Numbers 14

1 Then the whole [entire, all-inclusive] congregation [gathering of people, crowd] lifted up [raised, exalted] their voices [sounds, cries] and cried out [wept, lamented], and that [same, very] night [period of darkness, time of adversity] the people [nation, community] wept [shed tears, mourned]. word study 2 All the Israelites [murmured, complained] grumbled against Moses [the leader, prophet] and Aaron [the high priest], and the whole congregation [gathering, assembly] said to them, “If only [we wish, would that] we had died [passed away, perished] in the land [region, territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], or if only [we wish, would that] we had died [passed away, perished] in this wilderness [desert, barren land]! word study 3 Why is the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] bringing us into this land [the promised territory, Canaan] to fall [be defeated, die] by the sword [a cutting instrument]? Our wives [female partners, women] and children [little ones, families] will become [be taken as] plunder [spoils of war, booty]. Would it not be better [more pleasant, advantageous] for us to go back [return, turn back] to Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa, a place of bondage]?” word study 4 So they said [in agreement] to one another, “Let us appoint [make, choose, or set] a leader [captain, head, or chief] and return [turn back, go back] to Egypt [the land of the Nile, a place of bondage].” word study 5 Then Moses [the Israelite leader, mediator] and Aaron [the first high priest, brother of Moses] fell [to prostrate themselves, bow down] facedown [on their faces, in reverence] before [in the presence of, facing] the whole [entire, all] assembly [gathering, congregation] of the congregation [community, group] of Israel [God’s chosen people, symbolic name of Jacob]. word study 6 Joshua [the Lord is salvation] son of Nun [meaning fish or posterity] and Caleb [faithful, devoted] son of Jephunneh [whom God has freed], who were among those who had spied [to explore] out [to search, reconnoiter] the land [the Promised Land, Canaan], tore [rent, ripped] their clothes [garments, robes, as a sign of grief or distress] word study 7 and said [spoke, declared] to the whole [entire, all-inclusive] congregation [gathering, assembly] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob], “The land [territory, region] we passed through [crossed over, traversed] and explored [spied out, searched] is an [very] exceedingly good [pleasant, beneficial] land [country, territory]. word study 8 If the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] delights [takes pleasure, is pleased] in us, He will bring [lead, guide] us into this land [a promised territory], a land [region, country] flowing [abundant, overflowing] with milk and honey [a sweet and valuable resource], and He will give [bestow, grant] it to us. word study 9 Only do not rebel [resist or defy authority] against the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], and do not be afraid [fear or revere] of the people [a nation or tribe] of the land [the soil or ground], for they will be like bread [food or sustenance] for us. Their protection [defence or shield] has been removed [turned aside or departed], and the LORD [the supreme God] is with us [in close relationship or proximity]. Do not be afraid [stand in awe or have reverence] of them [the people or nation]!” word study 10 But the whole [entire, all-inclusive] congregation [gathering, assembly] threatened [demanded, insisted] to stone [kill with stones, execute] Joshua and Caleb [the faithful spies]. Then the glory [majesty, splendor] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] appeared [was seen, became visible] to all [every, the entire] the Israelites [God’s chosen people, descendants of Jacob] at the Tent [tabernacle, sacred dwelling] of Meeting [worship, assembly]. word study 11 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Moses, “How long will this people [the nation of Israel] treat Me with contempt [despise, reject, or scorn]? How long will they refuse [not believe, be without faith] to believe in Me, despite all the signs [miraculous wonders, beacons, or monuments] I have performed [done, made, or wrought] among them [in their midst, within their community]? word study 12 I will strike [smite, send disease] them with a plague [pestilence, widespread sickness] and destroy [disinherit, consume] them—and I will make [create, bring into being] you into a nation [Gentile, large group] greater [in size, age, or importance] and mightier [powerful, strong] than they are [in comparison to them, from them].” word study 13 But Moses [the Israelite leader] said to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], “The Egyptians [the people from the country of Egypt] will hear [listen and pay attention to] of it, for by Your [divine] strength [power, might] You brought [led, guided] this people [nation, community] from among them [out of their midst]. word study 14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants [the people living in] of this land [the promised territory]. They have already heard that You, O LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], are in the midst [the inner part, the center] of this people [the nation of Israel], that You, O LORD, have been seen face to face [in a direct, personal encounter], that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud [a visible manifestation of God’s guidance] by day and a pillar of fire [burning, flame] by night. word study 15 If You kill [slay, destroy] this people [nation, community] as one man [a single individual, united], the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrews] who have heard [listened to, been informed of] of Your fame [reputation, glory] will say [speak, declare], word study 16 ‘Because the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] was unable [lacked the power or ability] to bring this people [the nation of Israel] into the land [the promised territory] He swore [made an oath, promised] to give them, He has slaughtered [killed, destroyed] them in the wilderness [the desert, a place of testing].’ word study 17 So now [at this time, as you have spoken] I pray [beseech, humbly request], may the power [strength, might] of my Lord [Adonay, the sovereign God] be magnified [greatly increased, made glorious], just as You have declared [spoken, promised, saying]: word study 18 ‘The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] is slow [longsuffering, patient] to anger [wrath] and abounding [full of, rich in] in loving devotion [kindness, mercy], forgiving [bearing away, overlooking] iniquity [moral evil, sin] and transgression [rebellion, disobedience]. Yet He will by no means [not, lo] leave the guilty [wicked, wrongdoers] unpunished [uncleansed, unacquitted]; He will visit [reckon, oversee] the iniquity [sin] of the fathers [ancestors, parents, avot] upon their children [sons, descendants] to the third [great-grandchild] and fourth [great-great-grandchild] generation [descendants].’ word study 19 Pardon [forgive, be merciful to], I pray [please, I beseech thee], the iniquity [moral evil, sin] of this people [nation, community], in keeping with [according to] the greatness [magnitude, abundance] of Your loving devotion [kindness, mercy], just as [in the same way] You have forgiven [borne with, been patient with] them ever since [from the time] they left [departed from] Egypt [the land of bondage, slavery].” word study 20 “I have [completely, totally] pardoned [forgiven, shown mercy to] them as [according to, in response to] you requested [asked, petitioned],” the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] replied [said, spoke]. word study 21 “Yet as surely as I [truly, in very deed] live and as surely as the whole [entire, all] earth is filled [to be made full, complete] with the glory [great honor, splendor] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], word study 22 not one of the men who have seen My [manifest presence, divine glory] glory and the [miraculous signs, wonders] signs I performed in [the land of bondage, Egypt] Egypt and in the [desolate wilderness, a place of testing] wilderness—yet have [tried, tested My patience] tested Me and disobeyed [rebelled against] Me these [a decade, ten times] ten times— word study 23 not one [none, no single individual] will ever see [look upon, behold] the land [earth, territory] that I swore [made an oath, promised] to give [bestow, grant] their fathers [ancestors, forefathers]. None [not one, no one] of those who have treated Me with contempt [despised, rejected, spurned] will see [gaze upon, look at] it. word study 24 But because My servant [faithful attendant, dedicated follower] Caleb has a different [another, unique] spirit [breath of life, inner being] and has followed Me wholeheartedly [fully, with complete devotion], I will bring him into the land [territory, promised inheritance] he has entered, and his descendants [seed, offspring] will inherit [possess, take ownership of] it. word study 25 Now since the Amalekites [descendants of Esau’s grandson] and Canaanites [merchants and traders of the land] are living [dwelling, remaining] in the valleys [lowland areas], turn back [face away, change direction] tomorrow [at a future time] and head for the wilderness [desert, open field] along the route [way, path] to the Red Sea [sea of reeds, large body of water]. ” word study 26 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said [to speak, communicate, or command] to Moses [the Israelite leader, prophet, and lawgiver] and Aaron [the first high priest of the Israelites, brother of Moses], word study 27 “How long [until when, for how much longer] will this [evil] wicked congregation [gathering of people, multitude] grumble [murmur, complain] against Me? I have heard [listened to, paid attention to] the complaints [murmurings, outcries] that the Israelites [children of Israel, sons of Israel] are making [uttering, speaking] against Me [toward Me, in opposition to Me]. word study 28 So tell them: As surely [with absolute certainty, truly] as I live [am alive, have eternal life], declares the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], I will do [accomplish, bring about] to you exactly [just as, precisely] as I heard [listened to, understood] you say [speak, declare, to utter words]. word study 29 Your bodies [corpses, dead bodies] will fall [perish, die] in this [desert] wilderness—all who were numbered [reckoned, counted] in the census, everyone twenty years of age or older [from a son of twenty years and upward]—because you have grumbled [murmured, complained] against Me [upon, against]. word study 30 Surely [doubtless, without a doubt] none of you will enter [come into, arrive in] the land [country, territory, promised inheritance] in which I