King James Version
Numbers 14
45 verses with commentary
The People Rebel
And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The entire congregation's response to the evil report was corporate weeping and crying through the night. This emotional outburst revealed hearts gripped by fear rather than faith. Their mourning wasn't godly repentance but self-pitying despair, lamenting God's leadership rather than trusting His promises. Unbelief manifests not in mere doubt but in vocal opposition to God's revealed will.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8-14. Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you--**A solution of the difficulty was soon obtained, it being enacted, by divine authority, that to those who might be disqualified by the occurrence of a death in their family circle or unable by distance to keep the passover on the anniversary day, a special license was granted of observing it by t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
The people murmur at the account of the spies.(1-4)
Joshua and Caleb labour to still the people.(5-10)
The Divine threatenings, The intercession of Moses.(11-19)
The murmurers forbidden to enter the promised land.(20-35)
Death of the evil spies.(36-39)
Defeat of the people, who now would invade the land.(40-45)
**Verses 1-4**
Those who d...
Read full commentary →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!
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KJV Study Commentary
Israel's response to the spies' report reveals the shocking depth of human unbelief and ingratitude. The entire congregation complains against Moses and Aaron, wishing they had died in Egypt or in the wilderness rather than face the Canaanites. This reveals irrational thinking produced by unbelief—they prefer death to trusting God for conquest. The phrase 'Would God that we had died' expresses not...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
XIV.
(2) **And all the children of Israel murmured.—**When the people murmured in like manner in the wilderness of Sin (Exodus 16:2-3) against Moses and Aaron because they had brought them forth into the wilderness, Moses assured them that at even they should know that it was Jehovah Himself who had brought them out from the land of Egypt (*Ibid, *Numbers 14:6). On the present occasion their murmu...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8-14. Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you--**A solution of the difficulty was soon obtained, it being enacted, by divine authority, that to those who might be disqualified by the occurrence of a death in their family circle or unable by distance to keep the passover on the anniversary day, a special license was granted of observing it by t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
The people murmur at the account of the spies.(1-4)
Joshua and Caleb labour to still the people.(5-10)
The Divine threatenings, The intercession of Moses.(11-19)
The murmurers forbidden to enter the promised land.(20-35)
Death of the evil spies.(36-39)
Defeat of the people, who now would invade the land.(40-45)
**Verses 1-4**
Those who d...
Read full commentary →And wherefore 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?
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KJV Study Commentary
Israel accuses God of bringing them to Canaan merely to die by the sword and have their families enslaved: 'Our wives and our children should be a prey.' They attribute malicious intent to God, suggesting He's leading them into disaster. This perverts God's character—He who delivered them from slavery supposedly plans to enslave their children. Unbelief always misrepresents God's nature and intent...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land . . .?**—Better, *And wherefore doth the Lord bring us into this land?*—*i.e., *the land of Canaan, as clearly appears from the words which follow (comp. Numbers 15:18, where the same Hiphil participle is used). The destruction which the Israelites apprehended at this time was not a destruction by famine or drought, but by the sword of th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8-14. Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you--**A solution of the difficulty was soon obtained, it being enacted, by divine authority, that to those who might be disqualified by the occurrence of a death in their family circle or unable by distance to keep the passover on the anniversary day, a special license was granted of observing it by t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
The people murmur at the account of the spies.(1-4)
Joshua and Caleb labour to still the people.(5-10)
The Divine threatenings, The intercession of Moses.(11-19)
The murmurers forbidden to enter the promised land.(20-35)
Death of the evil spies.(36-39)
Defeat of the people, who now would invade the land.(40-45)
**Verses 1-4**
Those who d...
Read full commentary →And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.
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KJV Study Commentary
The ultimate rebellion: 'Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.' This proposal rejected Moses' God-appointed leadership and repudiated God's deliverance altogether. Returning to Egypt meant returning to slavery, showing how sin deceives into believing bondage is preferable to trusting God. This echoes Israel's later desire for a king like the nations (1 Samuel 8)—rejecting God's lead...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Nu 9:15-23. A Cloud Guides the Israelites.
**15. the cloud covered the tabernacle--**The inspired historian here enters on an entirely new subject, which might properly have formed a separate chapter, beginning at this verse and ending at Nu 10:29 [Calmet]. The cloud was a visible token of God's special presence and guardian care of the Israelites (Ex 14:20; Psa 105:39). It was easily distinguish...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
The people murmur at the account of the spies.(1-4)
Joshua and Caleb labour to still the people.(5-10)
The Divine threatenings, The intercession of Moses.(11-19)
The murmurers forbidden to enter the promised land.(20-35)
Death of the evil spies.(36-39)
Defeat of the people, who now would invade the land.(40-45)
**Verses 1-4**
Those who d...
Read full commentary →Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
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KJV Study Commentary
Moses and Aaron 'fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation.' This posture of intercession and humility demonstrated true spiritual leadership - not defending their authority but pleading with God and people. The Hebrew 'naphal al panim' (fell on faces) indicates prostrate worship and desperate prayer. Their response to rebellion was prayer, not retaliation. This foreshadows C...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-10**
Moses and Aaron were astonished to see a people throw away their own mercies. Caleb and Joshua assured the people of the goodness of the land. They made nothing of the difficulties in the way of their gaining it. If men were convinced of the desirableness of the gains of religion, they would not stick at the services of it. Though the Canaanites dwell in walled cities, their de...
