Joshua—These are specially mentioned, as honorable exceptions to the rest of the scouts, and also as the future leaders of the people. But it appears that some of the old generation did not join in the mutinous murmuring, including in that number the whole order of the priests (Jos 14:1).
34. ye shall know my breach of promise—that is, in consequence of your violation of the covenant betwixt you and Me, by breaking the terms of it, it shall be null and void on My part, as I shall withhold the blessings I promised in that covenant to confer on you on condition of your obedience.
36-38. those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord—Ten of the spies struck dead on the spot—either by the pestilence or some other judgment. This great and appalling mortality clearly betokened the hand of the Lord.
40-45. they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain—Notwithstanding the tidings that Moses communicated and which diffused a general feeling of melancholy and grief throughout the camp, the impression was of very brief continuance. They rushed from one extreme of rashness and perversity to another, and the obstinacy of their rebellious spirit was evinced by their active preparations to ascend the hill, notwithstanding the divine warning they had received not to undertake that enterprise.
for we have sinned—that is, realizing our sin, we now repent of it, and are eager to do as Caleb and Joshua exhorted us—or, as some render it, though we have sinned, we trust God will yet give us the land of promise. The entreaties of their prudent and pious leader, who represented to them that their enemies, scaling the other side of the valley, would post themselves on the top of the hill before them, were disregarded. How strangely perverse the conduct of the Israelites, who, shortly before, were afraid that, though their Almighty King was with them, they could not get possession of the land; and yet now they act still more foolishly in supposing that, though God were not with them, they could expel the inhabitants by their unaided efforts. The consequences were such as might have been anticipated. The Amalekites and Canaanites, who had been lying in ambuscade expecting their movement, rushed down upon them from the heights and became the instruments of punishing their guilty rebellion.
45. even unto Hormah—The name was afterwards given to that place in memory of the immense slaughter of the Israelites on this occasion.