Números 14

Números 14

Meyer - Our Daily Homily - The Egyptians shall hear it. What a noble concern for the credit of God! Here was a great opportunity for Moses. God was testing him by the proposal, that, the entire nation of Israel being cut off as a judgment for their repeated shortcomings and transgressions, Moses should become the slip or stock of the Hebrew race: “I will disinherit them, and make of thee a nation greater and mightier than they.” This was not the settled purpose of God; but a suggestion to test his servant, who would not entertain it for a moment. All thought of the honor to be done to himself was submerged in his great eagerness for the Divine credit. “The Egyptians shall hear it: the nations which have heard the fame of Thee will speak, saying, Because the Lord was not able....” The Egyptians are always around us, watching and listening. They can only judge of God by our behavior and the course of our experience: and are only too ready to catch up anything which they may interpret to the discrediting of the Eternal. How careful we should be in all our life and conversation so that the ungodly may have, not lower, but loftier conceptions of our God. When tempted to anything which is not perfectly noble and honorable; when inclined to murmur and complain of God’s dealings with you; when an opportunity comes, as it did to Moses, to make gain at the expense of others; then remember the name of God, and the urgency of need that exists, to maintain it unsullied and untarnished. We should be restrained by a double fear: first, lest we should grieve God; second, lest the Egyptians should have a handle against Him, and should be prejudiced against religion. Numbers 14:14 and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, for You, O LORD, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. BGT Numbers 14:14 ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ταύτης ἀκηκόασιν ὅτι σὺ εἶ κύριος ἐν τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ ὅστις ὀφθαλμοῖς κατ᾽ ὀφθαλμοὺς ὀπτάζῃ κύριε καὶ ἡ νεφέλη σου ἐφέστηκεν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν στύλῳ νεφέλης σὺ πορεύῃ πρότερος αὐτῶν τὴν ἡμέραν καὶ ἐν στύλῳ πυρὸς τὴν νύκτα NET Numbers 14:14 then they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, LORD, are among this people, that you, LORD, are seen face to face, that your cloud stands over them, and that you go before them by day in a pillar of cloud and in a pillar of fire by night. NLT Numbers 14:14 Now if you destroy them, the Egyptians will send a report to the inhabitants of this land, who have already heard that you live among your people. They know, LORD, that you have appeared to your people face to face and that your pillar of cloud hovers over them. They know that you go before them in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. ESV Numbers 14:14 and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O LORD, are in the midst of this people. For you, O LORD, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. NIV Numbers 14:14 And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, O LORD, are with these people and that you, O LORD, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. KJV Numbers 14:14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. YLT Numbers 14:14 and they have said it unto the inhabitant of this land, they have heard that Thou, Jehovah, art in the midst of this people, that eye to eye Thou art seen -- O Jehovah, and Thy cloud is standing over them, -- and in a pillar of cloud Thou art going before them by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. LXE Numbers 14:14 Moreover all the dwellers upon this land have heard that thou art Lord in the midst of this people, who, O Lord, art seen by them face to face, and thy cloud rests upon them, and thou goest before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire. ASV Numbers 14:14 and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that thou Jehovah art in the midst of this people; for thou Jehovah art seen face to face, and thy cloud standeth over them, and thou goest before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. CSB Numbers 14:14 They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, LORD, are among these people, how You, LORD, are seen face to face, how Your cloud stands over them, and how You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. NKJ Numbers 14:14 "and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, LORD, are among these people; that You, LORD, are seen face to face and Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. they: Ex 15:14 Jos 2:9,10 5:1 seen: Nu 12:8 Ge 32:30 Ex 33:11 De 5:4 34:10 Joh 1:18 14:9 1Co 13:12 1Jn 3:2 cloud: Nu 9:15-21 10:34 Ex 13:21,22 40:38 Ne 9:12,19 Ps 78:14 105:39 Numbers 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land - This would diminish the fear of the Lord if Israel were destroyed. FSB - "From the Amarna Letters and other ancient Near Eastern sources, we know that correspondences were regularly exchanged between Egypt—a super-power—and city-states throughout the Levant." (FSB) They have heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, for You, O LORD, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them - "That is, in the most open, plain, and visible manner, without any interposing medium" (Bush) Moses was the one who actually spoke with Yahweh "face to face" (Ex 33:11+). NET Note - “eye to eye.” It only occurs elsewhere in Isa 52:8. This expresses the closest communication possible." and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night - The point is that the pagans would say that Yahweh is intimately involved with His people Israel. This prepares us for the next passage where Moses speaks of killing them. FSB on a pillar of cloud - The activities of Yahweh’s cloud are detailed in Nu 9:15–23+; it is referred to numerous times throughout the Pentateuch as a key component of theophany (e.g., Ex 