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Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Numbers 14:20–35. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
We have here God's answer to the prayer of Moses, which sings both of mercy and judgment. It is given privately to Moses (Num 14:20-25), and then directed to be made public to the people, Num 14:26-35. The frequent repetitions of the same things in it speak these resolves to be unalterable. Let us see the particulars.
I.The extremity of the sentence is receded from (Num 14:20):
"I have pardoned, so as not to cut them all off at once, and disinherit them." See the power of prayer, and the delight God takes in putting an honour upon it. He designed a pardon, but Moses shall have the praise of obtaining it by prayer: it shall be done according to thy word; thus, as a prince, he has power with God, and prevails. See what countenance and encouragement God gives to our intercessions for others, that we may be public-spirited in prayer. Here is a whole nation rescued from ruin by the effectual fervent prayer of one righteous man. See how ready God is to forgive sin, and how easy to be entreated: Pardon, says Moses (Num 14:19); I have pardoned, says God, Num 14:20. David found him thus swift to show mercy, Psa 32:5. He deals not with us after our sins, Psa 103:10.
II.The glorifying of God's name is, in the general, resolved upon, Num 14:21.
It is said, it is sworn, All the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. Moses in his prayer had shown a great concern for the glory of God. "Let me alone," says God, "to secure that effectually, and to advance it, by this dispensation." All the world shall see how God hates sin even in his own people, and will reckon for it, and yet how gracious and merciful he is, and how slow to anger. Thus when our Saviour prayed, Father, glorify thy name, he was immediately answered, I have glorified it, and will glorify it yet again, Joh 12:28. Note, Those that sincerely seek God's glory may be sure of what they seek. God having turned this prayer for the glorifying of himself into a promise, we may turn it into praise, in concert with the angels, Isa 6:3, The earth is full of his glory.
III.The sin of this people which provoked God to proceed against them is here aggravated, Num 14:22, Num 14:27.
It is not made worse than really it was, but is shown to be exceedingly sinful. It was an evil congregation, each bad, but altogether in congregation, very bad.
1.They tempted God - tempted his power, whether he could help them in their straits - his goodness, whether he would - and his faithfulness, whether his promise would be performed. They tempted his justice, whether he would resent their provocations and punish them or no. They dared him, and in effect challenged him, as God does the idols (Isa 41:23), to do good, or do evil.
2.They murmured against him. This is much insisted on, Num 14:27. As they questioned what he would do, so they quarrelled with him for every thing he did or had done, continually fretting and finding fault. It does not appear that they murmured at any of the laws or ordinances that God gave them (though they proved a heavy yoke), but they murmured at the conduct they were under, and the provision made for them. Note, It is much easier to bring ourselves to the external services of religion, and observe all the formalities of devotion, than to live a life of dependence upon, and submission to, the divine Providence in the course of our conversation.
3.They did this after they had seen God's miracles in Egypt and in the wilderness, Num 14:2. They would not believe their own eyes, which were witnesses for God that he was in the midst of them of a truth.
4.They had repeated the provocations ten times, that is, very often: the Jewish writers reckon this exactly the tenth time that the body of the congregation had provoked God. First, at the Red Sea, Exo 14:11. In Marah, Exo 15:23, Exo 15:24. In the wilderness of Sin, Exo 16:2. At Rephidim, Exo 17:1, Exo 17:2. The golden calf, Ex. 32. Then at Taberah. Then at Kibroth-Hattaavah, ch. 11. And so this was the tenth. Note, God keeps an account how often we repeat our provocations, and will sooner or later set them in order before us. 5. They had not hearkened to his voice, though he had again and again admonished them of their sin.
IV.The sentence passed upon them for this sin.
1.That they should not see the promised land (Num 14:23), nor come into it, Num 14:30. He swore in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest, Psa 95:11. Note, Disbelief of the promise is a forfeiture of the benefit of it. Those that despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their posterity, but not to them.
2.That they should immediately turn back into the wilderness, Num 14:25. Their next remove should be a retreat. They must face about, and instead of going forward to Canaan, on the very borders of which they now were, they must withdraw towards the Red Sea again. Tomorrow turn you; that is, "Very shortly you shall be brought back to that vast howling wilderness which you are so weary of. And it is time to shift for your own safety, for the Amalekites lie in wait in the valley, ready to attack you if you march forward." Of them they had been distrustfully afraid (Num 13:29), and now with them God justly frightened them. The fear of the wicked shall come upon him.
