Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 14:39
And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.
39. Moses told these words ] i.e. those contained in Num 14:27-35.
39b 45. Having heard their sentence (in Num 14:21-25), the people made an attempt to gain Jehovah’s favour by marching up to the hills in the Negeb, disregarding Moses’ warning that Jehovah would not help them. They received a severe defeat from the Amalekites and Canaanites.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel,…. That all that had murmured, who were of twenty years old and upwards, should die in the wilderness, and never see nor enter into the land of Canaan, on the borders of which they now were:
and the people mourned greatly; because of their unhappy case, that they should be cut off by death in the wilderness, and be deprived of the enjoyment of the good land; their sorrow seems to have been not a godly sorrow, or true repentance for sin committed, but a worldly sorrow that works death; it was not on account of the evil of sin, the pardon of which they did not seem to seek after, but on account of the evil that was likely to come to them by it.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(cf. Deu 1:41-44). The announcement of the sentence plunged the people into deep mourning. But instead of bending penitentially under the judgment of God, they resolved to atone for their error, by preparing the next morning to go to the top of the mountain and press forward into Canaan. And they would not even suffer themselves to be dissuaded from their enterprise by the entreaties of Moses, who denounced it as a transgression of the word of God which could not succeed, and predicted their overthrow before their enemies, but went presumptuously ( ) up without the ark of the covenant and without Moses, who did not depart out of the midst of the camp, and were smitten by the Amalekites and Canaanites, who drove them back as far as Hormah. Whereas at first they had refused to enter upon the conflict with the Canaanites, through their unbelief in the might of the promise of God, now, through unbelief in the severity of the judgment of God, they resolved to engage in this conflict by their own power, and without the help of God, and to cancel the old sin of unbelieving despair through the new sin of presumptuous self-confidence, – an attempt which could never succeed, but was sure to plunge deeper and deeper into misery. Where “ the top (or height) of the mountain ” to which the Israelites advanced was, cannot be precisely determined, as we have no minute information concerning the nature of the ground in the neighbourhood of Kadesh. No doubt the allusion is to some plateau on the northern border of the valley mentioned in Num 14:25, viz., the Wady Murreh, which formed the southernmost spur of the mountains of the Amorites, from which the Canaanites and Amalekites came against them, and drove them back. In Deu 1:44, Moses mentions the Amorites instead of the Amalekites and Canaanites, using the name in a broader sense for all the Canaanites, and contenting himself with naming the leading foes with whom the Amalekites who wandered about in the Negeb had allied themselves, as Bedouins thirsting for booty. These tribes came down (Num 14:45) from the height of the mountain to the lower plateau or saddle, which the Israelites had ascended, and smote them and (from , with the reduplication of the second radical anticipated in the first: see Ewald, 193, c.), “discomfited them, as far as Hormah,” or as Moses expressed it in Deu 1:44, They “chased you, as bees do” (which pursue with great ferocity any one who attacks or disturbs them), “and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah.” There is not sufficient ground for altering “in Seir” into “from Seir,” as the lxx, Syriac, and Vulgate have done. But might signify “into Seir, as far as Hormah.” As the Edomites had extended their territory at that time across the Arabah towards the west, and taken possession of a portion of the mountainous country which bounded the desert of Paran towards the north (see at Num 34:3), the Israelites, when driven back by them, might easily be chased into the territory of the Edomites. Hormah (i.e., the ban-place) is used here proleptically (see at Num 21:3).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
39. And Moses told all these sayings. It was, indeed, a just cause for mourning, when they heard that God, whose longsuffering they had so wantonly abused, would hereafter be inexorable. Yet here we have set before our eyes that “sorrow of the world which worketh death,” as Paul says, (2Co 7:10,) when the wicked, as they weep and complain, cease not to murmur against God; nay, when they gnaw the bit with greater obstinacy, and thus, like savage and untamable beasts, rush forward to their destruction in blind desperation. The temporal punishment could not, indeed, be redeemed by any tears; but, if there had been the disposition to repent, their only remedy would have been voluntarily to submit themselves, and calmly to undergo whatever chastisement God might be pleased to inflict. First of all, however, they proudly struggle to shake off the punishment awarded to them, and whilst they pretended penitence, increasingly kick against God. There is no doubt but that it was under the pretence of submission that they prepared themselves on the morrow to advance; but wherefore was this, except that they may overturn God’s inviolable decree! Nevertheless, they sought, as if against His. will, to make a way for themselves, though He forbade. “Behold us, (they said,) we are ready;” but it was too late; for the opportunity had fled. For, as the Prophet exhorts us to “seek the Lord while he may be found,” (Isa 4:6,) so also we ought to follow Him when He calls us. But of what avail was this unseasonable alacrity of the people? When God wishes them to retire into the desert, they affect a desire to obey Him by advancing further; and still would have their confession of sin accepted as a sufficient satisfaction.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
G. DEFEATS BY AMALEKITES AND KENITES vv. 3945
TEXT
Num. 14:39. And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.
40. 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. 41. And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord? but it shall not prosper. 42. Go not up, for the Lord is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies. 43. For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the Lord, therefore the Lord will not be with you. 44. But they presumed to go up unto the hilltop: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and Moses, departed not out of the camp. 45. Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.
