2 For she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and she also had complained against my father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness.
3 And after this manner of language had my mother complained against my father.
Even good, faithful people, such as Sariah, struggle sometimes with things they do not understand. Here Sariah has been worried sick about her sons who have gone on such a dangerous mission that they may not return alive. Who knows what delays they may have experienced beyond what was described. Apparently they did not return in the amount of time they agreed upon. That is hard on a worrying parent. She starts second guessing herself, and maybe, as in this case, takes her worries out on her husband. This is not to justify murmuring or complaining; it is just a recognition of how that murmuring could be a temptation in some cases. On the other hand, murmuring and complaining could lead to mocking and eventually to apostasy. It needs to be taken seriously and avoided. I think it would be a mistake to assume from these verses that Sariah’s faith was lacking. We all have our moments of weakness, even the best among us.
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