1: And all the congregation lifted up their voice
(Heb. idiom "lifted up and gave their voice". Gen. 21:16. Ps. 18:13. Jer. 2:15. Ps. 104:12; 77:18. Hab. 3:10), and cried aloud (what a contrast to Ex.15:1, "Then sang". Cp. Ex. 15:13-17, and note 1 Cor. 10:11); and the People wept that night.
2: And all the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said to them,
"Would God (Elohim) that we had died in the land of Egypt! or
would God we had died in this wilderness! (Fig. of speech, wishing for something)
3: And why has the Lord (Yahaveh) brought us to 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 (at Horeb they made a "calf"; at Kadesh they would make a "captain". 2 notable occasions. Compare the 2 beasts of Rev. "religious" an "political"), and let us return into Egypt."
5: Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.
6: And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh (only 2 out of 12; only 2 out of the whole congregation. Let us heed this lesson, and take courage. 1 Cor.10:11), which were of them that searched the land, tore their clothes:
7: And they spoke to all the company of the sons of Israel, saying, "The land, which we passed through to
search it, is an exceeding good land.
8: If the Lord delight in us (this is the secret of all blessings. Deut. 10:15. 2 Sam. 15:25,26; 22:20. 1 Kings 10:9. Ps. 22:8; 147:10,11. Isa. 62:4), then He will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which flows with milk and honey.
9: Only rebel not you all against the Lord, neither you all fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them (Heb. = shadow. Fig. Literally "they are like our bread [= manna], their shadow has turned aside from off them". The manna when out of the shade melted, though hard [cp.11:8 and Ex. 16:21]: so the hearts of their enemies would melt away, not having the Lord for their shadow, or defense. Cp. Ex. 15:15. Josh. 2:9,11. Isa. 13:7; 19:1. Ezek. 21:7), and the Lord is with us: fear them not."
10: But all the congregation bade stone them with stones.
P R f -10,11. Reproach: "How long?"
g 12. Threatening. General.
S 13-25. Moses and Yahaveh.
R f 26,27. Reproach: :"How long?"
g 28-38. Threatening. Particular.
And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of the congregation before all the sos of Israel.
11: And the Lord said to Moses, "How long will this people provoke me? (= to what point. Cp. v.27) and how long will it be before they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?
12: I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a greater nation and mightier than they."
S h 13-19. Intercession to enter land.
i 20. Exception. Pardon for the People.
h 21-23. Refusal. None of that generation to
enter.
i 24. Exception. Entrance for Caleb and Joshua.
13: And Moses said to the Lord, "Then the Egyptians shall hear it, {for You brought up this People in Your might from among them;}
14: And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that You the Lord are among this People, that You the Lord are seen face to face (Heb. = eye to eye), and that Your cloud stands over them (cp.Ex.13:21), and that You go before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.
15: Now if You shall kill all this People as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of You will speak, saying,
16: 'Because the Lord was not able to bring this People into the land which He swore to them, therefore He has
slain them in the wilderness.'
17: And now, I beseech You, let the power of the Lord be great, according as You have spoken, saying,
18: 'The Lord is long-suffering, and of great mercy
(= loving-kindness, or grace), forgiving perverseness and rebellion, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the perverseness of the fathers upon the sons to the third and fourth generation (quoted from Ex. 34:6; 20:5 and 34:7).
19: Pardon, I beseech You, the perverseness of this people according to the greatness of Your loving-kindness, and as You have forgiven this People, from Egypt even until now."
20: And the Lord said, "I have pardoned according to your word:
21: But as truly as I live, and all the earth shall be
filled with the glory of the Lord (cp. Ezek.18:3; 20:33. Rom.14:11. First occ. of this expression. Cp. Isa. 6:3; 11:9. Ps. 72:19. Hab. 2:14. Note the unconditional covenant).
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 ten times, and have not listened to My voice (not "round number":-
1. At Red Sea [Ex. 14:11,12].
2. At Marah [Ex. 15:23,24].
3. Wilderness of Sin [Ex. 16:2].
4 & 5. Twice about Manna [Ex. 16:20,27].
6. At Rephidim [Ex. 17:1-3].
7. At Horeb [golden calf][Ex. 32].
8. At Taberah [Num. 11:11].
9. At Kirboth Hattavah [Num. 11:4].
10. Here, at Kadech [Num. 14:2].);
23: Surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked Me see it:
24: But My servant Caleb, because he had a different (cp. Phil. 3:15, "otherwise". cp. Eph. 4:23) spirit with him (= ruach. Spirit put for motions of the mind and character), and has followed Me fully, him will I bring into the land where-into he went; and his seed shall possess it."
25: {Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.} "Tomorrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea."
26: And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
27: "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation (= to what time, cp. v.11), which murmur against Me? I have heard the murmurings of the sons of Israel, which they murmur against Me.
g k m 28,29-. Fall in wilderness.
n -29. Age above 20 years.
l 30,31. Exception - Caleb and Joshua.
k m 32. Fall in wilderness.
n 33-37. Time - 40 years.
l 38. Exception - Joshua and Caleb.
28: Say to them, 'As truly as I live, says the Lord, as you all have spoken in My ears, so will I do to you:
29: Your carcass shall fall in this wilderness;
and all that were numbered of you (cp. 1:45 and 25:63-65), according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against Me,
30: Doubtless you all shall not come into the land, concerning which I swore (Heb. = I lifted up My hand, put for swearing an oath, cp. v.21. Deut.32:40 &c.) to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
31: But your little ones, which you all said should be a prey (cp. v.33. Deut.1:39), them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which you all have despised (=get to kow, and enjoy. Sept. = shall inherit).
32: But as for you, your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness.
Includes - Future: from July 30-31st, 1490 - to 4-5th April, 1451.
33: And your son shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms (put by Fig., for the punishment they produced, all caused by idolatry), until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness.
34: After the number of the days in which you searched the land, even forty days (the number of probation), each day for a year (no Universal law here: "day" means day and "year" means year), shall you all bear your perverseness, even forty years, and you all shall know My breach of promise (="My breach of promise which you all charge Me means". Cp. vv.42 and 43. Cp. Deut. 31:16,17. Zech. 11:10. Rom. 11:22; also Job 33:10).
35: I the Lord have said (see 3:40. Said on 26 Ab [August 11-12th, 5th month, second year]. The whole period is contained in Chapters 15-19; 33:19-36, inclusive), 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" (Aaron died on the first day of the 5th month of 14th year, 20:28; 33:28. The second numbering took place after that).
36: And the men (these 10 men died by a special plague at the time. Cp. 1 Chron. 13:10. 2 Sam. 6:7. Cp. v.37 here), 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,
37: Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord.
38: 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.
OČ o 39. Mourning.
p 40. Presumption.
q 41-43. Prohibition.
p 44. Presumption.
o 45. Discomfiture.
39: And Moses told these sayings to all the sons of Israel: and the People mourned greatly.
12-13th Aug., 1490 B.C.
40: And they rose up early in the morning, and got them up into the top of the mountain, saying, "Lo (behold), we are here, and will go up to the place which the Lord has promised: for we have sinned."
41: And Moses said, "Why now do you all transgress the commandment of the Lord? but it shall not prosper.
42: Go not up, for the Lord is not among you; that you all be not smitten before your enemies.
43: For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you all shall fall by the sword: because you all are turned away from the Lord, therefore the Lord will not be with you."
44: But they were presumptuous to go up to the hill top (cp. Idiom, 35:31. Gen. 2:3; 31:27. Deut. 1:42,43): nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.
45: Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even to Hormah (Heb. = destruction).