PARAPHRASE
Num. 14:39. And Moses told these words to all the children of Israel; and the people grieved very much. 40. And they rose up early in the morning and went to the top of the mountain, saying, Here we are. We have sinned; nevertheless, we will go up to the place which the Lord has promised. 41. And Moses said, Then why are you transgressing the word of the Lord, when it will not succeed? 42. Do not go up, lest you be struck down before your enemies, for the Lord is not among you. 43. The Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you will fall by the sword because you have turned away from the Lord. Therefore the Lord will not be with you. 44. But they presumed to go up to the hill top, although neither the ark of the covenant nor Moses left the camp. 45. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that mountainous region came down and attacked them, and utterly drove them away as far as Hormah.
COMMENTARY
When the verdict of the Lord is brought unto the people, their response is typically human. Having been told they cannot enter the Land before them, that is exactly what they now say they want to do! But it is much too late. Gods patience has been tried beyond reason, and they must face the consequences of their rebellions. Even their belated expression, We have sinned, is of no avail.
Ironically, the course now announced by the people, which would have been exactly what God wanted them to do shortly earlier, is now strongly forbidden; what would have been faithful obedience is now another instance of disbelieving rebellion. Moses stands before them to point out the radically changed circumstances, and the certain consequences of their new resolution: God is not with them, and they will be badly beaten by their enemies. When Israel moves to battle, it is without Moses or the ark of the covenant: and, we may be certain, neither Caleb nor Joshua was among them.
Complete defeat was the inevitable consequence. The Amalekites and the Canaanites descended upon them from the hills, and routed them to Hormah, and unidentified city of the region.
QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS
275.
How is it that when the Israelites now want to enter the Land of Promise, they are forbidden?
276.
When would it have been more appropriate for the people to confess that they had sinned?
277.
Would the presence of Moses, or of the ark of the covenant, have assured victory for Israel at this time?
278.
The Amalekites are regularly assigned to live in and around the territory of Kadesh-Barnea; the Canaanites are not. Consult a good Bible dictionary or atlas, and determine the areas of their inhabitance.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(39) And the people mourned greatly.It appears from what follows that the sorrow which the Israelites felt was sorrow for the punishment which their sin had entailed, not godly sorrow for the sin itself.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
The Disobedience of the People Punished
v. 39. And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel, v. 40. And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, v. 41. And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord? But it shall not prosper. v. 42. Go not up, for the Lord is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.
v. 43. For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, v. 44. But they presumed to go up unto the hilltop; nevertheless the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord and Moses departed not out of the camp.
v. 45. Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
By what follows in the close of the chapter, it appears that this sorrow was not a gracious sorrow for having offended the LORD, but for having lost Canaan. Reader! learn to distinguish between that sorrow which worketh death, and that godly sorrow which worketh repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of; 2Co 7:10 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Num 14:39 And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.
Ver. 39. Mourned greatly. ] God gave them somewhat to cry for.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
mourned greatly: Exo 33:4, Pro 19:3, Isa 26:16, Mat 8:12, Heb 12:17
Reciprocal: Deu 1:41 – We have sinned 1Sa 30:4 – lifted up
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Num 14:39-40. And the people mourned greatly But it was now too late. There was now no place for repentance. Such mourning as this there is in hell; but the tears will not quench the flames. Gat them up Designed or prepared themselves to go up.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The presumption of the people 14:39-45
Having received their sentence from the Lord, the people then presumptuously proceeded to go up on their own to take the land (Num 14:40-42).
"They are like children who had broken a valuable vase and decided to ’make it better’ by gluing it back together. The result of such action looks nothing like the original." [Note: Ashley, p. 270.]
The Israelites refused to accept God’s discipline as they had refused to accept His promise. Thus they rebelled against Him again even though Moses sounded the ominous warning, "the LORD will not be with you" (Num 14:43). They tried to gain His blessings without Him, which is unbelief. Consequently God allowed their enemies to rout them. The key to success would not be their military might or psychological power but their obedient trust in God.
It is also possible for us Christians to fail to enter into our full reward if we fail to continue to trust and obey God (1Co 9:24 to 1Co 10:13; Heb 3:12 to Heb 4:14). [Note: Philip, pp. 166-67.] Every genuine Christian will eventually go to heaven, but only the faithful will receive all the rewards God wants each Christian to possess. God will give or withhold these at the judgment seat of Christ (1Co 3:11-15; 2Co 5:10; et al.).
"This rather large section of narrative [i.e., chs. 13-14] introduces an important element in the development of God’s covenant with Israel: the theme of the faithfulness of God in keeping the covenant and the unfaithfulness of humans in not trusting him.
"Following the account of the people’s failure to believe in God in chapters 13 and 14, the writer has attached a further and rather large set of laws dealing with sacrifice and the priesthood (Num 15:1 to Num 19:22). Thus, as has been the case throughout the earlier parts of the Pentateuch, after an account of Israel’s unbelief, more laws are added within the narrative [cf. Exodus 32; Gal 3:19-23]." [Note: Sailhamer, p. 387.]
Battles, this one and the battle with the Canaanites in Num 21:1-3, frame this section of laws and the Lord’s discipline of the Israelites in the wilderness during the next 38 years. [Note: Ashley, p. 274.]