“And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.”
Such as were afraid at the report of the ten spies.
“And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?”
To our enemies the Canaanites.
“Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.”
Lamenting the people, and praying for them.
“And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:”
For sorrow, hearing their blasphemy.
“Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. defence: Heb. shadow”
We shall easily overcome them.
“But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.”
This is the condition of them that would persuade in God’s cause, to be persecuted of the multitude.
“And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)”
Cross references: : Exod. 32:12
“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.”
Hebrew, eye to eye . Exod. 13:21
“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.”
Exod. 34:6 ; Ps. 103:8 Ps. 10:3 Exod. 20:5 ; Exod. 34:7
“And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:”
In that he destroyed not them utterly, but left their posterity and certain to enter.
“Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;”
That is, sundry times and often.
“But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.”
A meek and obedient spirit, and not rebellious. Josh. 14:6
“(Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.”
For I will not defend you. And lie in wait for you.
“And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness. wander: or, feed”
Your infidelity and disobedience against God. The word signifieth to be shepherds, or to wander like shepherds to and fro.
“After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year , shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. breach: or, altering of my purpose”
Whether my promise be true or no. Ezek. 4:6 Ps. 95:10
“Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.”
1 Cor. 10:10 ; Heb. 3:10 , 17 ; Jude 5
“And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.”
They confess they sinned by rebelling against God, but consider not they offended in going up without God’s commandment. Deut. 1:41
“But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.”
They could not be stayed by any means.