John Calvin Commentary Numbers 17:12

"And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone." — Numbers 17:12 (ASV)

And the children of Israel spoke to Moses. It was indeed somewhat better to be alarmed by admiration of God’s power than if they had despised it in brutal stupidity; but there is a middle way between torpor or obstinacy, and consternation. It is true that believers tremble at the judgments of God, and, as each of us has advanced in piety, we are more affected by a sense of His anger. But this fear humbles believers in such a way that they nevertheless seek God, while the reprobate so tremble as to fretfully desire to drive God far away from them.

Therefore, the Israelites, stunned, as it were, by God’s severity, which they considered excessive, deplored their wretched situation. For, since they had no sense of God’s goodness, the chastisement was to them like a gallows rather than a medicine. Therefore, they exclaim that they are destroyed because God so severely avenges His polluted worship, as if all such instances of severity were not profitable for making them more attentive and cautious.

No doubt this servile fear sometimes prepares people for repentance, but nothing is more perilous than to rest in it, because it first produces bitterness and indignation, and eventually drives them to despair.

However formidable God’s severity may be, then, let us learn at the same time to grasp His mercy, so that we may be prepared to endure willingly, with meek and quiet minds, the punishments we have deserved.

In short, this passage shows how little progress the Israelites had made, since the rods of God so greatly exasperated them that they cut themselves off from all hope of salvation. For this is the meaning of their words, “Shall we be consumed with dying?” as if God, on the contrary, was not preserving them from death when, in His paternal care, He warned them of their danger.