Numbers 14: The people refuse to go in, and forty years in the wilderness
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What happens?
The people weep all night, grumble against Moses and Aaron, and talk of choosing a leader to take them back to Egypt; Joshua and Caleb beg them not to rebel, but the people want to stone them. Yahweh says he will strike the people and make a greater nation from Moses, and Moses pleads for them, and Yahweh pardons them. But he says none of the grown men who grumbled will see the land except Caleb and Joshua: Israel will wander forty years, one year for each day of the spying. The men who brought the bad report die by a plague, and when the people go up to fight anyway, the Amalekites and Canaanites beat them back as far as Hormah.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God's own words are in 17 of the 45 verses: his words to Moses in verses 11 and 12, his answer to Moses in verses 20 to 25, and his words to Moses and Aaron in verses 27 to 35. The people speak in verses 2 to 4. Joshua and Caleb speak in verses 7 to 9. Moses speaks to Yahweh in verses 13 to 19. In verse 18 Moses repeats words Yahweh had spoken, so it is not in gold. The people speak again in verse 40, and Moses answers them in verses 41 to 43. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1All the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
In plain English: The whole community raised their voices and cried out, and the people wept that night.
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2All 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!
In plain English: All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole community said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wilderness!
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3Why does Yahweh 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?”
In plain English: Why is Yahweh bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be taken as plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?"
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4They said to one another, “Let’s choose a leader, and let’s return into Egypt.”
In plain English: They said to one another, "Let us choose a leader (literally: a head) and go back to Egypt."
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5Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
In plain English: Then Moses and Aaron fell face down before the whole assembly of the community of Israel.
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6Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes.
In plain English: Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes.
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7They 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.
In plain English: They said to the whole community of Israel, "The land we went through to spy out is a very, very good land.
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8If Yahweh delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us: a land which flows with milk and honey.
In plain English: If Yahweh is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey.
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9Only don’t rebel against Yahweh, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is removed from over them, and Yahweh is with us. Don’t fear them.”
In plain English: Only do not rebel against Yahweh, and do not be afraid of the people of the land, because they are bread for us. Their protection (literally: their shade) has left them, and Yahweh is with us. Do not be afraid of them."
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10But all the congregation threatened to stone them with stones. Yahweh’s glory appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the children of Israel.
In plain English: But the whole community talked of stoning them with stones. Then the glory of Yahweh appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites.
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11Yahweh 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?God speaks
In plain English: Yahweh said to Moses, "How long will this people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, after all the signs I have done among them?
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12I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”God speaks
In plain English: I will strike them with disease (or: pestilence) and drive them out (or: disown them), and I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they are."
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13Moses said to Yahweh, “Then the Egyptians will hear it; for you brought up this people in your might from among them.
In plain English: Moses said to Yahweh, "Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by your power you brought this people up from among them.
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14They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you Yahweh are among this people; for you Yahweh 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.
In plain English: They will tell it to the people who live in this land. They have heard that you, Yahweh, are among this people, that you, Yahweh, are seen face to face (literally: eye to eye), that your cloud stands over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.
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15Now if you killed this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying,
In plain English: If you kill this people all at once (literally: as one man), the nations who have heard of your fame will say,
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16‘Because Yahweh was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.’
In plain English: 'Yahweh was not able to bring this people into the land he swore to them, so he killed them in the wilderness.'
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17Now please let the power of the Lord be great, according as you have spoken, saying,
In plain English: Now, please, let the power of the Lord be great, just as you have said:
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18‘Yahweh 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.’
In plain English: 'Yahweh is slow to anger and rich in loving kindness (or: faithful love), forgiving wrongdoing and rebellion. But he will by no means let the guilty go unpunished, bringing the wrongdoing of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.'
Good to know: Moses is quoting what Yahweh proclaimed about himself on Mount Sinai in and , with some words left out. Here they are Moses' words in his prayer, so they are not in gold.
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19Please 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.”
In plain English: Please pardon the wrongdoing (this Bible: iniquity) of this people, as great as your loving kindness is, just as you have forgiven this people from Egypt until now."
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20Yahweh said, “I have pardoned according to your word;God speaks
In plain English: Yahweh said, "I have pardoned them, as you asked (literally: according to your word).
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21but in very deed—as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with Yahweh’s glory—God speaks
In plain English: But truly, as I live, and as all the earth will be filled with the glory of Yahweh,
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22because 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;God speaks
In plain English: not one of the men who have seen my glory and my signs, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tested me these ten times and have not listened to my voice,
Good to know: The text does not list the "ten times". It may mean ten separate times, or it may be a way of saying "again and again". The text does not say which.
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23surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of those who despised me see it.God speaks
In plain English: not one of them will see the land I swore to their fathers. None of those who treated me with contempt will see it.
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24But 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.God speaks
In plain English: But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed me fully (literally: has filled after me), I will bring into the land he went into, and his descendants will own it.
