Why did the Israelites say God brought them to the promised land to die by the sword?
According to Numbers 14:3, the Israelites murmured that the Lord had brought them to the land to fall by the sword and for their wives and children to become prey. The context identifies this as hypocrisy; their real fear was the giants in the promised land, so they refused to trust God and enter His rest.
Les explains that the land of milk and honey was sitting in front of them, fully ready; Israel could have entered God's rest without labor, without digging wells. If the twelve spies had returned saying, "We can take it," the people would have gone. But they cried and murmured instead. In Numbers 14:3 they claimed the Lord brought them there to fall by the sword and for their wives and children to be prey. Les calls this hypocrisy: they were not really worried about their families but were scared to death of the giants in the promised land. God then told them their carcasses would fall in the wilderness, as they had spoken.
And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?