13:21–22; Ex 14:19–24; Ex 16:10; Ex 19:9, 16; Ex 33:9–10; Nu 10:34). Brian Bell -3 arguments in Moses’ intercession: 1. God’s Reputation; God’s Consistency; God’s Mercy. Numbers 14:15 "Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, BGT Numbers 14:15 καὶ ἐκτρίψεις τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον ὡσεὶ ἄνθρωπον ἕνα καὶ ἐροῦσιν τὰ ἔθνη ὅσοι ἀκηκόασιν τὸ ὄνομά σου λέγοντες NET Numbers 14:15 If you kill this entire people at once, then the nations that have heard of your fame will say, NLT Numbers 14:15 Now if you slaughter all these people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of your fame will say, ESV Numbers 14:15 Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say, NIV Numbers 14:15 If you put these people to death all at one time, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, KJV Numbers 14:15 Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, YLT Numbers 14:15 'And Thou hast put to death this people as one man, and the nations who have heard Thy fame have spoken, saying, LXE Numbers 14:15 And if thou shalt destroy this nation as one man; then all the nations that have heard thy name shall speak, saying, ASV Numbers 14:15 Now if thou shalt kill this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, CSB Numbers 14:15 If You kill this people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of Your fame will declare, NKJ Numbers 14:15 "Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, NRS Numbers 14:15 Now if you kill this people all at one time, then the nations who have heard about you will say, Numbers 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries RESULTS OF DESTROYING ENTIRE NATION "Now if You slay this people as one man - NET = "f you kill this entire people at once"; NLT = "Now if you slaughter all these people with a single blow." then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say - They will draw a conclusion based on the destruction of the the entire nation. Fame (08088)(shema from shama = to hear) means news, report, fame, refers to the "thing heard," such as family news (Ge. 29:13), news of military movement (Jer 37:5; 50:43) and news of judgment (Nah. 3:19). Shemaʿ can refer to a report of an event, such as the report of the downfall of Tyre (Isa. 23:5), the report of some wrongdoing (Hos. 7:12), the report of Israel's victories (Deut. 2:25) or even a false report about someone (Exo. 23:1). Shemaʿ can refer idiomatically to a report as "the hearing of the ear" (Job 42:5; Ps. 18:44). And it can refer to someone's fame, such as God's fame (Nu 14:15; Isa. 66:19; Hab. 3:2), Solomon's fame (1 Ki. 10:1; 2 Chr. 9:1) and Wisdom's fame (Job 28:22). TWOT - Used 1) of news generally, whether good or bad, 2) of the fame attached to a person, and 3) of hearsay, as opposed to personal experiential knowledge. Thus it is used in Isaiah 23:5 of the report or news of Jacob's arrival. In 1 Kings 10:1 it is used to describe Solomon's fame that had reached as far as Sheba. In Job's great confession (Job 42:5) he testifies that his former knowledge of God had been but hearsay, and that as a result of his personal encounter with God he has come to see his own nothingness in the face of the greatness of God. Shema - 17x - about(1), fame(4), hear*(1), hearing(1), news(1), proclamation(1), report(8). Gen. 29:13; Exod. 23:1; Num. 14:15; Deut. 2:25; 1 Ki. 10:1; 2 Chr. 9:1; Job 28:22; Job 42:5; Ps. 18:44; Isa. 23:5; Isa. 66:19; Jer. 37:5; Jer. 50:43; Hos. 7:12; Nah. 3:19; Hab. 3:2 Numbers 14:16 'Because the LORD could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.' BGT Numbers 14:16 παρὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι κύριον εἰσαγαγεῖν τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον εἰς τὴν γῆν ἣν ὤμοσεν αὐτοῖς κατέστρωσεν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ NET Numbers 14:16 'Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to them, he killed them in the wilderness.' NLT Numbers 14:16 'The LORD was not able to bring them into the land he swore to give them, so he killed them in the wilderness.' ESV Numbers 14:16 'It is because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.' NIV Numbers 14:16 'The LORD was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath; so he slaughtered them in the desert.' KJV Numbers 14:16 Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. YLT Numbers 14:16 From Jehovah's want of ability to bring in this people unto the land which He hath sworn to them -- He doth slaughter them in the wilderness. LXE Numbers 14:16 Because the Lord could not bring this people into the land which he sware to them, he has overthrown them in the wilderness. ASV Numbers 14:16 Because Jehovah was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. CSB Numbers 14:16 'Since the LORD wasn't able to bring this people into the land He swore to give them, He has slaughtered them in the wilderness.' NKJ Numbers 14:16 `Because the LORD was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.' NRS Numbers 14:16 'It is because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them that he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.' De 9:28 32:26,27 Jos 7:9 Numbers 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries YAHWEH'S PROMISE TO PATRIARCHS MUST BE KEPT Because the LORD could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness - The oath speaks of the Abrahamic Covenant as in Genesis 12:1-3+ or Genesis 15:1-21+. Here is the essential point of Moses' plea -- the pagans will think God is not powerful enough. They would say yes, he was able to bring them out (of Egypt) but He was not powerful enough to bring them into the promised land, so by their pagan logic they would reason that the "gods" of the land of Canaan were stronger than the God of the Israelites. Moses' sought to preserve the glory of God among the godless nations. NIVSB - The enemies of God’s people will charge the Lord with inability to complete