Numbers 14:9

Their defence is departed from them. — Literally, their shadow. This is a natural and frequently recurring figure of speech in the East, where protection from the scorching rays of the sun is a boon of incalculable worth. (Comp. Genesis 19:8; Psalms 17:8; Psalms 91:1; Isaiah 25:4; Isaiah 30:2.) The measure of the iniquity of the Canaanites was now full, and they were ripe for

destruction. (Comp. Genesis 15:16; Leviticus 18:25; Leviticus 20:23.)