Basil of Caesarea, on Num 20:10

“And having gathered together the multitude before the rock, he said to them: Hear, ye rebellious and incredulous: Can we bring you forth water out of this rock?”

“The people were murmuring because there was no water. Moses merely had said to his people, "Can we bring you forth water out of this rock?" Thus he wavered only slightly, yet for this alone he immediately received the threat that he should not enter into the land of promise, which was at that time the chief of all the promises made to the Jews. When I behold this man asking and not obtaining pardon, when I see him not deemed worthy of forgiveness because of those few words, even in consideration of so many righteous deeds, truly I discern, in the words of the apostle, "the severity of God." I am fully persuaded that these words are true: "If the just man shall scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.