his deliverance and will be contemptuous of his power. FSB - Yahweh was unable Meaning he is not able to overpower the gods of the land to which the people are going. Numbers 14:17 "But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, BGT Numbers 14:17 καὶ νῦν ὑψωθήτω ἡ ἰσχύς σου κύριε ὃν τρόπον εἶπας λέγων NET Numbers 14:17 So now, let the power of my Lord be great, just as you have said, NLT Numbers 14:17 "Please, Lord, prove that your power is as great as you have claimed. For you said, ESV Numbers 14:17 And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, NIV Numbers 14:17 "Now may the Lord's strength be displayed, just as you have declared: KJV Numbers 14:17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, YLT Numbers 14:17 'And now, let, I pray Thee, the power of my Lord be great, as Thou hast spoken, saying: LXE Numbers 14:17 And now, O Lord, let thy strength be exalted, as thou spakest, saying, ASV Numbers 14:17 And now, I pray thee, let the power of the Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, CSB Numbers 14:17 "So now, may my Lord's power be magnified just as You have spoken: NKJ Numbers 14:17 "And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying, NRS Numbers 14:17 And now, therefore, let the power of the LORD be great in the way that you promised when you spoke, saying, Mic 3:8 Mt 9:6,8 Numbers 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries MOSES APPEALS TO THE LORDS CHARACTER This is Moses' third ground of appeal to Jehovah - first His glory, next His covenant and here His character, a good pattern for intercessory praying! (See fourth ground for Moses' appeal) But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared - How would it be shown "great?" If He brought Israel into the land inhabited by strong and giant adversaries, it would clearly show His omnipotence. Numbers 14:18 'The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.' BGT Numbers 14:18 κύριος μακρόθυμος καὶ πολυέλεος καὶ ἀληθινός ἀφαιρῶν ἀνομίας καὶ ἀδικίας καὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ καθαρισμῷ οὐ καθαριεῖ τὸν ἔνοχον ἀποδιδοὺς ἁμαρτίας πατέρων ἐπὶ τέκνα ἕως τρίτης καὶ τετάρτης NET Numbers 14:18 'The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loyal love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children until the third and fourth generations.' NLT Numbers 14:18 'The LORD is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected-- even children in the third and fourth generations.' ESV Numbers 14:18 'The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.' NIV Numbers 14:18 'The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.' KJV Numbers 14:18 The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. YLT Numbers 14:18 Jehovah is slow to anger, and of great kindness; bearing away iniquity and transgression, and not entirely acquitting, charging iniquity of fathers on sons, on a third generation, and on a fourth; -- LXE Numbers 14:18 The Lord is long-suffering and merciful, and true, removing transgressions and iniquities and sins, and he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation. ASV Numbers 14:18 Jehovah is slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation. CSB Numbers 14:18 The LORD is slow to anger and rich in faithful love, forgiving wrongdoing and rebellion. But He will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers' wrongdoing on the children to the third and fourth generation. NKJ Numbers 14:18 `The LORD is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.' NRS Numbers 14:18 'The LORD is slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children to the third and the fourth generation.' lovingkindness: Ex 34:6,7 Ps 103:8 145:8 Jon 4:2 Mic 7:18 Na 1:2,3 Ro 3:24-26 Ro 5:21 Eph 1:7,8 visiting: Ex 20:5 34:7 Jer 23:2 Numbers 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Exodus 34:6-7+ Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression - Moses is reminding God of His character which was described in Ex 34:6-7+. Moses had witnessed this aspect of God's character after the golden calf episode. And so Moses is not making an abstract allusion, but is appealing based on his own experience with Yahweh. The love of God is emphasized after the power of God in the previous passage. Slow (patience, long) (0750) see word study on arek Anger (nose, nostril, wrath) (0639) see word study on aph Lovingkindness (02617) see word study on hesed/chesed/heced Iniquity (punishment, guilt) (05771) see word study on 'avon Transgression (rebellion)(06588) see word study on pesha' NET Note - The expression is רַב־חֶסֶד (rav khesed) means “much of loyal love,” or “faithful love.” But - Term of contrast. This is the opposite side of the coin. Yes, God is love, but God is also just and holy and righteous and therefore must punish sin against Himself. If we understood the holiness of God better we would wrestle less with the truth that He must punish sins. And it would also serve to motivate us to be more resilient in our resistance against temptations. He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations - This is not teaching "generational curses." The parallel passage in Exodus (see below) helps us better understand this passage for in that passage there is in effect a "qualifying" statement regarding why God will visit iniquity to future generations. The statement "of those who hate Me" identifies those in the third and fourth generations who will be punished. Each person will be punished for their own individual sins and not for the sins of others, including their fathers. Furthermore the verb "hate" in the Septuagint is miseo in the present tense indicating that these individuals are manifesting a lifestyle of hatred toward God as show by their habitually godless behavior. Exodus 20:5+ “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, Clear the guilty (acquit)(05352) see word study on naqah Visiting (punishing) (06485) see word study on paqad