John Calvin Commentary Numbers 32:14

"And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers` stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of Jehovah toward Israel." — Numbers 32:14 (ASV)

And, behold, you are risen up in your fathers’ stead. He signifies that, by their evil deeds, they were “filling up the measure” of their fathers, as Jesus spoke of the Jews of His own time. In this sense he calls them an addition (accessio,) which word I take to mean a climax (cumulus.) For it is a poor translation by those who render it as education, offspring, or foster-children. With the Hebrews, תרבות,²¹⁷ tarbuth, is literally an increase, or multiplication; and thus is applied to usury. This passage, however, must be explained as a heap, meaning that a new group of people was springing up, who carried impiety to its very height. In a word, he intimates that fuel was added to the fire which was now smoldering, by which a new flame was ignited: for he says that they were furnishing materials for God’s wrath, so that it would burst forth more and more against the whole people.

²¹⁷ תרבות is a noun heemantic, from is a noun heemantic, from רבה to increase and multiply. The to increase and multiply. The V. has “incrementa et alumni,” as though the Latin translator thought the first word insufficient to express the whole meaning of the Hebrew noun. — . has “incrementa et alumni,” as though the Latin translator thought the first word insufficient to express the whole meaning of the Hebrew noun. — W