Read full commentary →And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
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KJV Study Commentary
Joshua and Caleb's tearing of garments expressed grief over the people's unbelief and the impending judgment it would bring. This traditional sign of mourning demonstrated that they understood what was at stake—not merely a military campaign but the nation's covenant relationship with God. Their anguish revealed hearts aligned with God's purposes rather than popular opinion.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **Rent their clothes.**—Comp. Leviticus 10:6 and Note.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17. when the cloud was taken up--**that is, rose to a higher elevation, so as to be conspicuous at the remotest extremities of the camp. That was a signal for removal; and, accordingly, it is properly called (Nu 9:18) "the commandment of the Lord." It was a visible token of the presence of God; and from it, as a glorious throne, He gave the order. So that its motion regulated the commencement an...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-10**
Moses and Aaron were astonished to see a people throw away their own mercies. Caleb and Joshua assured the people of the goodness of the land. They made nothing of the difficulties in the way of their gaining it. If men were convinced of the desirableness of the gains of religion, they would not stick at the services of it. Though the Canaanites dwell in walled cities, their de...
Read full commentary →And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
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KJV Study Commentary
Joshua and Caleb testified that the land was 'exceeding good'—directly contradicting the evil report of the other ten spies. Their positive assessment wasn't naive optimism but faith-filled realism: they acknowledged the same facts but interpreted them through confidence in God's promise. Faith transforms how we perceive circumstances.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-10**
Moses and Aaron were astonished to see a people throw away their own mercies. Caleb and Joshua assured the people of the goodness of the land. They made nothing of the difficulties in the way of their gaining it. If men were convinced of the desirableness of the gains of religion, they would not stick at the services of it. Though the Canaanites dwell in walled cities, their de...
Read full commentary →If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
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KJV Study Commentary
The condition 'If the LORD delight in us' does not express doubt but emphasizes God's sovereign pleasure as the basis for blessing. Joshua and Caleb understood that possession of Canaan depended not on Israel's strength but on God's covenantal love and commitment. This God-centered perspective enabled them to face giants with confidence.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**19. when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle, ... then Israel kept the charge of the Lord, and journeyed not--**A desert life has its attractions, and constant movements create a passionate love of change. Many incidents show that the Israelites had strongly imbibed this nomad habit and were desirous of hastening to Canaan. But still the phases of the cloud indicated the command of God: a...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-10**
Moses and Aaron were astonished to see a people throw away their own mercies. Caleb and Joshua assured the people of the goodness of the land. They made nothing of the difficulties in the way of their gaining it. If men were convinced of the desirableness of the gains of religion, they would not stick at the services of it. Though the Canaanites dwell in walled cities, their de...
Read full commentary →Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. defence: Heb. shadow
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KJV Study Commentary
Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.' Joshua and Caleb urge Israel not to rebel against God's command to enter Canaan. The phrase 'rebel not ye against the LORD' identifies refusing God's command as rebellion. Their military assessment 'they are bread for u...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **Their defence is departed from them.**—Literally, *their shadow. *This is a natural and frequently recurring figure of speech in the East, where protection from the scorching rays of the sun is a boon of incalculable worth. (Comp. Genesis 19:8; Psalm 17:8; Psalm 91:1; Isaiah 25:4; Isaiah 30:2.) The measure of the iniquity of the Canaanites was now full, and they were ripe for
destruction. (C...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-10**
Moses and Aaron were astonished to see a people throw away their own mercies. Caleb and Joshua assured the people of the goodness of the land. They made nothing of the difficulties in the way of their gaining it. If men were convinced of the desirableness of the gains of religion, they would not stick at the services of it. Though the Canaanites dwell in walled cities, their de...
Read full commentary →But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
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KJV Study Commentary
As Israel prepared to stone Caleb and Joshua, 'the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle... before all the children of Israel.' God's sudden manifestation stopped the stoning, demonstrating His protective intervention for faithful servants. The Hebrew 'kabod' (glory) suggests visible, weighty presence - possibly the cloud's intensified brightness. God's appearance shows He won't abandon tho...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **But all the congregation bade stone them with stones.—**All the congregation here, as elsewhere, seems to denote the princes or chief men of the congregation; otherwise it is difficult to understand to whom the order was addressed to stone Joshua and Caleb. Stoning appears to have been a mode of death commonly adopted in Egypt (Exodus 8:26). Under the Jewish law stoning was the ordinary, an...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-10**
Moses and Aaron were astonished to see a people throw away their own mercies. Caleb and Joshua assured the people of the goodness of the land. They made nothing of the difficulties in the way of their gaining it. If men were convinced of the desirableness of the gains of religion, they would not stick at the services of it. Though the Canaanites dwell in walled cities, their de...
Read full commentary →And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?
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KJV Study Commentary
God asks Moses rhetorically, 'How long will this people provoke me?' and 'how long will it be ere they believe me?' These questions reveal divine patience wearing thin after repeated rebellions. The word 'provoke' (Hebrew 'na'ats') means to despise or spurn, indicating willful rejection. Despite 'all the signs which I have done among them'—ten plagues, Red Sea, Sinai theophany, daily manna—they re...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-19**
Moses made humble intercession for Israel. Herein he was a type of Christ, who prayed for those that despitefully used him. The pardon of a nation's sin, is the turning away the nation's punishment; and for that Moses is here so earnest. Moses argued that, consistently with God's character, in his abundant mercies, he could forgive them.
