All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “We wish that we had died in the land of Egypt, or that we had died in this wilderness! Why does Yahweh bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be captured or killed! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return into Egypt?” They said to one another, “Let’s choose a leader, and let’s return into Egypt.”
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Numbers 14:2-4 sits inside this longer paragraph.
All the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “We wish that we had died in the land of Egypt, or that we had died in this wilderness! Why does Yahweh bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be captured or killed! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return into Egypt?” They said to one another, “Let’s choose a leader, and let’s return into Egypt.”
Parallel Translations
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All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “We wish that we had died in the land of Egypt, or that we had died in this wilderness!
Why does Yahweh bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be captured or killed! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return into Egypt?”
They said to one another, “Let’s choose a leader, and let’s return into Egypt.”
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And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!
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?
And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.
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And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said unto them: 'Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would we had died in this wilderness!
And wherefore doth the LORD bring us unto this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be a prey; were it not better for us to return into Egypt?'
And they said one to another: 'Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.'
Cross-references (29)
- Exodus 15:24 (v2) The people murmured against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”
- Acts 7:39 (v4) to whom our fathers wouldn’t be obedient, but rejected him, and turned back in their hearts to Egypt,
- Exodus 17:3 (v2) The people were thirsty for water there; so the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to kill…
- Numbers 16:41 (v2) But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed…
- Nehemiah 9:16-17 (v4) “But they and our fathers behaved proudly, hardened their neck, didn’t listen to your commandments, and refused to obey. They weren’t…
Show all 29 cross-references
- Exodus 16:2-3 (v2) The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness; and the children of Israel…
- Numbers 14:27-29 (v2) “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation that complain against me? I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel, which…
- Deuteronomy 17:16 (v4) Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he may multiply horses; because…
- Luke 17:32 (v4) Remember Lot’s wife!
- 1 Corinthians 10:10 (v2) Don’t grumble, as some of them also grumbled, and perished by the destroyer.
- Philippians 2:14-15 (v2) Do all things without complaining and arguing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of…
- Jude 1:16 (v2) These are murmurers and complainers, walking after their lusts—and their mouth speaks proud things—showing respect of persons to gain…
- Numbers 11:1 (v2) The people were complaining in the ears of Yahweh. When Yahweh heard it, his anger burned; and Yahweh’s fire burned among them, and…
- Numbers 11:15 (v2) If you treat me this way, please kill me right now, if I have found favor in your sight; and don’t let me see my wretchedness.”
- Numbers 14:31-32 (v3) But I will bring your little ones that you said should be captured or killed in, and they shall know the land which you have rejected. But…
- Deuteronomy 1:27 (v2) You murmured in your tents, and said, “Because Yahweh hated us, he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of…
- Deuteronomy 28:68 (v4) Yahweh will bring you into Egypt again with ships, by the way of which I told to you that you would never see it again. There you will…
- Psalms 78:40 (v3) How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert!
- Psalms 106:24 (v2) Yes, they despised the pleasant land. They didn’t believe his word,
- Jeremiah 9:3 (v3) “They bend their tongue, as their bow, for falsehood. They have grown strong in the land, but not for truth; for they proceed from evil to…
- Jonah 4:3 (v2) Therefore now, Yahweh, take, I beg you, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.”
- Jonah 4:8 (v2) When the sun arose, God prepared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he fainted, and requested for himself that…
- Hebrews 11:15 (v4) If indeed they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had enough time to return.
- 1 Kings 19:4 (v2) But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree. Then he requested for himself that he…
- Job 3:11 (v2) “Why didn’t I die from the womb? Why didn’t I give up the spirit when my mother bore me?
- Job 7:15-16 (v2) so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones. I loathe my life. I don’t want to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days…
- Psalms 106:45 (v2) He remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
- Hebrews 10:38-39 (v4) But the righteous will live by faith. If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back to…
- 2 Peter 2:21-22 (v4) For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (16 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v3 To our enemies the Canaanites.
To our enemies the Canaanites.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv2–4 Num 14:2 And all the children of Israel murmured…
Num 14:2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!
Ver. 2. Would God that we had died.] Words of deep discontent, despair, and unthanklulness.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv2–4 Against Moses and against Aaron, as the instruments and…
Against Moses and against Aaron, as the instruments and occasions of their present calamity.
