The fact that God granted the people pardon in response to Moses' intercession is another indication of His grace (vv. 20-21).
The failure of the Israelites would not frustrate God's purpose to manifest His glory throughout the earth through the seed of Abraham (v. 21). Even though the present generation would die in the wilderness, Caleb (and Joshua, not mentioned here, cf. v. 30) would enter the Promised Land.
The ten times the Israelites tested God (v. 22) by complaining were probably these.
1. At the Red Sea (Exod. 14:11-12)
2. At Marah (Exod. 15:23)
3. In the wilderness of Sin (Exod. 16:2)
4. In the wilderness of Sin (Exod. 16:20)
5. In the wilderness of Sin (Exod. 16:27)
6. At Rephidim (Exod. 17:1)
7. At Horeb (Exod. 32)
8. At Taberah (Num. 11:1)
9. At Kibroth-hattaavah (Num. 11:4)
10. At Kadesh (Num. 14:1-3)
It is noteworthy that in Egypt God sent 10 plagues to build the faith of His people, but in the wilderness they complained against Him in unbelief 10 times. Evidently the measure of their iniquity had reached its capacity from God's viewpoint with this tenth rebellion (cf. Gen. 15:16).
Because the adult generation had failed to trust God He would not defeat their enemies. Therefore He instructed them to march southeast toward the Gulf of Aqabah and away from the Amalekites and Canaanites (v. 25). Since they wanted to return to Egypt, God sent them back toward where they had been. Since they feared their children would die in Canaan, God would preserve those very children in the wilderness and give them a home in Canaan (v. 31). Since the adults had rejected Canaan, God would give it to their children (v. 31). Since they feared dying in Canaan, God would let them die in the wilderness (v. 2).
"Typical of the irony in this story, their punishment is made to fit their crime."121
"When the Lord asked How long?' [v. 27] he meant this was the end. The oath formula As I live' [v. 28] was the strongest denial conceivable. The things he said next were irrevocably going to happen. That is what lies behind verses 28, 30, and 35."122
The Bible nowhere specifies a particular age of accountability for children. However the fact that God judged all the Israelites who were 20 years old and older for this sin seems significant. He evidently regarded those who had lived 20 years as responsible adults (v. 29).123
The 40-year duration of the punishment resulted from the 40-day duration of the expedition by the spies (v. 34). These years included those already spent in the wilderness since complaining characterized the people from the time they first departed from Egypt.
"The round number forty (v. 34) may refer to a human lifetime: generally speaking, everyone above the age of twenty would die in the wilderness in a period of forty years, because very few people lived beyond the age of sixty. There is a curious connection between the forty days of preparation for an entry that did not take place and forty years of awesome preparation for an entry that would take place--but only for a new generation."124
The 10 spies who brought the majority opinion seem to have died shortly after God pronounced their sentence as a result of a plague He sent (v. 37).
"As an unmistakable evidence that God's word of judgment would be literally fulfilled, the spies, except Joshua and Caleb, at this moment were struck dead with a plague from the Lord."125