I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.
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KJV Study Commentary
God threatens: 'I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.' This recalls God's earlier threat after the golden calf (Ex 32:10). The Hebrew 'nakah' (smite/strike) and 'yarash' (disinherit/dispossess) indicate total destruction. God's offer to make Moses into a greater nation tested Moses' heart - would he accept persona...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **And will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.**—A similar promise had been given to Moses on occasion of the rebellion at Sinai, and Moses on that occasion interceded with God on behalf of His people in like manner as at this time (Exodus 32:10-12).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-19**
Moses made humble intercession for Israel. Herein he was a type of Christ, who prayed for those that despitefully used him. The pardon of a nation's sin, is the turning away the nation's punishment; and for that Moses is here so earnest. Moses argued that, consistently with God's character, in his abundant mercies, he could forgive them.
Moses Intercedes
And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)
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KJV Study Commentary
Moses intercedes: 'Then the Egyptians shall hear it... And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land.' Moses appeals to God's reputation among nations - if God destroys Israel, pagans will conclude He lacked power to complete what He started. This argument proves effective (v.20). Moses understood that God's glory among nations matters supremely. His concern wasn't Israel's comfort but God...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13, 14) **And Moses said unto the Lord . . . —**There is considerable difficulty as to the correct rendering of these verses. They may be rendered in accordance with the Authorised Version, or they may be rendered as follows:—*And Moses said unto the *LORD, *The Egyptians have *both* heard that thou hast brought up this people from among them by thy might, and they have also told *(*it*)* to the ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-19**
Moses made humble intercession for Israel. Herein he was a type of Christ, who prayed for those that despitefully used him. The pardon of a nation's sin, is the turning away the nation's punishment; and for that Moses is here so earnest. Moses argued that, consistently with God's character, in his abundant mercies, he could forgive them.
And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Moses appeals to God's reputation among the nations as a reason for mercy. He understood that God's treatment of Israel testified to watching peoples about His character—His power, His faithfulness, and His justice. Intercessory prayer often appeals to God's glory as the highest motive for answering petitions.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-19**
Moses made humble intercession for Israel. Herein he was a type of Christ, who prayed for those that despitefully used him. The pardon of a nation's sin, is the turning away the nation's punishment; and for that Moses is here so earnest. Moses argued that, consistently with God's character, in his abundant mercies, he could forgive them.
Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Moses confronts the theological implications of destroying Israel: the nations would conclude that God 'was not able' to bring them into Canaan. This argument appeals to God's honor and the integrity of His promises. God's power must be vindicated, and His covenant faithfulness demonstrated, even when His people fail.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 10 Nu 10:1-36. The Use of the Silver Trumpets.
**2. Make thee two trumpets of silver--**These trumpets were of a long form, in opposition to that of the Egyptian trumpets, with which the people were convened to the worship of Osiris and which were curved like rams' horns. Those which Moses made, as described by Josephus and represented on the arch of Titus, were straight, a cubit or more ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-19**
Moses made humble intercession for Israel. Herein he was a type of Christ, who prayed for those that despitefully used him. The pardon of a nation's sin, is the turning away the nation's punishment; and for that Moses is here so earnest. Moses argued that, consistently with God's character, in his abundant mercies, he could forgive them.
Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.
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KJV Study Commentary
Moses' intercession imagines the nations' false conclusion that God 'slew them in the wilderness' out of inability to fulfill His promise. This hypothetical speech highlights how God's judgments can be misinterpreted when observers lack understanding of covenant relationship and the necessity of divine holiness.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3-7. when they shall blow with them--**There seem to have been signals made by a difference in the loudness and variety in the notes, suited for different occasions, and which the Israelites learned to distinguish. A simple uniform sound by both trumpets summoned a general assembly of the people; the blast of a single trumpet convoked the princes to consult on public affairs; notes of some other...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-19**
Moses made humble intercession for Israel. Herein he was a type of Christ, who prayed for those that despitefully used him. The pardon of a nation's sin, is the turning away the nation's punishment; and for that Moses is here so earnest. Moses argued that, consistently with God's character, in his abundant mercies, he could forgive them.
And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,
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KJV Study Commentary
Moses prays: 'And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken.' Moses appeals to God's promised character, asking Him to demonstrate His power through mercy, not destruction. The Hebrew 'koach' (power/strength) here means strength to forgive and forbear, not merely strength to judge. Moses understood that grace requires greater power than wrath - it's hard...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17, 18) **And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great.—**The word *Lord *in Numbers 14:17 should not be printed in large capitals in this place, as in the Authorised Version of 1611, inasmuch as it is the rendering of *Adonai, *not of *Jehovah, *as in Numbers 14:18. Moses here employs a second argument, founded on the revelation of God’s name (*i.e., *His nature), as made to him on...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3-7. when they shall blow with them--**There seem to have been signals made by a difference in the loudness and variety in the notes, suited for different occasions, and which the Israelites learned to distinguish. A simple uniform sound by both trumpets summoned a general assembly of the people; the blast of a single trumpet convoked the princes to consult on public affairs; notes of some other...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-19**
Moses made humble intercession for Israel. Herein he was a type of Christ, who prayed for those that despitefully used him. The pardon of a nation's sin, is the turning away the nation's punishment; and for that Moses is here so earnest. Moses argued that, consistently with God's character, in his abundant mercies, he could forgive them.
