John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 6. For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness , etc.] Wanting a few days, the round number is given: not forty two, as the Septuagint version: till all the people [that were] men of war, which came out of Egypt , were consumed ; all that were above twenty years of age, excepting Joshua and Caleb: because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord ; but murmured against him, and against his servants, and particularly against Aaron, being the high priest; and chiefly because of the report of the spies, and their murmurs then, which so incensed the Lord against them, that he threatened them with an entire consumption of their carcasses, and which accordingly was fulfilled, to which the following clause refers: unto whom the Lord sware, that he would not show them the land which the Lord sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey ; (see Numbers 14:23,24).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - How dreadful is their case, who see the wrath of God advancing toward them, without being able to turn it aside, or escape it! Such will be the horrible situation of the wicked; nor can words express the anguis of their feelings, or the greatness of their terror. Oh that they woul now take warning, and before it be too late, flee for refuge to la hold upon that hope set before them in the gospel! God impressed thes fears on the Canaanites, and dispirited them. This gave a short rest to the Israelites, and circumcision rolled away the reproach of Egypt They were hereby owned to be the free-born children of God, having the seal of the covenant. When God glorifies himself in perfecting the salvation of his people, he not only silences all enemies, but roll back their reproaches upon themselves.
Original Hebrew כי3588 ארבעים705 שׁנה8141 הלכו1980 בני1121 ישׂראל3478 במדבר4057 עד5704 תם8552 כל3605 הגוי1471 אנשׁי376 המלחמה4421 היצאים3318 ממצרים4714 אשׁר834 לא3808 שׁמעו8085 בקול6963 יהוה3068 אשׁר834 נשׁבע7650 יהוה3068 להם לבלתי1115 הראותם7200 את853 הארץ776 אשׁר834 נשׁבע7650 יהוה3068 לאבותם1 לתת5414 לנו ארץ776 זבת2100 חלב2461 ודבשׁ׃1706