3.That all those who had now grown up to men's estate should die in the wilderness, not all at once, but by degrees. They wished that they might die in the wilderness, and God said Amen to their passionate wish, and made their sin their ruin, snared them in the words of their mouth, and caused their own tongue to fall upon them, took them at their word, and determined that their carcases should fall in the wilderness, Num 14:28, Num 14:29, and again, Num 14:32, Num 14:35. See with what contempt they are spoken of, now that they had by their sin made themselves vile; the mighty men of valour were but carcases, when the Spirit of the Lord had departed from them. They were all as dead men. Their fathers had such a value for Canaan that they desired to have their dead bodies carried thither to be buried, in token of their dependence upon God's promise that they should have that land for a possession: but these, having despised that good land and disbelieved the promise of it, shall not have the honour to be buried in it, but shall have their graves in the wilderness.
4.That in pursuance of this sentence they should wander to and fro in the wilderness, like travellers that have lost themselves, for forty years; that is, so long as to make it full forty years from their coming out of Egypt to their entrance into Canaan, Num 14:33, Num 14:34. Thus long they were kept wandering,
(1.)To answer the number of the days in which the spies were searching the land. They were content to wait forty days for the testimony of men, because they could not take God's word; and therefore justly are they kept forty years waiting for the performance of God's promise.
(2.)That hereby they might be brought to repentance, and find mercy with God in the other world, whatever became of them in this. Now they had time to bethink themselves, and to consider their ways; and the inconveniences of the wilderness would help to humble them and prove them, and show them what was in their heart, Deu 8:2. Thus long they bore their iniquities, feeling the weight of God's wrath in the punishment. They were made to groan under the burden of their own sin that brought it upon them, which was too heavy for them to bear.
(3.)That they might sensibly feel what a dangerous thing it is for God's covenant-people to break with him: "You shall know my breach of promise, both the causes of it, that it is procured by your sin" (for God never leaves any till they first leave him), "and the consequences of it, that it will produce your ruin; you are quite undone when you are thrown out of covenant." (4.) That a new generation might in this time be raised up, which could not be done all of a sudden. And the children, being brought up under the tokens of God's displeasure against their fathers, and so bearing their whoredoms (that is, the punishment of their sins, especially their idolatry about the golden calf, which God now remembered against them), might take warning not to tread in the steps of their fathers' disobedience. And their wandering so long in the wilderness would make Canaan at last the more welcome to them. It should seem that upon occasion of this sentence Moses penned the ninetieth Psalm, which is very apposite to the present state of Israel, and wherein they are taught to pray that since this sentence could not be reversed it might be sanctified, and they might learn to apply their hearts unto wisdom.
V.The mercy that was mixed with this severe sentence.
1.Mercy to Caleb and Joshua, that though they should wander with the rest in the wilderness, yet they, and only they of all that were now above twenty years old, should survive the years of banishment, and live to enter Canaan. Caleb only is spoken of (Num 14:24), and a particular mark of honour put upon him, both,
(1.)In the character given of him: he had another spirit, different from the rest of the spies, an after-spirit, which furnished him with second thoughts, and he followed the Lord fully, kept close to his duty, and went through with it, though deserted and threatened; and,
(2.)In the recompence promised to him: Him will I bring in due time into the land whereinto he went. Note,
[1.]It ought to be the great care and endeavour of every one of us to follow the Lord fully. We must, in a course of obedience to God's will and of service to his honour, follow him universally, without dividing, - uprightly, without dissembling, - cheerfully, without disputing, - and constantly, without declining; and this is following him fully.
[2.]Those that would follow God fully must have another spirit, another from the spirit of the world, and another from what their own spirit has been. They must have the spirit of Caleb.
[3.]Those that follow God fully in times of general apostasy God will own and honour by singular preservations in times of general calamity. The heavenly Canaan shall be the everlasting inheritance of those that follow the Lord fully. When Caleb is again mentioned (Num 14:30) Joshua stands with him, compassed with the same favours and crowned with the same honours, having stood with him in the same services.
2.Mercy to the children even of these rebels. They should have a seed preserved, and Canaan secured to that seed: Your little ones, now under twenty years old, which you, in your unbelief, said should be a prey, them will I bring in, Num 14:31. They had invidiously charged God with a design to ruin their children, Num 14:3. But God will let them know that he can put a difference between the guilty and the innocent, and cut them off without touching their children. Thus the promise made to Abraham, though it seemed to fail for a time, was kept from failing for evermore; and, though God chastened their transgressions with a rod, yet his loving kindness he would not utterly take away.
