The decree that Israel was not to enter Canaan for forty years was a bitter disappointment to Moses and Aaron, Caleb and Joshua; yet without a murmur they accepted the divine decision. But those who had been complaining of God's dealings with them, and declaring that they would return to Egypt, wept and mourned greatly when the blessings which they had despised were taken from them. They had complained at nothing, and now God gave them cause to weep. Had they mourned for their sin when it was faithfully laid before them, this sentence would not have been pronounced; but they mourned for the judgment; their sorrow was not repentance, and could not secure a reversing of their sentence.

Det var en stor skuffelse for Moses og Aron og Kaleb og Josua, at Israel ikke skulle drage ind i Kanaan før om fyrre år. Men de tog den guddommelige beslutning til efterretning uden at klage. De, der havde beklaget sig over Guds handlemåde med dem og sagt, at de ville drage tilbage til Ægypten, græd og sørgede dybt nu, da de gik glip af de velsignelser, som de havde ringeagtet. Før beklagede de sig uden grund, nu gav Gud dem noget at græde over. Hvis de havde sørget over deres synd, da den med troskab blev foreholdt dem, ville denne dom aldrig være blevet afsagt over dem, men de sørgede over straffen. Deres sorg var ikke et udtryk for anger, og derfor blev dommen ikke annulleret.