That we had died in the wilderness: it was not long before they had their desire, and did die in the wilderness.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv2–4 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses,…
And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses, and against Aaron,.... They being the instruments of bringing them out of Egypt, and conducting them hither:
and the whole congregation said unto them; some of them, the rest assenting to it by their cries and tears and gestures:
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would God we had died in the land of Egypt; and then what they left behind they thought might have come into the hands of their children or relations; but now they concluded it would become a prey to the Canaanites:
or would God we had died in this wilderness; the wilderness of Paran, at Taberah, where many of them had been destroyed by fire, Num 11:1, and now they wish they had perished with them.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv2–4 Against Moses and Aaron - As the instruments and…
Against Moses and Aaron - As the instruments and occasions of their present calamity. That we had died in this wilderness - It was not long before they had their desire, and did die in the wilderness.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v4 Verse 4. Let us make a captain] Here was…
Verse 4. Let us make a captain] Here was a formal renunciation of the authority of Moses, and flat rebellion against God. And it seems from Ne 9:17 that they had actually appointed another leader, under whose direction they were about to return to Egypt. How astonishing is this! Their lives were made bitter, because of the rigour with which they were made to serve in the land of Egypt; and yet they are willing, yea eager, to get back into the same circumstances again! Great evils, when once some time past, affect the mind less than present ills, though much inferior. They had partly forgot their Egyptian bondage, and now smart under a little discouragement, having totally lost sight of their high calling, and of the power and goodness of God.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv2, 4 Num 14:2-3. Against Moses and Aaron — As the…
Num 14:2-3. Against Moses and Aaron — As the instruments and causes of their present calamity. That we had died in the wilderness — It was not long till they had their desire, and did die in the wilderness. Wherefore hath the Lord brought us, &c. — From instruments they rise higher, and not only vent their passion against his servants, but strike at God himself, as the cause and author of their journey most impiously accusing him as if he had dealt deceitfully with them. By this we see the rapid and prodigious growth and progress of sin when it is not resisted. A prey — To the Canaanites, whose land we were made to believe we should possess.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv3–4 We may. The Latin manuscripts and Bibles before Sixtus…
We may. The Latin manuscripts and Bibles before Sixtus V read, "in Egypt, and not in this," &c. But the present translation agrees with the Hebrew, Septuagint, and Chaldean. (Calmet) --- They obtained what they said they wished for, ver. 28; chap. xiv. 29; xxvi. 64. (Worthington) --- And that. Hebrew, &c., "and wherefore hath God brought us into this land, that we may fall," &c. In a rage they attribute a malicious design to God. (Calmet) --- Better. And who would have given them food in the wilderness? (Menochius)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v2 Would God that we had died in Egypt--Such insolence…
Would God that we had died in Egypt--Such insolence to their generous leaders, and such base ingratitude to God, show the deep degradation of the Israelites, and the absolute necessity of the decree that debarred that generation from entering the promised land [Num 14:29-35]. They were punished by their wishes being granted to die in that wilderness [Heb 3:17; Jde 1:5]. A leader to reconduct them to Egypt is spoken of (Neh 9:17) as actually nominated. The sinfulness and insane folly of their conduct are almost incredible. Their conduct, however, is paralleled by too many among us, who shrink from the smallest difficulties and rather remain slaves to sin than resolutely try to surmount the obstacles that lie in their way to the Canaan above.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv2–4 2. Murmured against Moses and… Aaron — They begin…
2. Murmured against Moses and… Aaron — They begin with God’s ministers, not having become so hardened as to murmur against God himself. He seems to have been absent from their thoughts both as the object of trust and as their providential guide in the wilderness. They have fallen from a supernatural to a merely natural view of their condition. Hence they childishly vent their indignation against their human leaders.
The whole congregation — This must be understood, as it is in all languages, in a conventional sense, as we are said to utter our opinions in the face of the whole world, or begin our deeds of lands with the words, “Know all men by these presents.” See Exo_9:6, note.
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Would God — The word God is not in the Hebrew. This is the strongest English formula for an unattainable wish, and expresses the strength of the peoples’ desire.
Died in… Egypt — They who prefer death in bondage to life in freedom are not the brave people whom Jehovah can lead to the conquest of Canaan. This wish to return to the groanings, burdens, tasks, and insults of the brick-yards of Egypt, from which a pitying Jehovah had led them forth, was indicative of a base ingratitude, and a servility of spirit exceedingly offensive. Yet all this grief was in view of no present suffering, but in apprehension of imaginary future ills.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv2–3 2. would that we had died] ‘God’ does not…
2. would that we had died] ‘God’ does not form part of the Heb. expression. The R.V. is not consistent; see Num_20:4, Exo_16:3.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv2–3 (2) And all the children of Israel murmured.—When the…
XIV.
(2) And all the children of Israel murmured.—When the people murmured in like manner in the wilderness of Sin (Exo_16:2-3) against Moses and Aaron because they had brought them forth into the wilderness, Moses assured them that at even they should know that it was Jehovah Himself who had brought them out from the land of Egypt (Ibid, Num_14:6). On the present occasion their murmuring was not against Moses and Aaron only, but they openly rebelled against Jehovah Himself, to whom they ascribed, in the way of reproach, their exodus from the land of Egypt.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv2–4 Murmured against Moses and against Aaron; whom they probably…
Murmured against Moses and against Aaron; whom they probably suspected and accused of seeking their own personal ends. Here we may see the true reason why Joshua had not been put forward to advocate an immediate advance. The Septuagint has diegogguzon . (cf. 1Co_10:10) Would God we had died. WntmAWl. Septuagint, ofelon apeyanomen . The A.V is unnecessarily strong.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v4 Let us return into Egypt.
Num_14:4
Let us return into Egypt.