swore [made an oath, promised] to settle [dwell, cause to inhabit] you, except [save, with the exception of] Caleb [a faithful Israelite] son of Jephunneh [father of Caleb] and Joshua [a leader] son of Nun [father of Joshua]. word study 31 But I will bring your children [little ones, infants], whom you said would become [be taken as] plunder [spoil, a prey], into the land [country, territory] you have rejected [despised, spurned]—and they will enjoy [know, appreciate] it. word study 32 As for you [you adults, your dead bodies], however, your bodies [carcasses, corpses] will fall [die, be defeated] in this [the current, specific] wilderness [desert, open field]. word study 33 Your children [sons, descendants, or spiritual offspring] will be shepherds [tending, guiding, or ruling] in the wilderness [desert, open field, or place of testing] for forty years, and they will suffer [bear the burden, or endure the consequences] for your unfaithfulness [idolatry, spiritual adultery, or disloyalty] until the last of your bodies [physical corpses, or mortal remains] lies in the wilderness [desert, or place of judgment]. word study 34 In keeping with the forty [a period of testing and trial] days you spied out [explored, searched] the land, you shall bear your guilt [iniquity, moral evil] forty years—a year for each day [a day for a year, a year for every day]—and you will experience My [God’s] alienation [opposition, being an enemy, broken relationship]. word study 35 I, the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], have spoken [declared, communicated], and I will surely do [fulfill, bring to pass] these things to this entire wicked [evil, morally bad] congregation [gathering, assembly], which has conspired [gathered together, risen up] against Me. They will meet their end [be consumed, finished] in the wilderness [desert, open field], and there [in that place, at that time] they will die [cease to exist, experience physical death].” word study 36 So the men [individuals, persons] Moses had sent [dispatched, commissioned] to spy out [explore, scout] the land [territory, region], who had returned [come back, turned back] and made the whole congregation [gathering, assembly] grumble [murmur, complain] against him by bringing out [reporting, speaking] a bad [evil, slanderous] report [account, testimony] about the land [country, territory]— word study 37 those men [the individuals] who had brought out [come out with] the bad [evil] report [slander] about the land [the earth]—were struck down [died] by a plague [divine judgment] before [in the presence of] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 38 Of those men [the twelve spies, who went to search] who had gone to spy out [explore, reconnoiter] the land, only Joshua [a leader] son of Nun and Caleb [a faithful follower] son of Jephunneh remained alive [lived still, were preserved]. word study 39 And when Moses [the Israelite leader] relayed these words [the sayings, Chronicles] to all [every single one] the Israelites, the people [nation, Amaw] mourned [to lament, exceedingly] bitterly [greatly, much]. word study 40 Early [at the break of day, in the morning] the next morning they got up [rose, to start early] and went up [to ascend, to rise] toward [in the direction of] the ridge [top, summit] of the hill country [mountain, high land]. “We have indeed sinned [missed the mark, gone wrong],” they said, “but we will go [proceed, journey] to the place [location, region] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] has promised [spoken of, declared].” word study 41 But Moses [the Israelite leader] said, “Why [what or how] are you transgressing [crossing over, being disobedient to] the commandment [word or order] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]? This will not [certainly not] succeed [prosper, be successful]! word study 42 Do not [refrain from, stop] go up [ascend, rise], lest [so that you will not, in order that you may not] you be struck down [smitten, defeated] by your enemies [adversaries, those who oppose you], because [for, since] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] is not [does not exist, is absent] among you [in your midst, with you]. word study 43 For there [in that place, at that time] the Amalekites [descendants of Esau’s grandson] and Canaanites [inhabitants of the land of Canaan] will face [stand before, confront] you, and you will fall [be defeated, succumb] by the sword [cutting instrument, weapon of war]. Because you have turned away [rejected, abandoned] from the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], He will not be with [accompanied by, in fellowship with] you.” word study 44 But they dared [presumed, acted with arrogance] to go up [ascend, rise] to the ridge [top, head] of the hill country [mountain, high land], though neither Moses [the Israelite leader, prophet] nor the ark [box, chest] of the covenant [promise, agreement] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] moved [departed, removed] from the camp [encampment, gathering place]. word study 45 Then the Amalekites [descendants of Esau’s grandson] and Canaanites [inhabitants of the land of Canaan] who lived [dwelt, resided] in that part of the hill country [mountain, high land] came down [descended, went down], attacked [struck, smote] them, and routed [defeated, discomfited] them all the way [till, as far as] to Hormah [a town in southern Judah, meaning devotion]. word study