The LORD is longsuffering , and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression.</strong> Moses intercedes by quoting God's self-revelation from Exodus 34:6-7, following Israel's golden calf apostasy. This declaration emphasizes God's patience (<em>erek apayim</em>, literally "long of nostrils"—slow to anger), demonstrating that God's fundamental character includes restraint of wrath a...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3-7. when they shall blow with them--**There seem to have been signals made by a difference in the loudness and variety in the notes, suited for different occasions, and which the Israelites learned to distinguish. A simple uniform sound by both trumpets summoned a general assembly of the people; the blast of a single trumpet convoked the princes to consult on public affairs; notes of some other...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-19**
Moses made humble intercession for Israel. Herein he was a type of Christ, who prayed for those that despitefully used him. The pardon of a nation's sin, is the turning away the nation's punishment; and for that Moses is here so earnest. Moses argued that, consistently with God's character, in his abundant mercies, he could forgive them.
Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. until: or, hitherto
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Moses grounds his plea for mercy in God's revealed character: 'longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression.' This appeal to divine attributes demonstrates that God's nature itself provides grounds for hope even after severe sin. God's mercy is not arbitrary but flows from His essential character.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3-7. when they shall blow with them--**There seem to have been signals made by a difference in the loudness and variety in the notes, suited for different occasions, and which the Israelites learned to distinguish. A simple uniform sound by both trumpets summoned a general assembly of the people; the blast of a single trumpet convoked the princes to consult on public affairs; notes of some other...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-19**
Moses made humble intercession for Israel. Herein he was a type of Christ, who prayed for those that despitefully used him. The pardon of a nation's sin, is the turning away the nation's punishment; and for that Moses is here so earnest. Moses argued that, consistently with God's character, in his abundant mercies, he could forgive them.
And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
God responds to Moses' intercession: 'I have pardoned according to thy word.' This demonstrates the efficacy of mediatorial prayer—God relents from total destruction in response to Moses' plea. Yet pardon doesn't eliminate consequences, as subsequent verses show. God's forgiveness preserves the nation but doesn't excuse individual rebels who must face judgment.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **I have pardoned according to thy word.—**The holiness and justice of the Lord required that punishment should overtake the transgressors, as it had been foretold in Exodus 32:34. Nevertheless the prayer of Moses was heard and answered, and the people were not wholly exterminated.
(21, 22, 23) **But as truly as I live . . . —**The three verses may be rendered as follows:—*Nevertheless, as tr...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3-7. when they shall blow with them--**There seem to have been signals made by a difference in the loudness and variety in the notes, suited for different occasions, and which the Israelites learned to distinguish. A simple uniform sound by both trumpets summoned a general assembly of the people; the blast of a single trumpet convoked the princes to consult on public affairs; notes of some other...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-35**
The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in t...
Read full commentary →But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.
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KJV Study Commentary
God's solemn oath—'But as truly as I live'—introduces one of Scripture's most glorious promises. The Hebrew 'chai-ani' (חַי־אָנִי, 'as I live') is God's strongest possible self-attestation, swearing by His own eternal being since there is none greater (Hebrews 6:13). This divine oath guarantees absolute certainty. The promise—'all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD'—uses 'male' (...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8. the sons of Aaron the priests shall blow with the trumpets, &c.--**Neither the Levites nor any in the common ranks of the people could be employed in this office of signal giving. In order to attract greater attention and more faithful observance, it was reserved to the priests alone, as the Lord's ministers; and as anciently in Persia and other Eastern countries the alarm trumpets were s...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-35**
The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in t...
Read full commentary →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 ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
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KJV Study Commentary
God declares that those who 'have seen my glory, and my miracles' in Egypt and wilderness yet 'have tempted me now these ten times' will not see the Promised Land. The number 'ten times' may be literal or idiomatic for completeness, indicating exhaustive testing of God's patience. Seeing miracles without believing brings greater judgment than never seeing them (Matthew 11:21-24).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9. If ye go to war--**In the land of Canaan, either when attacked by foreign invaders or when they went to take possession according to the divine promise, "ye [that is, the priests] shall blow an alarm." This advice was accordingly acted upon (Nu 31:6; 2Ch 13:12); and in the circumstances it was an act of devout confidence in God. A solemn and religious act on the eve of a battle has often anim...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-35**
The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in t...
Read full commentary →Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: Surely: Heb. If they see the land
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KJV Study Commentary
God swears that the faithless generation 'shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers.' The irony is profound: they refused to enter when commanded, now they cannot enter when willing (v. 40-45). This illustrates the tragedy of missed opportunity when God's patience expires. Yet He remains faithful to covenant promises—their children would enter (v. 31).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10. Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days--**Festive and thanksgiving occasions were to be ushered in with the trumpets, as all feasts afterwards were (Psa 81:3; 2Ch 29:27) to intimate the joyous and delighted feelings with which they engaged in the service of God.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-35**
The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in t...
Read full commentary →But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
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KJV Study Commentary
God commends Caleb for having 'another spirit' and 'followed me fully,' explaining why he alone (with Joshua) of his generation would enter the Promised Land. The phrase 'another spirit' (Hebrew 'ruach acheret', רוּחַ אַחֶרֶת) indicates a fundamentally different disposition than the rebellious majority—Caleb possessed a spirit of faith, courage, and obedience rather than unbelief, cowardice, and r...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **And his seed shall possess it.—**It appears from Joshua 14:6-14 that Moses had specially promised Hebron to Caleb, and that the mountainous country which the Anakim inhabited, and which only he and Joshua of the twelve spies believed that the Israelites were able to take possession of, was afterwards allotted to him by Joshua “for an inheritance.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11. It came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, &c.--**The Israelites had lain encamped in Wady-Er-Rahah and the neighboring valleys of the Sinaitic range for the space of eleven months and twenty-nine days. (Compare Ex 19:1). Besides the religious purposes of the highest importance to which their long sojourn at Sinai was subservient, the Israelites, after ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-35**
The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in t...