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The rewards of the future not to be slighted because of a present inconvenience
The proposition of the people illustrates anew the principle that all sin is a species of insanity. They proposed to go back to Egypt. How did they suppose they were going to get back? Could they expect to live in the wilderness without the manna which God gave them? Could they overcome Amalek without Moses to intercede in their behalf? Would God be more likely to deliver them in a cowardly retreat than in a loyal advance? Could they hope again for water to flow from the rock to quench their thirst? or for favouring winds to open a new path through the Red Sea? When some departed from the Saviour, He said to His disciples, Will ye also go away? and they returned the pathetic answer, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. But, alas! the children of Israel were ready to go back from the promised land to the dangers of the wilderness and to the hopeless bondage of Egypt. In the words of Matthew Henry, They wish rather to die criminals under Gods justice than live conquerors in His favour. How base were the spirits in those degenerate Israelites, who, rather than die (if it came to the worst) like soldiers in the field of honour, with their swords in their hands, desire to die like rotten sheep in the wilderness! Similar paradoxes in the conduct of sinners abound in the world. A slight present danger or inconvenience is suffered to blind the eyes to great rewards in the future. A small hazard before us is likely to seem far greater than much more serious dangers behind us. Under the smart of present ills, we are ever ready to shut our eyes to the innumerable ills we know not of. The miners of England cursed the inventor of the safety-lamp because, in reducing the hazard to their lives, it diminished also their wages. Multitudes of young people attempt to evade the trials and self-denials of the ministerial calling or of missionary work, by choosing some profession or business that is more lucrative or gratifying to their ambitions. In this they fail to remember that there is a poverty in other callings than the ministry; that the high-road of selfishness is through a wilderness strewn with the carcasses of those who have fallen hopeless by the way. What is Wall Street but a maelstrom around which are circling innumerable vessels fated to augment the debris of countless wrecks already in the vortex? What is the path to worldly glory and fame but a crowded throroughfare of hungry and thirsty men, the majority of whom are moving on to inevitable disappointment? On the other hand, the path of the righteous, whatever its present shadows, shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. (G. Frederick Wright.)
The folly of impatience
1. It was the greatest folly in the world to wish themselves in Egypt, or to think if they were there it would be better with them than it was. If they durst not go forward to Canaan, yet better be as they were than go back to Egypt. What did they want? What had they to complain of? They had plenty, and peace, and rest; were under a good government, had good company, had the tokens of Gods presence with them, and enough to make them easy even in the wilderness, if they had but hearts to be content. But whither were they thus fond to go to mend themselves? To Egypt! Had they so soon forgot the sore bondage they were in there? Like brute beasts, they mind only that which is present, and their memories, with the other powers of reason, are sacrificed to their passions.(Psa_106:7). We find it threatened (Deu_28:68) as the completing of their misery, that they should be brought into Egypt again, and yet that is it they here wish for. Sinners are enemies to themselves, and those that walk not in Gods counsels consult their own mischief and ruin.
2. It was a most senseless, ridiculous thing to talk of returning thither through the wilderness. Could they expect that Gods cloud would lead them or His manna attend them?
(1) The folly of discontent and impatience under the crosses of our outward condition. But is there any place or condition in this world that has not something in it to make us uneasy if we are disposed to be so? The way to better our condition is to get our spirits into a better frame.
(2) The folly of apostacy from the ways of God. Heaven is the Canaan set before us, a land flowing with milk and honey: those that bring up ever so ill report of it cannot but say that it is indeed a good land, only it is hard to get to it. (Matthew Henry, D. D.)
To retreat is to perish
To retreat is to perish. You have most of you read the story of the boy in an American village who climbed the wall of the famous Natural Bridge, and cut his name in the rock above the initials of his fellows, and then became suddenly aware of the impossibility of descending. Voices shouted, Do not look down, try arid reach the top. His only hope was to go right up, up, up, till he landed on the top. Upward was terrible, but downward was destruction. Now, we are all of us in a like condition. By the help of God we have cut our way to positions of usefulness, and to descend is death. To us forward means upward; and therefore forward and upward let us go. While we prayed this morning we committed ourselves beyond all recall. We did that most heartily when we first preached the gospel, and publicly declared, I am my Lords, and He is mine. We put our hand to the plough: thank God, we have not looked back yet. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v4 They said to each another
They said to each another
This refers to the people of Israel.
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lay facedown
"lay down with their faces touching the ground." Moses and Aaron did this to show that they were humbling themselves before God. They feared that God might punish the people for rebelling against him. AT: "lay facedown in humility to God" or "lay facedown to pray to God" (See: Symbolic Action)
translationWords
assembly
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v3 14:3-4 The threats about which they complained were real,…
14:3-4 The threats about which they complained were real, but the Israelites should have trusted the Lord. In the ancient Near East, women and children were often taken as plunder in the aftermath of battle. • return to Egypt: How quickly the Israelites forgot their bondage (Exod 2:23-24) and the hardship of the wilderness (Num 11:1)!
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.