The Fourth Book of Moses: Numbers

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- Chapter 14 -

(Deuteronomy 1:26–33)

That night all the community wept loudly.

All the people of Israel criticized Moses and Aaron. The whole community said to them, “We wish we had died in the land of Egypt, or here in this wilderness!

Why did Yahweh bring us to this land to die by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become victims. Is it not better for us to return to Egypt?”

They said to each another, “Let us choose another leader, and let us return to Egypt.”

Then Moses and Aaron lay facedown before all the assembly of the community of the people of Israel.

Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were some of those sent to examine the land, tore their clothes.

They spoke to all the community of the people of Israel. They said, “The land that we passed through and examined is a very good land.

If Yahweh is pleased with us, then he will take us into this land and give it to us. The land flows with milk and honey.

But do not rebel against Yahweh, and do not fear the people in the land. We will consume them as easily as food. Their protection will be removed from them, because Yahweh is with us. Do not fear them.”

But all the community threatened to stone them to death. Then Yahweh’s glory appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel.

Yahweh said to Moses, “How long must this people despise me? How long must they fail to trust me, despite all the signs of my power that I have done among them?

I will attack them with plague, disinherit them, and make from your own clan a nation that will be greater and mightier than they are.”

Moses Intercedes for Israel

Moses said to Yahweh, “If you do this, then the Egyptians will hear about it, because you rescued this people from them by your power.

They will tell it to this land’s inhabitants. They have heard that you, Yahweh, are present with this people, because you are seen face to face. Your cloud stands over our people. You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.

Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations that have heard of your fame will speak and say,

‘Because Yahweh could not take this people into the land that he swore to give them, he has killed them in the wilderness.’

Now, I beg you, use your great power. For you have said,

‘Yahweh is slow to anger and abundant in covenant faithfulness. He forgives iniquity and transgression. He will by no means clear the guilty when he brings the punishment of the ancestors’ sin on their descendants, to the third and fourth generation.’

Pardon, I plead with you, this people’s sin because of the greatness of your covenant faithfulness, just as you have always forgiven this people from the time they were in Egypt until now.”

God’s Forgiveness and Judgment

(Deuteronomy 1:34–40)

Yahweh said, “I have pardoned them in keeping with your request,

but truly, as I live, and as all the earth will be filled with my glory,

all those people who saw my glory and the signs of power that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness-they have still tempted me these ten times and have not listened to my voice.

So I say that they will certainly not see the land about which I made an oath to their ancestors. Not one of them who despised me will see it,

except for my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit. He has followed me fully; I will bring him into the land which he went to examine. His descendants will possess it.

Now the Amalekites and Canaanites lived in the valley. Tomorrow turn and go to the wilderness by the way of the Sea of Reeds.”

Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron. He said,

“How long must I tolerate this evil community that criticizes me? I have heard the complaining of the people of Israel against me.

Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says Yahweh, ’as you have spoken in my hearing, I will do this to you:

Your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness, all you who complained against me, you who were counted in the census, the whole number of the people from twenty years old and upward.

You will certainly not go into the land that I promised to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

But your little ones who you said would be victims, I will take them into the land. They will experience the land that you have rejected!

As for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness.

Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years. They must bear the consequences of your acts of rebellion until the end of your corpses in the wilderness.

Just as the number of the days during which you examined the land-forty days, you must likewise bear the consequences of your sins for forty years-one year for every day, and you must know what it is like to be my enemy.

I, Yahweh, have spoken. I will certainly do this to all this evil community that is gathered together against me. They will be completely cut off, and here they will die.’”

The Plague on the Ten Spies

So the men whom Moses had sent to look at the land all died by the plague before Yahweh.

These were the men who had returned and brought a bad report about the land. This made all the community complain against Moses.

Of those men who had gone to look at the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive.

When Moses reported these words to all the people of Israel, they mourned very deeply.

The Defeat at Hormah

(Deuteronomy 1:41–46)

They rose up early in the morning and went to the top of the mountain and said, “Look, we are here, and we will go to the place that Yahweh has promised, for we have sinned.”

But Moses said, “Why are you now violating Yahweh’s command? You will not succeed.

Do not go, because Yahweh is not with you to prevent you from being defeated by your enemies.

The Amalekites and Canaanites are there, and you will die by the sword because you turned back from following Yahweh. So he will not be with you.”

But they presumed to go up into the hill country; however, neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant of Yahweh left the camp.

Then the Amalekites came down, and also the Canaanites who lived on those hills. They attacked the Israelites and defeated them all the way to Hormah.

(Deuteronomy 1:26–33)

All the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “We wish that we had died in the land of Egypt, or that we had died in this wilderness!

Why does the LORD bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be captured or killed! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return into Egypt?”

They said to one another, “Let’s choose a leader, and let’s return into Egypt.”

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes.

They spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land.

If the LORD delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us: a land which flows with milk and honey.

Only don’t rebel against the LORD, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is removed from over them, and the LORD is with us. Don’t fear them.”

But all the congregation threatened to stone them with stones. The LORD’s glory appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the children of Israel.

The LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? How long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have worked among them?

I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

Moses Intercedes for Israel

Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear it; for you brought up this people in your might from among them.

They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you LORD are among this people; for you LORD are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them, and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.

Now if you killed this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying,

‘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.’

Now please let the power of the Lord(a) be great, according as you have spoken, saying,

‘The LORD is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.’

Please pardon the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your loving kindness, and just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

God’s Forgiveness and Judgment

(Deuteronomy 1:34–40)

The LORD said, “I have pardoned according to your word;

but in very deed—as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the LORD’s glory—

because all those men who have seen my glory and my signs, which I worked in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted me these ten times, and have not listened to my voice;

surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of those who despised me see it.

But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him I will bring into the land into which he went. His offspring shall possess it.

Since the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley, tomorrow turn and go into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”

The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation that complain against me? I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel, which they complain against me.

Tell them, ‘As I live, says the LORD, surely as you have spoken in my ears, so I will do to you.

Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness; and all who were counted of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have complained against me,

surely you shall not come into the land concerning which I swore that I would make you dwell therein, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

But I will bring in your little ones that you said should be captured or killed, and they shall know the land which you have rejected.

But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.

Your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your prostitution, until your dead bodies are consumed in the wilderness.

After the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, you will bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you will know my alienation.’

I, the LORD, have spoken. I will surely do this to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.”

The Plague on the Ten Spies

The men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up an evil report against the land,

even those men who brought up an evil report of the land, died by the plague before the LORD.

But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive of those men who went to spy out the land.

Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.

The Defeat at Hormah

(Deuteronomy 1:41–46)

They rose up early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Behold, we are here, and will go up to the place which the LORD has promised; for we have sinned.”

Moses said, “Why now do you disobey the commandment of the LORD, since it shall not prosper?

Don’t go up, for the LORD isn’t among you; that way you won’t be struck down before your enemies.

For there the Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, and you will fall by the sword because you turned back from following the LORD; therefore the LORD will not be with you.”

But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain. Nevertheless, the ark of the LORD’s covenant and Moses didn’t depart out of the camp.

Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites who lived in that mountain, and struck them and beat them down even to Hormah.

Footnotes

(a)14:17 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”