Read full commentary →(Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.
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KJV Study Commentary
God commands Israel to turn back toward the Red Sea, retracing steps already taken. This humiliating retreat was a direct consequence of unbelief—they forfeited forward progress and must return to where they began. Disobedience doesn't merely delay God's blessings; it often requires retracing steps and starting over.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.**—There is considerable difficulty in regard to the meaning and connection of these words. They may be attached to the words which precede: “And his seed shall possess it, and the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelling in the valley”—*i.e., *shall possess the land occupied by them. There are strong objections, however, to this rende...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**12. wilderness of Paran--**It stretched from the base of the Sinaitic group, or from Et-Tyh, over that extensive plateau to the southwestern borders of Palestine.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-35**
The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in t...
Read full commentary →God's Judgment on Israel
And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
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KJV Study Commentary
God commands Moses and Aaron to separate from the congregation 'that I may consume them in a moment.' This echoes God's threat after the golden calf (Exodus 32:10), testing Moses' heart and providing opportunity for intercession. God's justice demands judgment, yet His mercy delights in finding reasons to spare.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-27. the children of Israel took their journey ... by the hand of Moses--**It is probable that Moses, on the breaking up of the encampment, stationed himself on some eminence to see the ranks defile in order through the embouchure of the mountains. The marching order is described (Nu 2:1-34); but, as the vast horde is represented here in actual migration, let us notice the extraordinary care t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-35**
The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in t...
Read full commentary →How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.
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KJV Study Commentary
Moses and Aaron 'fell upon their faces' before the congregation, assuming the posture of intercessory prayer. They addressed God as 'the God of the spirits of all flesh,' acknowledging His sovereignty over life and death for all humanity. Their question 'shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?' appeals to God's justice, asking Him to distinguish individual guilt from c...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **How long shall I bear with this evil congregation . . .?—**Or, *How long shall I pardon *(or *forgive*)*, *&c. The verb is not expressed in the Hebrew. It is probable that one of the verbs in Numbers 14:19, *pardon *or *forgive, *should be supplied.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-27. the children of Israel took their journey ... by the hand of Moses--**It is probable that Moses, on the breaking up of the encampment, stationed himself on some eminence to see the ranks defile in order through the embouchure of the mountains. The marching order is described (Nu 2:1-34); but, as the vast horde is represented here in actual migration, let us notice the extraordinary care t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-35**
The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in t...
Read full commentary →Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:
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KJV Study Commentary
God accepts Moses' intercession and commands the people to separate from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. The call to 'Get you up from about the tabernacle' and 'depart from the tents of these wicked men' gave the congregation opportunity to distance themselves from rebellion. God's judgment would target the ringleaders while sparing those who repented and separated.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **As ye have spoken in mine ears, so will **I **do unto you.**—The Israelites had exclaimed in their sinful murmuring against God, “Would God we had died in the wilderness” (Numbers 14:2); and God declares in His wrathful displeasure that the judgment which they had thus invoked should be inflicted upon them, and that their carcases should fall in the wilderness.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-27. the children of Israel took their journey ... by the hand of Moses--**It is probable that Moses, on the breaking up of the encampment, stationed himself on some eminence to see the ranks defile in order through the embouchure of the mountains. The marching order is described (Nu 2:1-34); but, as the vast horde is represented here in actual migration, let us notice the extraordinary care t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-35**
The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in t...
Read full commentary →Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,
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KJV Study Commentary
God promises an unprecedented sign: 'if the LORD make a new thing' (Hebrew 'beriah', create something new) and the earth swallows the rebels, then Israel will know 'these men have provoked the LORD.' This creative miracle would unmistakably demonstrate divine judgment, removing any doubt about who was truly God's representative. The phrase 'go down quick into the pit' (alive into Sheol) indicates ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(29) **From twenty years old and upward.—**Rashi thinks that these words were employed to show that the Levites who were numbered from a month old and upwards were not included in the general sentence of destruction, and hence that it is no just cause of astonishment that some of them, as, *e.g., *Eleazar, should have entered the land of Canaan.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-27. the children of Israel took their journey ... by the hand of Moses--**It is probable that Moses, on the breaking up of the encampment, stationed himself on some eminence to see the ranks defile in order through the embouchure of the mountains. The marching order is described (Nu 2:1-34); but, as the vast horde is represented here in actual migration, let us notice the extraordinary care t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-35**
The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in t...
