"And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night." Revolt and open mutiny quickly followed; for Satan had full sway, and the people seemed bereft of reason. They cursed Moses and Aaron, forgetting that God hearkened to their wicked speeches, and that, enshrouded in the cloudy pillar, the Angel of His presence was witnessing their terrible outburst of wrath. In bitterness they cried out, "Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!" Then their feelings rose against God: "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? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt." Thus they accused not only Moses, but God Himself, of deception, in promising them a land which they were not able to possess. And they went so far as to appoint a captain to lead them back to the land of their suffering and bondage, from which they had been delivered by the strong arm of Omnipotence.

Da opløftede hele menigheden sin røst og brød ud i klageråb, og folket græd natten igennem. Der blev snart oprør og åbent mytteri, for Satan havde fuldstændig taget magten, og det så ud til, at folket havde mistet den sunde fornuft. De forbandede Moses og Aron og tænkte slet ikke på, at Gud hørte deres onde ord, og at hans engel, skjult i skystøtten, var vidne til deres frygtelige vredesudbrud. I deres vrede råbte de: Gid vi var døde i Ægypten eller her i ørkenen! Derefter lod de deres vrede gå ud over Gud: Hvorfor fører Herren os til dette land, når vi skal falde for sværdet og vore kvinder og børn blive til bytte? Var det dog ikke bedre for os at vende tilbage til Ægypten? Og de sagde til hverandre: Lad os vælge os en fører og vende tilbage til Ægypten! Nu havde de ikke blot beskyldt Moses, men Gud selv for at bedrage dem ved at love dem et land, som de ikke var i stand til at tage i besiddelse. De gik endda så vidt, at de valgte en fører, der skulle føre dem tilbage til det land, hvor de havde lidt og trællet, og som de var blevet udfriet fra med Guds stærke arm.