Bibelkommentare

The whole congregation weep at the account brought by the spies, Numbers 14:1. They murmur, Numbers 14:2, Numbers 14:3; and propose to make themselves a captain, and go back to Egypt, Numbers 14:4. Moses and Aaron are greatly affected, Numbers 14:5. Joshua and Caleb endeavor to appease and encourage the people, Numbers 14:6-9. The congregation are about to stone them, Numbers 14:10. The glory of the Lord appears, and he is about to smite the rebels with the pestilence, Numbers 14:11, Numbers 14:12. Moses makes a long and pathetic intercession in their behalf, Numbers 14:13-19. The Lord hears and forbears to punish, Numbers 14:20; but purposes that not one of that generation shall enter into the promised land save Joshua and Caleb, Numbers 14:21-24. Moses is commanded to turn and get into the wilderness by way of the Red Sea, Numbers 14:25. The Lord repeats his purpose that none of that generation shall enter into the promised land - that their carcasses shall fall in the wilderness, and that their children alone, with Joshua and Caleb, shall possess the land of the Canaanites, etc., Numbers 14:26-32. As many days as they have searched the land shall they wander years in the desert, until they shall be utterly consumed, Numbers 14:33-35. All the spies save Joshua and Caleb die by a plague, Numbers 14:36-38. Moses declares God's purpose to the people, at which they are greatly affected, Numbers 14:39. They acknowledge their sin, and purpose to go up at once and possess the land, Numbers 14:40. Moses cautions them against resisting the purpose of God, Numbers 14:41-43. They, notwithstanding, presume to go, but Moses and the ark abide in the camp, Numbers 14:44. The Amalekites and Canaanites come down from the mountains, and defeat them, Numbers 14:45.

Cried; and - wept that night - In almost every case this people gave deplorable evidence of the degraded state of their minds. With scarcely any mental firmness, and with almost no religion, they could bear no reverses, and were ever at their wit's end. They were headstrong, presumptuous, pusillanimous, indecisive, and fickle. And because they were such, therefore the power and wisdom of God appeared the more conspicuously in the whole of their history.

Let us make a captain - Here was a formal renunciation of the authority of Moses, and flat rebellion against God. And it seems from Nehemiah 9:17 that they had actually appointed another leader, under whose direction they were about to return to Egypt. How astonishing is this! Their lives were made bitter, because of the rigor with which they were made to serve in the land of Egypt; and yet they are willing, yea eager, to get back into the same circumstances again! Great evils, when once some time past, affect the mind less than present ills, though much inferior. They had partly forgot their Egyptian bondage, and now smart under a little discouragement, having totally lost sight of their high calling, and of the power and goodness of God.

And Joshua, etc. - See on Numbers 13:33 (note).

Their defense - צלם tsillam, their shadow, a metaphor highly expressive of protection and support in the sultry eastern countries. The protection of God is so called; see Psalm 91:1; Psalm 121:5; see also Isaiah 51:16; Isaiah 49:2; Isaiah 30:2.

The Arabs and Persians have the same word to express the same thing.

nemayeed zulli doulet mamdood bad.

"May the shadow of thy prosperity be extended!"

nemayced zulli doulet ber mufareki khayr khwahen mamdood bad.

"May the shadow of thy prosperity be spread over the heads of thy well-wishers!"

They have also the following elegant distich: -

Sayahat kem mubad az seri ma

Bast Allah zullikem abeda.

"May thy protection never be removed from my head!

May God extend thy shadow eternally!"

Here the Arabic zull answers exactly to the Hebrew צל tsel, both signifying that which overspreads or overshadows. See the note on Numbers 14:14.

The glory of the Lord appeared - This timely appearance of the Divine glory prevented these faithful servants of God from being stoned to death by this base and treacherous multitude. "Every man is immortal till his work is done," while in simplicity of heart he is following his God.

That thy cloud standeth over them - This cloud, the symbol of the Divine glory, and proof of the Divine presence, appears to have assumed three different forms for three important purposes.

1. It appeared by day in the form of a pillar of a sufficient height to be seen by all the camp, and thus went before them to point out their way in the desert. Exodus 40:38.

2. It appeared by night as a pillar of fire to give them light while travelling by night, which they probably sometimes did; (see Numbers 9:21); or to illuminate their tents in their encampment; Exodus 13:21, Exodus 13:22.

3. It stood at certain times above the whole congregation, overshadowing them from the scorching rays of the sun; and probably at other times condensed the vapours, and precipitated rain or dew for the refreshment of the people. He spread a cloud for their covering; and fire to give light in the night; Psalm 105:39. It was probably from this circumstance that the shadow of the Lord was used to signify the Divine protection, not only by the Jews, but also by other Asiatic nations. See the note on Numbers 14:9, and see particularly the note on Exodus 13:21 (note).

The Lord is longsuffering - See the note on Exodus 34:6.