John Calvin Commentary Numbers 14:11

"And Jehovah said unto Moses, How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them?" — Numbers 14:11 (ASV)

And the Lord said to Moses. God remonstrates concerning their indomitable obstinacy, because they had just now not hesitated to petulantly despise and reject Him with the most atrocious insults, despite all the clearest manifestations of His power.

For I do not know if the meaning that some give is suitable, when they translate the verb נאף, naatz, “to provoke.”⁵⁷ Jerome comes nearer to the genuine meaning, "How long will they detract me?" But let us be content with the genuine intention of God, which He confirms by the following antithesis, where He complains that He is disparaged because they do not take into consideration the many miracles by which He had abundantly testified His power and loving-kindness.

Thus He proves their contempt, because they deliberately refuse credit to the many signs, the accumulation of which at least should have subdued or corrected their stubbornness.

The denunciation of their final punishment follows, together with a statement of the atrocity of their crime, for the particle “How long” indicates its long continuance, as well as the enduring patience of God. He had, indeed, punished others severely, but only as an example, so that the name of their race would remain undestroyed; whereas He now declares that He will deal with them as with persons in a desperate condition, who do not cease to mock His patience.

Hence we are taught that, although God is placable in His nature, still the hope of pardon is deservedly cut off from unbelievers who are so obdurate that He produces no effect upon them by His hand, His countenance, or His word. He then briefly refers to the use of the signs, namely, that their object was that the knowledge or experience of them should awaken hopes of success.

If the apparent contradiction troubles anyone, that God would declare the people to be cast off when it was already decreed that He would pardon them, a reply can be found elsewhere, to state it briefly. For God does not speak here of His secret and incomprehensible counsel, but only of the actual circumstances. By this, He shows what the people had deserved and how horrible was the vengeance that impended⁵⁸ concerning their wicked and detestable revolt. He acted in this way because it was not His design to keep Moses from earnest prayer, but rather to test the sincerity of his piety and the fervency of his zeal. And, in fact, Moses does not contravene the prohibition except after some spark of faith has first been shown. (See Exodus 32).

⁵⁷ A.V., “How long will this people “How long will this people provoke, me?” me?” V. “Usquequo “Usquequo detrahet mihi populus iste?” Ainsworth says, mihi populus iste?” Ainsworth says, “provoke me, or or despite, blaspheme, contemptuously provoke me. So the Apostle expoundeth this word So the Apostle expoundeth this word blaspheme, in in Romans 2:24, from , from Isaiah 52:5; and it implieth also a contempt or despising, ; and it implieth also a contempt or despising, Proverbs 1:30; 15:5; ; Isaiah 5:24.”.”

⁵⁸ “Et quelle punition luy seroit apprestee, si Dieu se vouloit venger d’une revolte si detestable;” and what punishment would be prepared for them, if God chose to take vengeance on so detestable a revolt. — Fr.