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Summary
Numbers 14:22 serves as a profound divine indictment against the generation of Israelites who, despite being direct witnesses to God's awe-inspiring glory and numerous miraculous interventions in both Egypt and the wilderness, persistently challenged His authority and refused to obey His voice. This pivotal verse articulates the cumulative nature of their chronic unbelief and rebellion, establishing the righteous basis for God's severe judgment and the consequential barring of this disobedient generation from entering the Promised Land.
Context
Literary Context
Numbers 14:22 is situated at a critical juncture in the wilderness narrative, immediately following the catastrophic report of the twelve spies dispatched to survey Canaan. In Numbers 13, ten of the spies delivered a demoralizing assessment, emphasizing the formidable inhabitants and fortified cities, which overshadowed the land's inherent goodness. Only Joshua and Caleb, driven by faith, urged the people to trust God's promise and proceed. However, the congregation succumbed to fear, erupting in grumbling against the Lord and Moses, even proposing to appoint a new leader and revert to their former bondage in Egypt (Numbers 14:1-4). This verse forms an integral part of God's swift and profound response, articulating the divine rationale for His judgment against a generation that had consistently demonstrated profound unbelief despite overwhelming evidence of His power, faithfulness, and covenant commitment. It directly precedes and justifies the decree of forty years of wilderness wandering, a direct and severe consequence of their collective rebellion.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Israelites, having been miraculously delivered from centuries of oppressive slavery in Egypt through a series of dramatic plagues and the awe-inspiring crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14), were on their sacred journey toward the land promised to their patriarchal forefathers. They had entered into a solemn covenant with Yahweh at Mount Sinai, where they received the Law and experienced the tangible manifestation of God's presence through the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, and the visible glory upon the Tabernacle. Their wilderness sojourn was divinely intended as a period of testing, purification, and spiritual formation, designed to cultivate a deep-seated trust and unwavering obedience to God. Culturally, their repeated complaints, murmuring, and expressed desire to return to Egypt reflected a common human inclination to prefer the perceived security of known hardship over the challenging demands of faith and the uncertainties of the divine path. The act of "testing God" (rooted in the Hebrew nasah) was considered a grave offense within the covenant relationship, implying a profound doubt in His character, omnipotence, or fidelity, particularly after such an extensive and undeniable display of His salvific power.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully encapsulates several foundational themes that resonate throughout the Pentateuch and the book of Numbers. Firstly, it highlights the theme of Divine Patience Tested, revealing God's immense long-suffering nature, yet simultaneously demonstrating His righteous and just judgment when His forbearance is exhausted by persistent and unrepentant unbelief. The phrase "these ten times" serves as a symbolic representation of a full measure of repeated provocations, underscoring a chronic pattern of disobedience rather than a literal tally, signifying the completeness and depth of Israel's rebellion. Secondly, it profoundly emphasizes the severe Consequences of Unbelief, illustrating that despite God's unwavering covenant faithfulness, human rebellion and a fundamental lack of trust inevitably lead to dire outcomes, most notably their exclusion from the Promised Land (Numbers 14:23). This serves as a solemn and enduring warning against the spiritual perils of a hardened heart. Thirdly, it speaks directly to the Responsibility of Witness, asserting that those who had directly experienced God's "glory" and "miracles" were held to a higher standard of accountability. Their sin was particularly egregious because it was committed in the direct face of undeniable, overwhelming evidence of God's power, faithfulness, and abiding presence, rendering their rejection of His voice all the more culpable and inexcusable.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Derived from the root meaning "weight," kâbôwd here signifies the tangible, weighty presence, honor, and visible manifestation of God's majesty and power. The Israelites had personally witnessed this glory in the pillar of cloud and fire that guided them, the cloud descending on Mount Sinai, and the divine presence filling the Tabernacle. This term refers to the awe-inspiring, undeniable display of God's divine nature and power that they had encountered firsthand.
While translated as "miracles," the underlying Hebrew term ʼôwth (plural ʼôthōth) more precisely means "signs" or "tokens." These were not mere coincidences but deliberate, supernatural acts of God designed to serve as clear demonstrations of His power, authority, and authentication of His word and promises. They were divine interventions intended to reveal God's character and purposes, demanding a response of faith and obedience from His people.
This primitive root means "to test," "try," or "prove." In the context of Numbers 14:22, it describes the Israelites' repeated and deliberate challenging of God's faithfulness, power, and patience through their incessant complaints, doubts, and acts of disobedience. It implies putting God to the test, as if His character or promises were in question, rather than a sincere inquiry or a test of one's own faith. This pattern of testing God is a recurring motif throughout the wilderness narrative, notably referenced in Psalm 95:8-11 and explicitly cited in Hebrews 3:7-19.