Read full commentary →Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. sware: Heb. lifted up my hand
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KJV Study Commentary
Immediately upon Moses finishing speaking, 'the ground clave asunder that was under them'—dramatic fulfillment of the prophesied 'new thing.' The timing's precision demonstrated God's sovereign control and Moses' prophetic authority. The verb 'clave' (Hebrew 'baqa') means to split or cleave, indicating violent rupture of the earth's surface.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(30) **Concerning which I sware.—**Literally, *1 lifted up *my* hand. *Lifting up the hand is the attitude of swearing. (See Genesis 14:22 and Note; Deuteronomy 32:40.) The reference appears to be to the original covenant made with Abraham, and renewed to Isaac and Jacob, respecting the possession of the land of Canaan. (Comp. Genesis 15:7; Genesis 15:18; Genesis 17:8; Genesis 22:16-18; Genesis 26...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-27. the children of Israel took their journey ... by the hand of Moses--**It is probable that Moses, on the breaking up of the encampment, stationed himself on some eminence to see the ranks defile in order through the embouchure of the mountains. The marching order is described (Nu 2:1-34); but, as the vast horde is represented here in actual migration, let us notice the extraordinary care t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-35**
The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in t...
Read full commentary →But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.
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KJV Study Commentary
The earth opened 'and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.' This comprehensive judgment included families and possessions, demonstrating the corporate consequences of leadership rebellion. The totality of destruction left no memorial of the rebels except warning to future generations.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-27. the children of Israel took their journey ... by the hand of Moses--**It is probable that Moses, on the breaking up of the encampment, stationed himself on some eminence to see the ranks defile in order through the embouchure of the mountains. The marching order is described (Nu 2:1-34); but, as the vast horde is represented here in actual migration, let us notice the extraordinary care t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-35**
The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in t...
Read full commentary →But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.
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KJV Study Commentary
The rebels 'went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them.' The emphasis on 'alive' (Hebrew 'chai') indicates conscious descent into Sheol, amplifying the terror of divine judgment. That 'they perished from among the congregation' means complete removal—no trace remained except memory. This judgment served as definitive answer to 'who is holy' (16:5).
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(32) **But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall.**—Better, *but your carcases, even yours, shall fall.*
**In this wilderness.—**The very words which the Israelites themselves had used. (See Numbers 14:2.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-27. the children of Israel took their journey ... by the hand of Moses--**It is probable that Moses, on the breaking up of the encampment, stationed himself on some eminence to see the ranks defile in order through the embouchure of the mountains. The marching order is described (Nu 2:1-34); but, as the vast horde is represented here in actual migration, let us notice the extraordinary care t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-35**
The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in t...
Read full commentary →And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness. wander: or, feed
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KJV Study Commentary
Israel's response was flight and fear: 'all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them.' They feared lest 'the earth swallow us up also,' showing immediate recognition of God's power and their own vulnerability to judgment. This terror produced temporary reverence but not lasting faith, as subsequent rebellion (v. 41) proved.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(33) **And your children shall wander.—**Better, *shall be shepherds, *or, *shall feed their flocks.*
**Forty years.**—The forty years were reckoned from the exodus, not from the return of the spies to Kadesh. (See Numbers 14:34 and Note.)
**And bear your whoredoms.—**The children were doomed to bear the penalty of their fathers’ apostasy. (Comp. Exodus 34:16.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-27. the children of Israel took their journey ... by the hand of Moses--**It is probable that Moses, on the breaking up of the encampment, stationed himself on some eminence to see the ranks defile in order through the embouchure of the mountains. The marching order is described (Nu 2:1-34); but, as the vast horde is represented here in actual migration, let us notice the extraordinary care t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-35**
The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in t...
Read full commentary →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 shall know my breach of promise. breach: or, altering of my purpose
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KJV Study Commentary
Fire from the LORD consumed the 250 men who offered incense, the leaders who joined Korah's rebellion. This dual judgment—earth swallowing some, fire consuming others—demonstrated God's comprehensive authority over creation. That fire targeted specifically those who presumed to offer incense showed God's jealousy for proper worship and respect for His appointed priesthood.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(34) **Even forty days, each day for a year.—**The numbering which is recorded in chapter 26 took place after the death of Aaron, which happened on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year after the exodus (Numbers 33:38). Hence it follows that the year and a half which had elapsed since the exodus must be included in the forty years of shepherd life in the wilderness.
**My breach of ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-27. the children of Israel took their journey ... by the hand of Moses--**It is probable that Moses, on the breaking up of the encampment, stationed himself on some eminence to see the ranks defile in order through the embouchure of the mountains. The marching order is described (Nu 2:1-34); but, as the vast horde is represented here in actual migration, let us notice the extraordinary care t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-35**
The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in t...
Read full commentary →I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.
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KJV Study Commentary
God declares: 'I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation... in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.' The emphatic Hebrew construction 'im lo zot e'eseh' (surely this I will do) guarantees certain fulfillment. God swears by Himself that the unbelieving generation will die in wilderness. The phrase 'I the LORD have said' invokes divine aut...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-27. the children of Israel took their journey ... by the hand of Moses--**It is probable that Moses, on the breaking up of the encampment, stationed himself on some eminence to see the ranks defile in order through the embouchure of the mountains. The marching order is described (Nu 2:1-34); but, as the vast horde is represented here in actual migration, let us notice the extraordinary care t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 20-35**
The Lord granted the prayer of Moses so far as not at once to destroy the congregation. But disbelief of the promise forbids the benefit. Those who despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their children. They wished to die in the wilderness; God made their sin their ruin, took them at their word, and their carcases fell in t...
