Matthew Henry on Numbers 14:36–end
Here is, I. The sudden death of the ten evil spies. While the sentence was passing upon the people, before it was published, they died of the plague before the Lord, Num 14:36, Num 14:37. Now,
1. God hereby showed his particular displeasure against those who sinned and made Israel to sin. (1.) They sinned themselves, in bringing up a slander upon the land of promise. Note, Those greatly provoke God who misrepresent religion, cast reproach upon it, and raise prejudices in men's minds against it, or give occasion to those to do so who seek occasion. Those that represent the service of God as mean and despicable, melancholy and uncomfortable, hard and impracticable, needless and unprofitable, b…
Read the whole note in the consoleJamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 14:40
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…
Read the whole note in the consoleJohn Gill on Numbers 14:41
And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord?.... Which was to turn back into the wilderness, and go the way that leads to the Red sea, Numbers 14:25; instead of which now they were for going forward into the land of Canaan, though averse to it just before:
but it shall not prosper; their attempt to enter into it.
John Calvin on Numbers 14:39–end
Numbers 14:39-45
39. And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.
39. Loquutus est igitur Moses verba ista omnibus filiis Israel, et luxerunt populus valde.
40. And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the Lord hath promised: for we have sinned.
40. Surrexeruntque mane, et ascenderunt in verticem montis, dicendo: Ecce nos, ut ascendamus ad locum de quo loquutus est Jehova: quia peccavimus.
41. And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord? but it shall not prosper.
41. Et dixit Moses, Ut quid transgredimin…
