Numbers 14:11-12

The Punishment from God

14:11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise ¹  me, and how long will they not believe ²  in me, in spite of the signs that I have done among them? 14:12 I will strike them with the pestilence, ³  and I will disinherit them; I will make you into a nation that is greater and mightier than they!”

Numbers 14:22-23

14:22 For all the people have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tempted ⁴  me now these ten times, ⁵  and have not obeyed me, ⁶  14:23 they will by no means ⁷  see the land that I swore to their fathers, nor will any of them who despised me see it.

Numbers 14:28-32

14:28 Say to them, ‘As I live, ⁸  says ⁹  the Lord, I will surely do to you just what you have spoken in my hearing. ¹⁰  14:29 Your dead bodies ¹¹  will fall in this wilderness – all those of you who were numbered, according to your full number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against me. 14:30 You will by no means enter into the land where ¹²  I swore ¹³  to settle ¹⁴  you. The only exceptions are Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 14:31 But I will bring in your little ones, whom you said would become victims of war, ¹⁵  and they will enjoy ¹⁶  the land that you have despised. 14:32 But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness,

¹ tn The verb נָאַץ (na’ats) means “to condemn, spurn” (BDB 610 s.v.). Coats suggests that in some contexts the word means actual rejection or renunciation (Rebellion in the Wilderness, 146, 7). This would include the idea of distaste.

² tn The verb “to believe” (root אָמַן, ’aman) has the basic idea of support, dependability for the root. The Hiphil has a declarative sense, namely, to consider something reliable or dependable and to act on it. The people did not trust what the Lord said.

³ tc The Greek version has “death.”

⁵ tn The verb נָסָה (nasah) means “to test, to tempt, to prove.” It can be used to indicate things are tried or proven, or for testing in a good sense, or tempting in the bad sense, i.e., putting God to the test. In all uses there is uncertainty or doubt about the outcome. Some uses of the verb are positive: If God tests Abraham in Genesis 22:1, it is because there is uncertainty whether he fears the Lord or not; if people like Gideon put out the fleece and test the Lord, it is done by faith but in order to be certain of the Lord’s presence. But here, when these people put God to the test ten times, it was because they doubted the goodness and ability of God, and this was a major weakness. They had proof to the contrary, but chose to challenge God.

⁶ tn “Ten” is here a round figure, emphasizing the complete testing. But see F. V. Winnett, The Mosaic Tradition, 121-54.

⁷ tn Heb “listened to my voice.”

⁷ tn The word אִם (’im) indicates a negative oath formula: “if” means “they will not.” It is elliptical. In a human oath one would be saying: “The Lord do to me if they see…,” meaning “they will by no means see.” Here God is swearing that they will not see the land.

⁹ sn Here again is the oath that God swore in his wrath, an oath he swore by himself, that they would not enter the land. “As the Lord lives,” or “by the life of the Lord,” are ways to render it.

¹⁰ tn The word נְאֻם (nÿ’um) is an “oracle.” It is followed by the subjective genitive: “the oracle of the Lord” is equal to saying “the Lord says.”

¹¹ tn Heb “in my ears.”

¹¹ tn Or “your corpses” (also in vv. 32, 33).

¹³ tn The relative pronoun “which” is joined with the resumptive pronoun “in it” to form a smoother reading “where.”

¹⁴ tn The Hebrew text uses the anthropomorphic expression “I raised my hand” in taking an oath.

¹⁵ tn Heb “to cause you to dwell; to cause you to settle.”

¹⁵ tn Or “plunder.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “know.”