Verse Breakdown
"Because all those men which have seen my glory"
This initial clause establishes the profound culpability of the generation being judged by emphasizing their direct, personal, and undeniable experience of God's visible presence and majesty. They were not recipients of secondhand accounts; they had witnessed God's glory with their own eyes, from the guiding pillar of cloud and fire to the overwhelming glory on Mount Sinai and within the Tabernacle. This direct encounter with divine revelation significantly heightens the gravity of their subsequent rebellion.
"and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness"
This section further specifies the overwhelming and continuous evidence of God's power and faithfulness that they had personally witnessed. In Egypt, they were eyewitnesses to the ten plagues and the miraculous parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14). Throughout their wilderness journey, they experienced the daily provision of manna (Exodus 16) and water from the rock (Exodus 17), among countless other divine interventions. These were not isolated incidents but a continuous, tangible demonstration of God's active presence, benevolent care, and omnipotent power.
"and have tempted me now these ten times"
This clause emphatically highlights the repeated, persistent, and cumulative nature of Israel's rebellion and distrust. Despite the overwhelming and undeniable evidence of God's power, love, and provision, they continually challenged His authority, doubted His care, and questioned His leadership. The phrase "these ten times" functions as an idiomatic expression, signifying a full measure or a complete series of provocations, indicating that their unbelief was not an isolated lapse but a deeply ingrained, chronic pattern of distrust and provocation that had reached its breaking point.
"and have not hearkened to my voice"
This concluding clause identifies the fundamental core of their transgression: a profound and persistent failure to listen and obey God's commands and instructions. "Hearkening to my voice" implies far more than mere auditory perception; it signifies actively attending to, trusting in, and submitting one's will to God's revealed word. Their repeated testing and rebellion stemmed from a deep-seated unwillingness to align their will with God's divine plan, consistently choosing fear, self-reliance, and immediate gratification over faithful obedience to divine guidance.
Literary Devices
Numbers 14:22 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey the gravity of Israel's sin and the righteousness of God's judgment. Repetition of Israel's rebellious acts is a pervasive and deliberate theme woven throughout the wilderness narrative, and this verse serves as a climactic summation, emphasizing the cumulative and persistent nature of their unfaithfulness. The precise phrase "these ten times" functions as a form of Hyperbole or Symbolism, signifying a complete and utter measure of provocation rather than a literal numerical count, thereby powerfully underscoring the profound depth and chronic nature of their disobedience. There is also a stark and poignant Contrast presented within the verse: God's consistent and overwhelming demonstration of His glory and power stands in direct opposition to Israel's equally consistent and persistent pattern of unbelief and disobedience. This juxtaposition vividly highlights the egregious nature of their sin, as it was committed in the face of undeniable and abundant divine revelation. Furthermore, the verse serves as a powerful Foreshadowing of the impending divine judgment, setting the solemn stage for the forty years of wilderness wandering and the tragic exclusion of that entire rebellious generation from the Promised Land.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Numbers 14:22 stands as a profound theological declaration concerning the immutable nature of God's justice, the severe gravity of persistent unbelief, and the inherent demands of a covenant relationship. It unequivocally reveals that while God is boundless in His patience and infinite in His mercy, there exists a righteous limit to His forbearance when His character, commands, and demonstrated faithfulness are persistently and defiantly rejected. The Israelites' sin was not merely an isolated lapse in judgment but a deeply entrenched pattern of rejecting God's proven faithfulness, constituting a direct affront to His divine glory and a fundamental breach of the sacred covenant they had willingly entered. This verse powerfully underscores the timeless principle that great privilege—such as witnessing God's glory and miracles firsthand—invariably brings with it heightened spiritual responsibility, and that persistent rejection of divine truth ultimately leads to severe and unavoidable consequences. It serves as a stark and enduring reminder that genuine faith is not merely intellectual assent but rather active trust and unwavering obedience to God's voice, particularly when circumstances are daunting or seemingly insurmountable.
