סר צילם מעליהם, they have no more shelter behind which to take refuge, for all the inhabitants of the land are quaking in their boots, have lost their self confidence after they had heard that G’d had split the sea for you and drowned the Egyptians. Rachav, 40 years later,still relates to the spies that even then the impact of that miracle had not faded from the consciousness of the Canaanites (compare Joshua 2, 9-11).

ואמרו אל יושב הארץ הזאת, the Egyptians will say concerning the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, as Rashi explained on verse 13 (that the Jewish G’d was unable to cope with the Canaanites)

Now the Torah explains first what would prompt the Canaanites to say what Moses assumed they would be saying if G’d were to wipe out the Jewish nation. They would recall that they had heard about what G’d had done on behalf of the Jewish nation, how He had displayed so much fondness for them in the manner in which He had redeemed them from their slavery in Egypt. If, in spite of this, He had now killed them in one fell swoop, this was not because He suddenly hated them, but because He realised that He could not keep His promise to them, being unable to overcome the 31 kings who banded together to resist the invasion of their country. Moses appeals for G’d to reconsider so that His Holy name would not be desecrated by the nations.

יגדל נא כח, to restrain Your anger. We know from Solomon in Proverbs 16,32 that “it is better to practice restraining one’s anger, than to display brute force as a proof of one’s power. Ruling one’s spirit is better than conquering a city.”

סלחתי כדבריך; I forgive immediately. The word is phrased in the past tense, just as Avraham had said to Ephron נתתי כסף השדה, “I have given the money for the field,” when he had not done so yet at all. He had meant that he had held the money available for the moment it would be required. Similarly, G’d had held His forgiveness in reserve awaiting the pretext to trigger it. (Genesis 23,13)

כדבריך, I will not punish and kill them immediately, but will spread the punishment over the next forty years.

ואולם, however.

עשר פעמים, not literally, but meaning “many times.” We have encountered such expressions in Genesis 31,7, as well as in Leviticus 26,26, and in Job 19,3. In neither instance is the word עשר to be understood literally.

רועים במדבר, they will derive their livelihood in a manner similar to sheep who wander all over to find grass to graze on. Similarly, the Israelites will move about somewhat aimlessly in the desert during these years.

והאנשים אשר שלח משה, and who had in the meantime returned from the land of Israel, וישובו וילינו and had upon their return incited the people to voice their complaints, וימותו, they died forthwith.

דבה, the word is related to דובב, as in Song of Songs 7,10 דובב שפתי ישנים, “He makes the lips of those who sleep (in their graves) move and articulate words.” [The author quotes more verses, i.e. Proverbs 11,10 Job 20,5, but I confess that I do not understand how they relate to דבה. Ed.]

'אל המקום אשר אמר ה, and He commanded us to go there and to take possession of the land.

כי חטאנו, when we believed the advice given by the spies.

והיא לא תצלח, this way will not succeed.

כי על כן שבתם, the line has the word אשר missing; we find a similar construction with the missing word אשר in Genesis 39 4 where the Torah writes וכל יש לו בידו instead of וכל אשר יש לו בידו.

משו, from the root לא ימיש, Exodus 13,22, “did not move.” Here too it means “did not move.”