Deuteronomy 9:23
in Deuteronomy 9And when the LORD sent you out from Kadesh-barnea, He said, “Go up and possess the land that I have given you.” But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. You neither believed Him nor obeyed Him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when Jehovah sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given you; then ye rebelled against the commandment of Jehovah your God, and ye believed him not, nor hearkened to his voice.
KJV
Likewise when the Lord sent you from Kadesh–barnea, saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given you; then ye rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God, and ye believed him not, nor hearkened to his voice.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 9
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
You continued to provoke the LORD at Taberah
on Deuteronomy 9:22-24
Four places are named out of the order they happened: Taberah at Numbers 11:3, Massah at Exodus 17:7, Kibroth-hattaavah at Numbers 11:34 and Kadesh-barnea at Numbers 13 and 14. Barnes reads the order as rising from lighter proofs of guilt to heavier, ending on "you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God". Verse 24 closes with a span, "since the day I came to know you".
This site's exposition
You neither believed Him nor obeyed Him
God's command at Kadesh-barnea spoke of the land as already given, and the verse names two failures in answer, with unbelief placed before disobedience. Hebrews 3:18 and 19 read the same event and trace the failure to enter to that unbelief. Matthew Henry counts the recalling of such sins as the way a people learn how much they owe to free grace.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Likewise when the Lord sent you from Kadeshbarnea,....
It is good for us often to remember against ourselves, with sorrow and shame, our former sins, and to review the records conscience keeps of them, that we may see how much we are indebted to free grace, and may humbly own that we never merited at God's hand any thing but wrath and the curse.
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּבִשְׁלֹ֨חַ | uvishloach | and when sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶתְכֶ֗ם | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִקָּדֵ֤שׁ | mikadesh | from Kadesh | H6947 → | 20 times |
| בַּרְנֵ֙עַ֙ | barnea' | Barnea | H6947 → | 20 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| עֲלוּ֙ | ʾalu | go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| וּרְשׁ֣וּ | ureshu | and take possession of | H3423 → | 231 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָ֔רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נָתַ֖תִּי | natati | I have given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָכֶ֑ם | lakhem | to <the> you | ||
| וַתַּמְר֗וּ | vatamru | and you rebelled against | H4784 → | 45 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| פִּ֤י | pi | [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם | ʾeloheikhem | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְלֹ֤א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הֶֽאֱמַנְתֶּם֙ | heemantem | you believed | H539 → | 106 times |
| ל֔וֹ | lo | <to> <the> him | ||
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שְׁמַעְתֶּ֖ם | shema'tem | you listened | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| בְּקֹלֽוֹ׃ | bekolo | to voice his | H6963 → | 506 times |
וּבִשְׁלֹ֨חַand when sent
uvishloachH7971 →845 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶתְכֶ֗ם<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
מִקָּדֵ֤שׁfrom Kadesh
mikadeshH6947 →20 times
בַּרְנֵ֙עַ֙Barnea
barnea'H6947 →20 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
עֲלוּ֙go up
ʾaluH5927 →890 times
וּרְשׁ֣וּand take possession of
ureshuH3423 →231 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאָ֔רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נָתַ֖תִּיI have given
natatiH5414 →2011 times
לָכֶ֑םto <the> you
lakhem
וַתַּמְר֗וּand you rebelled against
vatamruH4784 →45 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
פִּ֤י[the] mouth of
piH6310 →498 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔םGod your
ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times
וְלֹ֤אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
הֶֽאֱמַנְתֶּם֙you believed
heemantemH539 →106 times
ל֔וֹ<to> <the> him
lo
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
שְׁמַעְתֶּ֖םyou listened
shema'temH8085 →1159 times
בְּקֹלֽוֹ׃to voice his
bekoloH6963 →506 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 4:2For we also received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, since they did not share the faith of those who comprehended it.
it leads to
- Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:13
And we continually thank God because, when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as the true word of God—the…
- Hebrews 3:18–19
And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 10:16–17
But not all of them welcomed the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”
- Hebrews 11:6
Through
Isaiah 63:10But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them.
it leads to
- Acts 7:51
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
- Ephesians 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
- Psalms 78:56
But they tested and disobeyed God Most High, for they did not keep His decrees.
- Psalms 78:40
How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!
- Acts 7:51
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Deuteronomy

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
