What does Numbers 14:13-20 mean?

"But Moses said to the Lord, "Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;) And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word:" - Numbers 14:13-20

Numbers 14:13-20 (KJV):

13 And Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)

14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.

15 Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,

16 Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.

17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,

18 The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.

20 And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word:

In this passage, we find Moses interceding on behalf of the Israelites, beseeching the Lord to forgive them for their disobedience and rebellion. This passage is a significant moment in the story of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt and their journey to the Promised Land. It reveals important themes of forgiveness, mercy, and the character of God.

The context of this passage is crucial to understanding its significance. The Israelites had just returned from scouting out the Promised Land, and in their fear and lack of faith, they had rebelled against the Lord and doubted His ability to give them victory over the inhabitants of the land. In response to their rebellion, the Lord had pronounced judgment on them, declaring that none of the adults who had left Egypt would enter the Promised Land. This judgment had caused great distress among the people, and now Moses is pleading with the Lord to reconsider His decision and to forgive the people for their sins.

Moses begins by reminding the Lord of His reputation and the impact that His judgment would have on the surrounding nations. He appeals to the Lord's mercy and greatness, acknowledging His longsuffering and forgiveness. He asks the Lord to pardon the iniquity of the people and to show mercy in accordance with His great love and forgiveness.

In response to Moses' intercession, the Lord shows His mercy and grants forgiveness to the Israelites. This interaction between Moses and the Lord demonstrates the power of intercessory prayer and the willingness of God to relent from judgment in response to the prayers of His people. It also reveals the character of God as a merciful and compassionate God who is willing to forgive and show mercy to those who seek Him with a repentant heart.

The themes of forgiveness, mercy, and the character of God are central to this passage. It highlights the importance of intercessory prayer and the role of a mediator in seeking God's mercy on behalf of others. It also emphasizes the compassion and forgiveness of God, as well as His willingness to respond to the prayers of His people.

Symbolically, this passage can be seen as a foreshadowing of the ultimate intercessor, Jesus Christ, who would come to atone for the sins of humanity and secure forgiveness and mercy for all who believe in Him. It also serves as a powerful example of the importance of seeking God's forgiveness and mercy through prayer and repentance.

In conclusion, Numbers 14:13-20 is a powerful and poignant passage that reveals the character of God as a merciful and forgiving God. It emphasizes the importance of intercessory prayer and the impact of seeking God's mercy on behalf of others. It also foreshadows the ultimate intercessor, Jesus Christ, and His role in securing forgiveness and mercy for all who believe in Him. This passage serves as a timeless reminder of the compassion and forgiveness of God and the power of prayer in seeking His mercy.

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Daily verses

Numbers 14:13-20 Artwork

Numbers 14:13-20 - "But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, O Lord, are in the midst of this people, for You, O Lord, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, ‘Because the Lord could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’ Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” So the Lord said, “I have pardoned them according to your word."

"But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, O Lord, are in the midst of this people, for You, O Lord, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, ‘Because the Lord could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’ Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” So the Lord said, “I have pardoned them according to your word." - Numbers 14:13-20

Numbers 13:14 - "Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi."

Numbers 14:20 - "And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:"

Numbers 20:13 - "This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them."

"Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi." - Numbers 13:14

Numbers 14:13 - "¶ And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)"

"And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:" - Numbers 14:20

Numbers 13:20 - "And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes."

Numbers 20:14 - "¶ And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:"

"This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them." - Numbers 20:13

Numbers 13:13 - "Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael."

Numbers 14:8

"¶ And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)" - Numbers 14:13