Reflection and Application
The sobering account in Numbers 14:22 serves as a powerful and timeless reminder for believers in every generation. It challenges us to deeply examine the authenticity and depth of our own faith, and the consistency of our obedience, particularly when confronted with daunting circumstances, prolonged periods of waiting, or the allure of worldly comforts. Just as the Israelites had been eyewitnesses to God's undeniable glory and experienced His miraculous interventions, we too possess an expansive testimony of God's faithfulness—both through the inspired narratives of Scripture and through His personal, often miraculous, interventions in our individual lives. The crucial question for us today is whether we genuinely "hearken to His voice" and wholeheartedly trust in His promises, or if we allow fear, doubt, and the deceptive allure of perceived security to lead us into a pattern of spiritual rebellion or complacent disobedience. This verse issues a profound call to cultivate a heart characterized by active trust, humble submission, and unwavering obedience, recognizing that while God's grace is boundless and His mercy unfathomable, persistent unbelief that defiantly rejects His clear will and proven character carries profound and eternal spiritual consequences. It encourages us to diligently learn from Israel's tragic mistakes, to walk in diligent obedience, and to eagerly strive to enter into the "rest" that God has graciously prepared for all who truly believe and follow Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "tempted me now these ten times" mean?
The phrase "these ten times" (Hebrew: עֶשֶׂר פְּעָמִים, ‘eser pe‘amim) is generally understood to be a symbolic or idiomatic expression, rather than a literal count of exactly ten specific instances of rebellion. It signifies a complete, full measure, or an exhaustive series of repeated provocations and persistent rebellion. It emphasizes that the Israelites had reached a critical threshold of chronic disobedience and distrust, having pushed God's patience to its righteous limit. While more than ten instances of grumbling and rebellion are recorded throughout their wilderness journey, this phrase powerfully conveys the idea that their testing of God was comprehensive, unceasing, and deeply ingrained, demonstrating a profound, deep-seated pattern of unbelief despite overwhelming evidence of His power and faithfulness. It underscores the cumulative gravity of their sin as a continuous and deliberate affront to God's holy character.
What specific "glory" and "miracles" did they see?
The Israelites had witnessed an unparalleled and continuous display of God's glory and miraculous power. In Egypt, they were direct observers of the ten devastating plagues (Exodus 7-12 to Exodus 12), the miraculous parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14), and the subsequent destruction of the formidable Egyptian army. Throughout their journey in the wilderness, they experienced the daily, supernatural provision of manna and quail (Exodus 16), water miraculously supplied from the rock (Exodus 17), the tangible, visible presence of God in the guiding pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, the awe-inspiring glory of God descending upon Mount Sinai, and His divine presence filling the Tabernacle. These were not isolated occurrences but a continuous, visible, and undeniable demonstration of God's omnipotent power, unwavering faithfulness, and intimate presence among His people.
Why was their sin so grievous?
Their sin was particularly grievous and offensive to God because it was committed in the direct face of overwhelming, undeniable, and continuous evidence of God's power, faithfulness, and intimate presence. They had personally seen God's "glory" and experienced His "miracles" firsthand, establishing a profound level of accountability and responsibility. Their unbelief was not a result of ignorance or a lack of divine revelation, but rather a willful, persistent refusal to trust and obey God's voice despite His clear and repeated demonstrations of His character and benevolent intentions. This chronic and defiant rebellion constituted a direct rejection of their covenant relationship with God and His compassionate, sovereign leadership, rendering their actions profoundly offensive and justly deserving of the severe judgment pronounced against them.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Numbers 14:22, while vividly portraying Israel's profound failure and the consequences of their unbelief, simultaneously serves as a powerful backdrop that illuminates the perfect obedience and ultimate faithfulness of Jesus Christ. The generation in the wilderness "tempted" God and "did not hearken to His voice," resulting in their tragic exclusion from the promised earthly rest. In stark and glorious contrast, Jesus, the true and faithful Israel, perfectly "hearkened to His Father's voice" (John 8:29), demonstrating unwavering obedience even to the point of His sacrificial death on the cross (Philippians 2:8). Where Israel failed in the wilderness by grumbling over physical provision, Jesus triumphantly overcame every temptation in the wilderness, relying solely on God's sustaining word (Matthew 4:1-11). The "glory" that Israel saw was but a veiled shadow of the true, incandescent glory of God incarnate in Jesus, who is "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). He is the ultimate Lamb of God, who perfectly takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), providing the all-sufficient atonement necessary for the very unbelief and rebellion that Israel displayed. Through His perfect life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection, Jesus secures true and lasting rest for all who believe, leading His redeemed people into the heavenly Canaan, a spiritual rest infinitely greater than the earthly one Israel forfeited (Hebrews 4:1-11). He perfectly fulfills the covenant promises that Israel so tragically broke, offering a new and living way to God, not based on human merit or flawed obedience, but solely on His perfect righteousness and finished work.