I, the LORD, have spoken. Surely this will I do to all this wicked congregation who are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall come to a full end, and there they shall die.”
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.
Commenting on Numbers 14:20-35
And the men which Moses sent to search the land,.... Ten of them: who returned; as they all did, who were sent to search it: and made all the congregation to murmur against him; against, Moses that sent them; they murmured themselves, and made others murmur: by bringing up a slander upon the land; that it ate up its inhabitants, and that the inhabitants of...
Num 14:35 As surely as Jehovah had spoken this, would He do it to that evil congregation, to those who had allied themselves against Him (נועד, to bind themselves together, to conspire; Num 16:11; Num 27:3). There is no ground whatever for questioning the correctness of the statement, that the spies had travelled through Canaan for forty days, or regarding this as a so-called round...