Numbers 14:34
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In keeping with the forty days you spied out the land, you shall bear your guilt forty years—a year for each day—and you will experience My alienation.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Uproar among the People. - Num 14:1-4. This appalling description of Canaan had so depressing an influence upon the whole congregation (cf. Deu 1:28 : they "made their heart melt," i.e., threw them into utter despair), that they raised a loud cry, and wept in the night in consequence. The whole nation murmured against Moses and Aaron their two leaders, saying "Would that we had died in Egypt or in this wilderness! Why will Jehovah bring us into this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should become a prey (be made slaves by the enemy; cf. Deu 1:27-28)? Let us rather return into Egypt! We will appoint a captain, they said one to another, and go back to Egypt."
Open source ↗This chapter gives us an account of that fatal quarrel between God and Israel upon which, for their murmuring and unbelief, he swore in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest. Here is, I. The mutiny and rebellion of Israel against God, upon the report of the evil spies (Num 14:1-4). II. The fruitless endeavour of Moses and Aaron, Caleb and Joshua, to still the tumult (Num 14:5-10). III. Their utter ruin justly threatened by an offended God (Num 14:11, Num 14:12). IV. The humble intercession of Moses for them (Num 14:13-19). V. A mitigation of the sentence in answer to the prayer of Moses; they shall not all be cut off, but the decree goes forth ratified with an oath, published to the people, again and again repeated, that this whole congregation should perish in the wilderness, and none of them enter Canaan but Caleb and Joshua only (v. 20-35). VI. The present death of the evil spies (Num 14:36-39). VII. The rebuke given to those who attempted to go forward notwithstanding (Num 14:40-45). And this is written for our admonition, that we "fall not after the same example of unbelief."
Open source ↗14:34 each day: Cp. 13:25. • to have me for an enemy: Cp. Ezek 5:8; 21:3.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
When you have completed these days, lie down again, but on your right side, and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah. I have assigned to you 40 days, a day for each year.
After forty days the men returned from spying out the land,
Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city to stop their transgression, to put an end to sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.
Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be deemed to have fallen short of it.
For forty years I was angry with that generation, and I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known My ways.”
Next I took my staff called Favor and cut it in two, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations.
So the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation, until seventy years were completed, in fulfillment of the word of the LORD through Jeremiah.
Is His loving devotion gone forever? Has His promise failed for all time?
And I will empower my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”