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25Since the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley, tomorrow turn and go into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”God speaks
In plain English: Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valley. Tomorrow turn around and set out into the wilderness by the road to the Red Sea (literally: the Sea of Reeds)."
The Hebrew words: "Red Sea" is yam suf. Yam is "sea", and the dictionary gives suf as "a reed, especially the papyrus".
How it is translated: This Bible says "Red" in 24 of the 28 verses that use suf, and "reed" or "reeds" in 3.
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26Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
In plain English: Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
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27“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.God speaks
In plain English: "How long must I put up with this evil community that keeps grumbling against me? I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites, which they grumble against me.
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28Tell them, ‘As I live, says Yahweh, surely as you have spoken in my ears, so I will do to you.God speaks
In plain English: Tell them, 'As I live, says Yahweh, I will surely do to you exactly what I have heard you say (literally: as you have spoken in my ears).
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29Your 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,God speaks
In plain English: Your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness, all of you who were counted, by your whole number, from twenty years old and up, who have grumbled against me.
Good to know: to later says that, of those counted in the wilderness of Sinai, no man was left except Caleb and Joshua. looks back on those "whose bodies fell in the wilderness".
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30surely 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.God speaks
In plain English: Not one of you will come into the land where I swore (literally: lifted my hand) to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
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31But 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.God speaks
In plain English: But your little ones, who you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring in, and they will know the land you have rejected.
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32But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.God speaks
In plain English: But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness.
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33Your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your prostitution, until your dead bodies are consumed in the wilderness.God speaks
In plain English: Your children will be wanderers (literally: shepherds) in the wilderness for forty years, and will suffer for your unfaithfulness (this Bible: prostitution), until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness.
The Hebrew words: "Wanderers" is ro'im, "shepherds", from a word the dictionary gives as "to tend a flock". "Prostitution" is zenut, which the dictionary gives as "adultery, i.e. (figuratively) infidelity, idolatry".
How it is translated: This Bible says "prostitution" in all 9 verses that use zenut. For the word behind ro'im it says "shepherd" or a longer form in 73 of its 139 verses.
What changes: Read as "shepherds", the children will live like herders moving their flocks from place to place in the wilderness for forty years. Read as "unfaithfulness", the dictionary's "infidelity", zenut means the people being unfaithful to Yahweh.
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34After 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.’God speaks
In plain English: Just as you spied out the land for forty days, you will carry your guilt for forty years, a year for each day, and you will know what it is to have me against you (this Bible: my alienation).'
The Hebrew word: "Alienation" is tenu'ah, which the dictionary gives as "alienation; by implication, enmity". It is in only 2 verses of the Bible; the other is .
What changes: Read as "my alienation", the people will know what it means when Yahweh turns away from them. Read as "my opposition" (or: my displeasure), they will know what it means to have Yahweh against them.
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35I, Yahweh, 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.”God speaks
In plain English: I, Yahweh, have spoken. I will surely do this to all this evil community that has gathered together against me. In this wilderness they will come to an end, and there they will die."
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36The 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,
In plain English: The men Moses had sent to spy out the land, who came back and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about the land,
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37even those men who brought up an evil report of the land, died by the plague before Yahweh.
In plain English: those men who spread the bad report about the land died by a plague before Yahweh.
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38But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive of those men who went to spy out the land.
In plain English: But of the men who went to spy out the land, Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh stayed alive.
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39Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.
In plain English: Moses told these words to all the Israelites, and the people mourned greatly.
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40They 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 Yahweh has promised; for we have sinned.”
In plain English: They got up early in the morning and went up toward the top of the mountain (or: the hill country), saying, "Here we are. We will go up to the place Yahweh promised, for we have sinned."
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41Moses said, “Why now do you disobey the commandment of Yahweh, since it shall not prosper?
In plain English: Moses said, "Why are you now going against Yahweh's command (literally: the mouth of Yahweh)? It will not succeed.
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42Don’t go up, for Yahweh isn’t among you; that way you won’t be struck down before your enemies.
In plain English: Do not go up, because Yahweh is not among you. That way you will not be struck down before your enemies.
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43For there the Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, and you will fall by the sword because you turned back from following Yahweh; therefore Yahweh will not be with you.”
In plain English: The Amalekites and the Canaanites are there ahead of you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you have turned back from following Yahweh, Yahweh will not be with you."
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44But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain. Nevertheless, the ark of Yahweh’s covenant and Moses didn’t depart out of the camp.
In plain English: But they dared to go up to the top of the mountain (or: the hill country), even though neither the ark of Yahweh's covenant nor Moses left the camp.
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45Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites who lived in that mountain, and struck them and beat them down even to Hormah.
In plain English: Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down, struck them, and beat them down as far as Hormah.
Good to know: Hormah is named again in , where Israel later "utterly destroyed" the Canaanites and cities there, and the place is called Hormah. The two words sound alike in Hebrew (charam, "to devote" or destroy, and Chormah).
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