Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 14:9
Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they [are] bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD [is] with us: fear them not.
9. they are our bread ] i.e. we shall swallow them up, annihilate them; cf. Psa 14:4 = Psa 53:4, Num 24:8.
their defence ] Lit. ‘shadow’ (as R.V. marg. states); a common metaphor of great significance in a hot country; see Jdg 9:15, Isa 25:4; Isa 32:2, and the name Bezalel (Exo 31:2) which denotes ‘in the shadow of El (God).’ The passage means that the gods in whom the Canaanites trust will be powerless against Jehovah the God of Israel. Cf. Deu 32:31 ‘their rock is not as our Rock.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Their defense – literally, their shadow, i. e. their shelter as from the scorching sun: an Oriental figure. Compare the marginal references.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 9. Their defence] tsillam, their shadow, a metaphor highly expressive of protection and support in the sultry eastern countries. The protection of God is so called; see Ps 91:1; Ps 121:5; see also Isa 51:16; Isa 49:2; Isa 30:2.
The Arabs and Persians have the same word to express the same thing. [Persian] nemayeed zulli doulet mamdood bad. “May the shadow of thy prosperity be extended!” [Persian] nemayced zulli doulet ber mufareki khayr khwahen mamdood bad. “May the shadow of thy prosperity be spread over the heads of thy well-wishers!” They have also the following elegant distich: –
[Persian]
[Persian]
Sayahat kem mubad az seri ma
Bast Allah zullikem abeda.
“May thy protection never be removed from my head!
May God extend thy shadow eternally!”
Here the Arabic [Arabic] zull answers exactly to the Hebrew tsel, both signifying that which overspreads or overshadows. See Clarke on Nu 14:14.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
They are bread for us; we shall destroy them as easily as we do our bread or common food. Compare Num 24:8; Psa 14:4.
Their defence, i.e. their counsel, conduct, and courage, and especially God, who was pleased to afford them his protection till their iniquities were full, Gen 15:16, is utterly departed from them, and hath given them up as a prey to us.
The Lord is with us, by his special grace and almighty power, to save us from them; and from all our enemies.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. their defence is departedHebrew,“their shadow.” The Sultan of Turkey and the Shah of Persiaare called “the shadow of God,” “the refuge of theworld.” So that the meaning of the clause, “their defenceis departed from them,” is, that the favor of God was now lostto those whose iniquities were full (Ge15:16), and transferred to the Israelites.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Only rebel not ye against the Lord,…. Nothing, it is suggested, could hinder them from the, possession of it but their rebellion against the Lord; which might provoke him to cut them off by his immediate hand, or to deliver them into the hands of their enemies; for rebellion is a dreadful sin, and highly provoking, 1Sa 15:23;
neither fear ye the people the land; on account of their number, strength, the walled cities they dwell in; they had nothing to fear from them, so be it they feared the Lord, and were not disobedient to him:
for they [are] bread for us; as easy to be cut to pieces, and to be devoured, consumed, and destroyed as thoroughly, as bread is when eaten; and their fields, vineyards, all they have without and within, even all their substance, will be a prey to us, and furnish out sufficient provision for us, on which we may pleasantly and plentifully live, as on bread: see Ps 14:4;
their defence is departed from them; they had no heart nor spirit left in them; no courage to defend themselves, and therefore the strength of their bodies and their walled towns would be of no avail unto them; see Jos 2:9; or “their shadow” r, which covered and protected them, the providence of God which was over them, and continued them in the land, and quiet possession of it, until the measure of their iniquity was filled up, and the time come for his people Israel to inhabit it; but now it was departed:
and the Lord [is] with us; as was evident by the cloud upon the tabernacle, and by the manna being spread around their camp every morning: the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan are,
“the Word of the Lord is for our help:”
fear them not; the Canaanites, notwithstanding the strength of their bodies, or of their cities, the Lord is mightier than they.
