Numbers 14:9

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7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: ^a“The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.

8 If the Lord ^adelights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ^b‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’

9 Only ^ado not rebel against the Lord, ^bnor fear the people of the land, for ^cthey are our bread; their protection has departed from them, ^dand the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”

10 ^aAnd all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now ^bthe glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.

Moses Intercedes for the People

11 Then the Lord said to Moses: “How long will these people ^areject Me? And how long will they not ^bbelieve Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?

12 I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will ^amake of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

13 And ^aMoses said to the Lord: ^b“Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up from among them,

Commentaries:

Adam Clarke

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Numbers 14:9

Their defense - tsillam , their shadow, a metaphor highly expressive of protection and support in the sultry eastern countries. The protection of God is so called; see Psalms 91:1; Psalms 121:5; see also Isaiah 51:16; Isaiah 49:2; Isaiah 30:2.

The Arabs and Persians have the same word to express the same thing.

nemayeed zulli doulet mamdood bad .

"May the shadow of thy prosperity be extended!"

nemayced zulli doulet ber mufareki khayr khwahen mamdood bad .

"May the shadow of thy prosperity be spread over the heads of thy well-wishers!"

They have also the following elegant distich: -

Sayahat kem mubad az seri ma

Bast Allah zullikem abeda .

"May thy protection never be removed from my head!

May God extend thy shadow eternally!"

Here the Arabic zull answers exactly to the Hebrew tsel , both signifying that which overspreads or overshadows. See the note on Numbers 14:14.

**Other Adam Clarke entries containing Numbers 14:9:**

Numbers 14:14
Psalms 14:4

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Numbers 14:10 >>

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