Read full commentary →And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,
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KJV Study Commentary
The ten faithless spies died 'by the plague before the LORD'—divine judgment fell immediately on the ringleaders of rebellion. This swift punishment demonstrated that leading God's people into unbelief carries severe consequences. Their influential position magnified both their responsibility and their guilt.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-27. the children of Israel took their journey ... by the hand of Moses--**It is probable that Moses, on the breaking up of the encampment, stationed himself on some eminence to see the ranks defile in order through the embouchure of the mountains. The marching order is described (Nu 2:1-34); but, as the vast horde is represented here in actual migration, let us notice the extraordinary care t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 36-39**
Here is the sudden death of the ten evil spies. They sinned in bringing a slander upon the land of promise. Those greatly provoke God, who misrepresent religion, raise dislike in men's minds toward it, or give opportunity to those to do so, who seek occasion. Justly are murmurers made mourners. If they had mourned for the sin, when they were faithfully reproved, the sentence h...
Read full commentary →Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.
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KJV Study Commentary
The repetition that these men died 'by the plague before the LORD' emphasizes divine agency in their judgment. Their death was not misfortune but direct divine response to covenant breaking. God takes seriously those who cause His people to stumble, especially leaders whose influence multiplies the damage of unbelief.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(37) **By the plague.—**The word *maggephah, *which is here rendered *plague, *denotes *a stroke. *In Exodus 9:14 it is used of the ten plagues of Egypt. In Numbers 16:48-49, it is used of the plague which broke out after the insurrection of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and in Numbers 25:9-18 of that which broke out after the Israelites had joined in the idolatrous and lascivious rites of the Moabit...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-27. the children of Israel took their journey ... by the hand of Moses--**It is probable that Moses, on the breaking up of the encampment, stationed himself on some eminence to see the ranks defile in order through the embouchure of the mountains. The marching order is described (Nu 2:1-34); but, as the vast horde is represented here in actual migration, let us notice the extraordinary care t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 36-39**
Here is the sudden death of the ten evil spies. They sinned in bringing a slander upon the land of promise. Those greatly provoke God, who misrepresent religion, raise dislike in men's minds toward it, or give opportunity to those to do so, who seek occasion. Justly are murmurers made mourners. If they had mourned for the sin, when they were faithfully reproved, the sentence h...
Read full commentary →But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.
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KJV Study Commentary
Joshua and Caleb alone survived of the twelve spies—a testimony to God's preservation of those who trust Him fully. Their faith in God's promise literally meant the difference between life and death. This dramatic contrast demonstrates that faith has real, tangible consequences, not merely spiritual or abstract ones.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-27. the children of Israel took their journey ... by the hand of Moses--**It is probable that Moses, on the breaking up of the encampment, stationed himself on some eminence to see the ranks defile in order through the embouchure of the mountains. The marching order is described (Nu 2:1-34); but, as the vast horde is represented here in actual migration, let us notice the extraordinary care t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 36-39**
Here is the sudden death of the ten evil spies. They sinned in bringing a slander upon the land of promise. Those greatly provoke God, who misrepresent religion, raise dislike in men's minds toward it, or give opportunity to those to do so, who seek occasion. Justly are murmurers made mourners. If they had mourned for the sin, when they were faithfully reproved, the sentence h...
Read full commentary →Defeat at Hormah
And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.
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KJV Study Commentary
When Moses reported God's judgment, 'all the people mourned greatly.' This grief came too late—they mourned the consequences of their unbelief but not the unbelief itself. False repentance regrets punishment rather than sin, a grief that leads not to life but to presumptuous disobedience (verses 40-45).
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(39) **And the people mourned greatly.—**It appears from what follows that the sorrow which the Israelites felt was sorrow for the punishment which their sin had entailed, not godly sorrow for the sin itself.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-27. the children of Israel took their journey ... by the hand of Moses--**It is probable that Moses, on the breaking up of the encampment, stationed himself on some eminence to see the ranks defile in order through the embouchure of the mountains. The marching order is described (Nu 2:1-34); but, as the vast horde is represented here in actual migration, let us notice the extraordinary care t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 36-39**
Here is the sudden death of the ten evil spies. They sinned in bringing a slander upon the land of promise. Those greatly provoke God, who misrepresent religion, raise dislike in men's minds toward it, or give opportunity to those to do so, who seek occasion. Justly are murmurers made mourners. If they had mourned for the sin, when they were faithfully reproved, the sentence h...
Read full commentary →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 sinned.
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KJV Study Commentary
After God's judgment, Israel presumed: 'we will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.' This sounds repentant but was actually presumption - trying to obey yesterday's command after God withdrew it. Moses warned them (v.41-42), but they went anyway and suffered defeat (v.44-45). The Hebrew timing is crucial - they rose 'early in the morning' suggesting hasty, self-d...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(40) **Into the top of the mountain.—**Or, *towards the top of the mountain. *This appears to have been the same route as that by which the spies had gone into the south country of Judæa. (See Numbers 13:17.) It seems to be implied in w. 44, 45 that the people did not actually ascend the top of the adjoining mountain.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-27. the children of Israel took their journey ... by the hand of Moses--**It is probable that Moses, on the breaking up of the encampment, stationed himself on some eminence to see the ranks defile in order through the embouchure of the mountains. The marching order is described (Nu 2:1-34); but, as the vast horde is represented here in actual migration, let us notice the extraordinary care t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-45**
Some of the Israelites were now earnest to go forward toward Canaan. But it came too late. If men would but be as earnest for heaven while their day of grace lasts, as they will be when it is over, how well would it be for them! That which has been duty in its season, when mistimed, may be turned into sin. Those who are out of the way of their duty, are not under God's protect...