r “umbra eorum”, Montanus, Tigurine version, Fagius, Vatablus; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(9) Their defence is departed from them.Literally, their shadow. This is a natural and frequently recurring figure of speech in the East, where protection from the scorching rays of the sun is a boon of incalculable worth. (Comp. Gen. 19:8; Psa. 17:8; Psa. 91:1; Isa. 25:4; Isa. 30:2.) The measure of the iniquity of the Canaanites was now full, and they were ripe for
destruction. (Comp. Gen. 15:16; Lev. 18:25; Lev. 20:23.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. Rebel not neither fear the people Disobedience to God is the soil out of which the fear of man always grows. If the presence of Napoleon on the battle-field was equal, in the courage which he inspired, to a re-enforcement of ten thousand men, how much more inspiring to the Hebrews would be a realizing faith in the presence of the omnipotent Jehovah.
They are bread for us We shall destroy them as easily as we eat bread. Psa 14:4. The simile is natural to a Hebrew, in whose language the verbs to eat, to fight, to destroy in war, are the same. We have a similar proverb in “Food for our powder.” As the faint-hearted spies had declared that the Canaanites were giants before whom the Hebrews were dwarfed to grasshoppers, so the brave spies, with equal strength of expression, style them “bread for us.”
Their defence Hebrew, shadow, covering.
Is departed They are wholly destitute of courage. The Sultan of Turkey and the Shah of Persia are called “the shadow of God,” “the refuge of the whole world.” ( Critici Sacri.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Num 14:9 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.
Ver. 9. They are bread for us, ] q.d., We shall make but a breakfast of them. So that valiant Prince of Orange told his soldiers at the battle of Newport, when they had the sea on the one side, and the Spaniards on the other, that they must either eat up those Spaniards, or drink up that sea.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
defence. Hebrew = shadow. Note Figure of speech Ellipsis (App-6.) Literally “they [are] like our bread (= manna), their shadow hath turned aside from off them.”. The manna when out of the shade melted, though hard (Compare Num 11:8 and Exo 16:21): so the hearts of their enemies would melt away, not having Jehovah for their shadow, or defence. Compare Exo 15:15. Jos 2:9, Jos 2:11. Isa 13:7; Isa 19:1. Eze 21:7.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Only rebel: Deu 9:7, Deu 9:23, Deu 9:24, Isa 1:2, Isa 63:10, Dan 9:5, Dan 9:9, Phi 1:27
neither: Deu 7:18, Deu 20:3
are bread: Num 24:8, Deu 32:42, Psa 14:4, Psa 74:14
defence: Heb. shadow, Tzillam, a metaphor highly expressive of protection and support in the sultry eastern countries. (See the parallel passages.) The Arabs and Persians use the same word to express the same thing; using the expressions, “May the shadow (zulli) of thy prosperity be extended.” “May the shadow of thy prosperity be spread over the heads of thy well-wishers.” And in an elegant distich, “May your protection never be removed from my head; may God extend your shadow (zullikem) eternally.” The loftiest and most esteemed title of the sultan, says Thornton, because given him by the kings of Persia, is zil ullah, shadow of God. Psa 91:1, Psa 121:5, Isa 30:2, Isa 30:3, Isa 32:2, Jer 48:45
the Lord: Gen 48:21, Exo 33:16, Deu 7:21, Deu 20:1-4, Deu 31:6, Deu 31:8, Jos 1:5, Jdg 1:22, 2Ch 13:12, 2Ch 15:2, 2Ch 20:17, 2Ch 32:8, Psa 46:1, Psa 46:2, Psa 46:7, Psa 46:11, Isa 8:9, Isa 8:10, Isa 41:10, Mat 1:23, Rom 8:31
fear them not: Isa 41:14
Reciprocal: Exo 14:13 – Fear ye not Lev 26:8 – General Num 21:34 – Fear him Deu 1:21 – fear not Deu 3:2 – Fear Jos 6:3 – ye shall Jos 14:12 – if so be Jdg 16:20 – the Lord 1Sa 15:23 – rebellion 1Sa 17:32 – Let 2Ki 19:26 – of small power Neh 4:14 – General Psa 81:14 – I should Isa 37:27 – their inhabitants
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
14:9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they [are] {e} bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD [is] with us: fear them not.
(e) We shall easily overcome them.