Numbers 14:22-23
none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse highlights that God doesn't forget the miracles He performed, even though the people chose to "tempt" Him repeatedly. What might seem like just "ten times" is actually a way of saying they had reached the absolute limit of their provocations, a point where even tremendous displays of God's glory and power were ignored.
Following the fearful report of the spies, the entire congregation turned on Moses and Aaron, demanding they be put to death and desiring to return to Egypt. God’s glory appeared, and He declared His intention to strike them with pestilence, but Moses interceded, appealing to God's mercy and reputation among the nations. In response, God declares that while He has pardoned their ultimate destruction, the entire generation that saw His wonders yet rebelled will not see the promised land.
Imagine seeing God's power firsthand – the plagues, the Red Sea parting, the pillar of cloud and fire. What does it mean when people who've witnessed such things still turn away?
This verse highlights a profound disconnect. God points out that the very people who have seen His glory and witnessed His mighty acts in Egypt and the wilderness are the ones who have now tested Him.
The Weight of Experience
This isn't just about ancient Israel; it's a reminder that experiencing God's presence and power doesn't automatically guarantee lasting faith or obedience. We can witness incredible things and still choose to harden our hearts.
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Why 'ten times'? Is it a literal count, or does it signify something deeper about human stubbornness and divine patience?
The phrase 'these ten times' isn't necessarily a precise mathematical count. While some traditions tried to list exactly ten instances of testing, the meaning is more about a full measure or a significant, repeated pattern of provocation.
More Than Just Numbers
Understand the original words
nasah · Hebrew Verb
To examine or try God's patience, often involving distrust or rebellion; it implies a challenging of God's character or promises after having witnessed His past faithfulness.
shama · Hebrew Verb
To hear, pay attention to, or comply with; in a biblical context, it implies active obedience to the revealed will and commands of God.
na'ats · Hebrew Verb
To treat with contempt or lack of respect; in a covenantal context, it signifies a rejection of God's holiness, authority, and the significance of His actions.
This verse highlights a pivotal moment of rebellion after witnessing numerous displays of God's glory and power. The 'ten times' emphasizes not a literal count, but the overwhelming extent of their repeated testing and disbelief, leading to a severe but just consequence: forfeiting the promised land.
c. 1446 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
God delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt through powerful signs and wonders, including the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea.
c. 1446-1406 BC
Wandering in the Wilderness
Following the Exodus, the Israelites journey through the Sinai wilderness for 40 years, during which they frequently tested God's patience with their complaints and disobedience.
c. 1406 BC
Spies Explore Canaan
Moses sends twelve spies into Canaan to scout the land. Ten spies return with a discouraging report, instilling fear in the people.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
The People Rebel
The Israelites refuse to enter the Promised Land, choosing instead to rebel against God's command and even attempting to stone Caleb and Joshua.
c. 1406 BC
God's Judgment Declared
Because of their persistent unbelief and rebellion, God declares that the generation that left Egypt will not enter the Promised Land, and will wander in the wilderness for 40 years.
This passage shows Moses interceding for Israel after they made the golden calf, highlighting a similar pattern of God's anger and Moses' appeal to God's mercy and reputation, mirroring the situation in Numbers 14.
Psalm 95:7-11This psalm directly references the event in the wilderness, calling on the people not to harden their hearts as their ancestors did, and recounting God's sorrow and refusal to let them enter His rest due to their repeated testing and disobedience.
Hebrews 3:7-19The author of Hebrews uses the failure of the Israelites in the wilderness as a stark warning to believers, emphasizing that repeated disobedience and testing of God will lead to exclusion from His promised rest, echoing the consequences described in Numbers 14.
1 Corinthians 10:1-11Paul explicitly draws parallels between the experiences of the Israelites in the wilderness and the challenges faced by the Corinthian church, warning them against idolatry, sexual immorality, and grumbling, and pointing to the Israelites' judgment as an example.
calvinNumbers 14:10-38: "But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel."
But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
Tunc dixit tota multitudo, ut eos lapidibus obruerent: et gloria Jehovae apparuit in tabernaculo conventionis omnibus filiis Israel.
And the…
pulpitNumbers 14:22: "Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;"
Verse 22. - Because all those men. The particle כִּי is not to be rendered "because;" it simply introduces the substance of the oath: "As I live... all those men... shall not see." So the Septuagint. And have tempted me now these ten times. It is not in the least necessary to press this expres…
The verse highlights that God doesn't forget the miracles He performed, even though the people chose to "tempt" Him repeatedly. What might seem like just "ten times" is actually a way of saying they had reached the absolute limit of their provocations, a point where even tremendous displays of God's glory and power were ignored.
Following the fearful report of the spies, the entire congregation turned on Moses and Aaron, demanding they be put to death and desiring to return to Egypt. God’s glory appeared, and He declared His intention to strike them with pestilence, but Moses interceded, appealing to God's mercy and reputation among the nations. In response, God declares that while He has pardoned their ultimate destruction, the entire generation that saw His wonders yet rebelled will not see the promised land.
Following the fearful report of the spies, the entire congregation turned on Moses and Aaron, demanding they be put to death and desiring to return to Egypt. God’s glory appeared, and He declared His intention to strike them with pestilence, but Moses interceded, appealing to God's mercy and reputation among the nations. In response, God declares that while He has pardoned their ultimate destruction, the entire generation that saw His wonders yet rebelled will not see the promised land.
"none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none…" — The verse highlights that God doesn't forget the miracles He performed, even though the people chose to "tempt" Him repeatedly. What might seem like just "ten times" is actually a way of saying they…
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