Numbers 14:2 (GNV)

Passage

And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron: and the whole assemblie said vnto them, Would God we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wildernesse: would God we were dead.

Nearby Context

Numbers 14:1 Then all ye Congregation lifted vp their voice, and cryed: and the people wept that night,

Numbers 14:2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron: and the whole assemblie said vnto them, Would God we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wildernesse: would God we were dead.

Numbers 14:3 Wherefore nowe hath the Lord brought vs into this lande to fall vpon the sworde? our wiues, and our children shall be a pray: were it not better for vs to returne into Egypt?

Numbers 14:4 And they said one to another, Let vs make a Captaine and returne into Egypt.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "children", "israel", "murmured", "against", "moses", "aaron", "whole", and "assemblie". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "children" and "israel", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Then all ye Congregation lifted vp their..." into verse 3's "Wherefore nowe hath the Lord brought vs...", so "children" and "israel" belong inside that flow. In Numbers context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "children" and "israel" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.