John Calvin Commentary Numbers 14:1

"And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night." — Numbers 14:1 (ASV)

And all the congregation lifted up their voice. Here we see how easily, with a few incentives, rebellion is stirred up in a large crowd.

For the people, unless guided by the advice of others, are like the sea, exposed to many storms; and the corruption of human nature produces this among countless other evils: that lies and deceptions prevail over truth.

There was, indeed, some excuse for the people's error, because they saw ten of the choicest leaders of their tribes discouraging them from entering the land, while only two advised them to go forward.

But that gullibility, to which they were too inclined, is inexcusable because it arose from unbelief. For if the dignity and reputation of ten men had so much influence on them that they were so quick to believe, should they not much rather have believed the word of God, who had promised them the land four hundred years earlier?

For when they cried out under the oppressive tyranny of the Egyptians, the memory of the promise given to their fathers was not erased, since the holy Jacob had carefully ensured its transmission.

They had recently heard and embraced its confirmation, and in this confidence had come out of Egypt.

We see, then, that they had already been led by their own laziness and depravity to shrink back from entering the land, because they had cast aside their confidence in God, so that they might seem to have deliberately seized the opportunity.

Still, the evil counselors spurred them on when they were already falling on their own, and cast them down headlong.

They begin with weeping, which eventually bursts out into rage.

The cause of their weeping is the fear of death, because they think they are being led to slaughter. And from where does this arise, except that the promised aid of God means nothing to them?

Thus it appears how greatly cowardice is opposed to faith when, in the face of danger, we look only to ourselves.

But while the beginning of unfaithfulness is to be held back by fear from obeying God, another, worse evil soon follows when people obstinately resist God and, because they are unwilling to submit to His word, enter into argument with Him.

This was the case with the Israelites who, overwhelmed with grief, were eventually stirred up by its force against Moses and Aaron.

And this too often happens: impatience erupts from the anguish into which our unbelief has brought us.

The desire for death, which they entertain, arises from ingratitude and contempt for God’s blessing.

They wished they had died either in Egypt or in the wilderness. Why, then, had they just before humbly begged Moses to propitiate God?

Regarding the words, the ancient interpreter,⁵³ taking the particle לו, which is optative, for the negative (לא, lo), incorrectly translates the passage, as if their death in the wilderness would have been more bitter than in Egypt; whereas they only lament that they would be exposed to death if they were to enter the land of Canaan, as follows in the next verse.

⁵³ By the old interpreter, C. does not here mean, as he generally does, the does not here mean, as he generally does, the V., which accords with his own view, “in hac vasta solitudine , which accords with his own view, “in hac vasta solitudine utinam pereamus;” on these words Corn. a Lapide says; “Ita haec legunt et conjungunt, Hebr., Chald., Septuaginta, et Latina Romana. Tollenda ergo est negatio pereamus;” on these words Corn. a Lapide says; “Ita haec legunt et conjungunt, Hebr., Chald., Septuaginta, et Latina Romana. Tollenda ergo est negatio non, et distinctio quam habent Biblia Plantiniana.”et distinctio quam habent Biblia Plantiniana.”