Read full commentary →And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD?</strong>—Moses' rhetorical question (לָמָּה זֶּה אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים <em>lamah zeh atem ovrim</em>) uses <strong>transgress</strong> (עָבַר <em>avar</em>, to pass over/violate) to characterize Israel's presumptuous advance as covenant rebellion. After refusing to enter Canaan in faith (14:1-10), they now attempted entry in...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-45**
Some of the Israelites were now earnest to go forward toward Canaan. But it came too late. If men would but be as earnest for heaven while their day of grace lasts, as they will be when it is over, how well would it be for them! That which has been duty in its season, when mistimed, may be turned into sin. Those who are out of the way of their duty, are not under God's protect...
Read full commentary →Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Go not up, for the LORD is not among you</strong>—Moses' urgent warning (אַל־תַּעֲלוּ כִּי אֵין יְהוָה בְּקִרְבְּכֶם <em>al-ta'alu ki ein YHWH bekirbekem</em>) identifies the fatal flaw in Israel's plan: divine absence. The phrase <strong>is not among you</strong> reverses the covenant promise 'I will dwell among them' (Exodus 25:8), showing that presumptuous disobedience forfeits God's pr...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(42) G**o not up, for the Lord is not among you.**—Moses had already received the command which is contained in Numbers 14:25. He knew, therefore, that the Israelites would not have the guidance of the cloud, the visible token of the Divine presence.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**29. Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite--**called also Reuel (the same as Jethro [Ex 2:18, Margin]). Hobab, the son of this Midianite chief and brother-in-law to Moses, seems to have sojourned among the Israelites during the whole period of their encampment at Sinai and now on their removal proposed returning to his own abode. Moses urged him to remain, both for his own benefit from a religio...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-45**
Some of the Israelites were now earnest to go forward toward Canaan. But it came too late. If men would but be as earnest for heaven while their day of grace lasts, as they will be when it is over, how well would it be for them! That which has been duty in its season, when mistimed, may be turned into sin. Those who are out of the way of their duty, are not under God's protect...
Read full commentary →For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you</strong>—Moses identifies specific enemies (עֲמָלֵקִי וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי <em>Amaleqi vehakena'ani</em>) occupying the terrain, emphasizing concrete military realities Israel would face without divine intervention. Amalek symbolized perpetual opposition to God's people (Exodus 17:8-16; Deuteronomy 25:17-19), while Canaanites represented...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(43) **Are there before you.—**Or, *will be there before you. *If the same persons are here spoken of as in Numbers 14:25, it will follow that they had left their temporary abode, and gone up into the hill country. It is possible however, that the reference is to different portions of the same nations.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-45**
Some of the Israelites were now earnest to go forward toward Canaan. But it came too late. If men would but be as earnest for heaven while their day of grace lasts, as they will be when it is over, how well would it be for them! That which has been duty in its season, when mistimed, may be turned into sin. Those who are out of the way of their duty, are not under God's protect...
Read full commentary →But they 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>But they presumed to go up unto the hill top</strong>—The verb <strong>presumed</strong> (וַיַּעְפִּלוּ <em>vaya'apilu</em>, to act presumptuously/swell up) suggests arrogant self-will despite clear divine prohibition. Their upward march (עָלָה <em>alah</em>) toward the hill country defied both God's judgment and Moses' warnings—epitomizing stiff-necked rebellion masquerading as courageous...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(44) **They presumed to go up.**—*i.e., they made a bold attempt to ascend the mountain. *Their enemies appear to have encountered and discomfited them before they had actually gained the summit.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**31. Leave us not, I pray thee ... and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes--**The earnest importunity of Moses to secure the attendance of this man, when he enjoyed the benefit of the directing cloud, has surprised many. But it should be recollected that the guidance of the cloud, though it showed the general route to be taken through the trackless desert, would not be so special and minute as t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-45**
Some of the Israelites were now earnest to go forward toward Canaan. But it came too late. If men would but be as earnest for heaven while their day of grace lasts, as they will be when it is over, how well would it be for them! That which has been duty in its season, when mistimed, may be turned into sin. Those who are out of the way of their duty, are not under God's protect...
Read full commentary →Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them</strong>—The coalition attack (וַיֵּרֶד... וַיַּכּוּם <em>vayered... vayakum</em>, came down... struck them) fulfilled Moses' prophecy (14:42-43). The verb <strong>smote</strong> (נָכָה <em>nakah</em>, to strike/defeat) describes comprehensive military disaster—not merely tactical defeat but rout dem...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(45) **Then the Amalekites came down . . . —**The words “which dwelt in that hill” may refer to the Canaanites only, or to the Amalekites and the Canaanites, and may denote either permanent residence or temporary occupation. If the reference is, as seems most natural, to a permanent abode, it will follow Numbers 14:25, for the latter verse cannot be intended to describe the geographical position o...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**32. if thou go with us ... what goodness the Lord will show unto us, the same will we do unto thee--**A strong inducement is here held out; but it seems not to have changed the young man's purpose, for he departed and settled in his own district. (See on Jud 1:16 and 1Sa 15:6).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-45**
Some of the Israelites were now earnest to go forward toward Canaan. But it came too late. If men would but be as earnest for heaven while their day of grace lasts, as they will be when it is over, how well would it be for them! That which has been duty in its season, when mistimed, may be turned into sin. Those who are out of the way of their duty, are not under God's protect...
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