That the zeal and constancy of those holy men, amid so great a disturbance of all things, was most pleasing, the Lord made plain chiefly in three ways. First, when all the multitude cried out and wished to overwhelm them with stones, “the glory of the Lord appeared over the covering [tectum] of the covenant to all the children of Israel.” In Greek, “over the tabernacle of testimony”; in Hebrew, “in the tabernacle of testimony,” or “the assembly, to all the children of Israel.” And hence, in the Latin text, what may be understood by “the covering of the covenant” is gathered — since above (Num. 3) it signifies only those very [curtains] with which the tabernacle was covered, [i.e.] the curtains. And “the glory of the Lord” was, as Josephus says in the cited place, that cloud which was wont to stand over the tabernacle — but with some new splendor, and an appearance of unwonted figures, which either surrounded and, as it were, hid those holy men, or horribly terrified those impious and stony-hearted [men], and checked their hands already armed with stones and their arms stretched out to throw. “There was present,” says Josephus, “a calm; and the [signs] over the tabernacle signified the manifestation of God.” Cajetan thinks they fled to the tabernacle and hid in it. But since they were not of the priests and Levites, how would they have dared to enter it? And therefore it rather seems that they were at the tabernacle where the assembly, council, and preaching of the people was, by accustomed usage. 2. When, before the entry into the land, [the Lord] would pass sentence of death upon all who were passing their 20th year or any [year] above it, He always professed these two, Joshua and Caleb, to be excepted (ch. 14, vv. 24 and 30; Num. 26, v. 66; and again Deut. 1; and Ecclus. 46, v. 9). St. Augustine (sermon 106 on the season): “Of that elder people not more than two deserved to enter the land of promise; and we recognize that something was figured in those two. For, as was said above, there are two precepts of love which admonish the Christian people to receive eternal life. So those two were who gave counsel to the people of the Jews — that if they believed in God, they would happily enter the land of promise.” 3. The ten other explorers, from whom [was] the origin of the murmuring, “died, and were struck in the sight of the Lord” (v. 37). In what manner this was done, opinions vary. Some say, first, [that they were] taken out of the midst by a plague divinely sent. But R. Solomon [Rashi] [says] their tongues flowed with rot and poison, and, inflated, swelled up, so that they blocked all drawing of breath and air — and so they died suddenly. Cajetan [says] they were consumed by fire fallen from heaven, as had happened to certain [others] before. But Abulensis — which Cajetan too acknowledges — wants them destroyed only by a sudden death, of whatever kind at last it was. For “in the sight of the Lord” is the same as “at that time when the Lord displayed that His glory”; [i.e.] at that very juncture and place, by a plague which itself indeed did not fall under the eyes, yet then produced a horrible effect in the sight of all: [being] struck, they died at once and suddenly — whereas other Israelites, who had gone mad along with these, [died] only gradually, [some] here and there…
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…[other Israelites who had gone mad with them] breathed out their souls after the others, in various years and times. But no plague, nor swelling and rotting of the tongue, nor flame, nor sudden and swift death could harm those two at all, whom divine favor and aid walled about (ibid., v. 38): happy, and thrice and four times fortified and guarded against all things, whom the Lord covers and keeps. Read Ps. 90 [91], “He that dwelleth in the aid of the Most High.”