Numbers 14:3

Num 14:3 And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?

Ver. 3. Were it not better for us to return into Egypt.] How could that be better? It is our wisest way, to crush the very first insurrections of unruly passions (do not great storms rise out of little gusts?); to smother the smoke thereof, which else will fume up into the head, and gather into so thick a cloud, as we shall soon lose the sight of ourselves, and what is best to be done.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14:3-4 The threats about which they complained were real, but the Israelites should have trusted the Lord. In the ancient Near East, women and children were often taken as plunder in the aftermath of battle. • return to Egypt: How quickly the Israelites forgot their bondage (Exod 2:23-24) and the hardship of the wilderness (Num 11:1)!

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

To our enemies the Canaanites.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(3) And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land . . .?—Better, And wherefore doth the Lord bring us into this land?—i.e., the land of Canaan, as clearly appears from the words which follow (comp. Num_15:18, where the same Hiphil participle is used). The destruction which the Israelites apprehended at this time was not a destruction by famine or drought, but by the sword of the Amorites and of the children of the Anakim. (Comp. Deu_1:27-28.)

That our wives and our children should be a prey—i.e., should fall into the hands of the enemy after their entrance into the land of Canaan. (Comp. Exo_15:14-17.) It is possible, however, that the land through which the Israelites were passing may be included here and in Num_14:14.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. wherefore is Jehovah about to bring us] The rebellious spirit is more flagrantly expressed in Deu_1:27.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land,.... Unto the borders of it: their murmuring did not cease at Moses and Aaron, the instruments, but proceeded against God himself, who had done such wonderful things for them, not only in bringing them out of Egypt, but since they had been in the wilderness; and yet so ungrateful to complain of him and argue with him about favours bestowed on them, as if they were injuries done to them; and particularly as if God had no other intention in bringing them out of Egypt to the place where they were, but

to fall by the sword: the sword of the Canaanites, as the Targum of Jonathan adds:

that our wives and our children shall be a prey? to the same people; they supposed they should be killed, their wives abused, and their children made slaves of:

were it not better for us to return into Egypt? and so escape the hands of the inhabitants of Canaan, of whom they had terrible apprehensions from the report made of them.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

We may. The Latin manuscripts and Bibles before Sixtus V read, "in Egypt, and not in this," &c. But the present translation agrees with the Hebrew, Septuagint, and Chaldean. (Calmet) --- They obtained what they said they wished for, ver. 28; chap. xiv. 29; xxvi. 64. (Worthington) --- And that. Hebrew, &c., "and wherefore hath God brought us into this land, that we may fall," &c. In a rage they attribute a malicious design to God. (Calmet) --- Better. And who would have given them food in the wilderness? (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

From the instruments they rise higher, and strike at God the chief cause and author of their journey; by which we see the prodigious growth and progress of sin when it is not resisted. Should be a prey to the Canaanites, whose land we were made to believe we should possess.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. Wherefore hath… Lord — They began with opposing God’s faithful ministers; they end by arraigning himself. So men now greatly distress themselves over evils they are never called to endure. Wherefore is not in the vocabulary of faith.

Unto this land — Spoken, apparently, of Canaan, to which they had not yet been brought. Thus “they despised the pleasant land; they believed not his word.” Psa_106:24.

To fall by the sword — The unbelief of these rebels puts an evil intention for a beneficent purpose on the part of God, and thus maligns his character. Up to this time they seem to have cherished the illusion of a blood. less conquest of Canaan.

A prey — Captives and slaves of the victors.

Better… to return into Egypt — In their dread of the perils before them they overlook the greater evils behind: the sterile wilderness, with no manna from heaven nor water from the smitten rock; no pillar of cloud to go before; no protecting Jehovah to shield them from their foes; no mediating Moses to placate the divine wrath; no home of freedom, but only the lash of the taskmaster for the inheritance of their children forever.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Wherefore hath the Lord brought us. Rather, "wherefore doth the Lord bring us." aybime. Septuagint, eisagei . They were not actually in the land yet, but only on the threshold.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Lord - From instruments they rise higher, and strike at God the cause and author of their journey: by which we see the prodigious growth and progress of sin when it is not resisted. A prey - To the Canaanites whose land we were made to believe we should possess.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

AND WHY DOTH THE ETERNAL BRING US UNTO THIS LAND, TO FALL BY THE SWORD? OUR WIVES AND OUR LITTLE ONES WILL BE A PREY. They did not mention the false report [of the spies] about the Land, saying that the Land miscarrieth and is bad, because the people hid this statement [of the spies] from Moses, since the delegates themselves had not said so when they brought back word to him and to all the congregation, for Moses and Aaron would have testified against them that they spoke falsely. The spies themselves hid this from Moses, fully realizing that he knew the nature of the Land from Egypt and Midian which are near to it, as I have explained.. Therefore the spies [only] told the people this evil report in their tents, in a secretive manner.Now Moses said in the Book of Deuteronomy: And they brought us back word, and said: ‘Good is the Land which the Eternal our G-d giveth unto us.’ Yet ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the Eternal your G-d. The meaning thereof is that the spies did [indeed] tell Moses and Aaron and all the congregation that the Land is good, and surely it floweth with milk and honey, and the people rebelled against the commandment of the Eternal in not wanting to go up because of the statement [of the spies] that the people that dwell in the Land are fierce, Verse 28. — for G-d hath power to help, and to cast down, as is stated clearly there, The Eternal your G-d Who goeth before you, He shall fight for you. Therefore, since there was nothing to deter them [in the Land itself] except for the strength of the people, they should have trusted in the Name of G-d, for the battle is the Eternal’s. And we do not have to say [as does Rashi] that Moses said this [And ‘they’ brought us back word, and said, ‘Good is the Land etc.’] only about Joshua and Caleb, for why should the people listen to two [spies] and not believe [the report of] the ten! in the verse, and ‘they’ brought us back word, and said: ‘Good is the Land etc.’ (Deuteronomy 1:25) refers to all the spies. Moreover it says there [in Deuteronomy 1: 23]: and I took twelve men of you, and it is with reference to [all twelve of] them that he [Moses] said, and they brought us back word.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.