King James Bible
"And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying,"
God actively listened to the Israelites' fearful complaints after the spies' negative report about Canaan. The anthropomorphic language emphasizes that nothing escapes divine attention, particularly the people's rejection of His promise despite witnessing His mighty deliverance from Egypt. God's anger ignited specifically because Israel's rebellion represented a fundamental breach of trust after He had repeatedly demonstrated His faithfulness. This divine wrath marks a pivotal moment where unbelief triggers judgment rather than mercy. The Lord's response escalates to a formal oath, indicating an irrevocable decree is about to follow. In ancient Near Eastern culture, divine oaths carried ultimate authority and could not be reversed, preparing readers for the severe consequences of that generation's disbelief.