Numbers 11:28
in Numbers 11Joshua son of Nun, the attendant to Moses since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.
KJV
And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.
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This verse in Numbers 11
Commentary
7 notes on this verseJoshua, the son of Nun and successor of Moses, was amazed, and coming to Moses said to him, Have you heard that Eldad and Medad are prophesying? They were called and did not come forward; "Moses, my lord, stop them." I cannot forbid them, he said, for the grace is from heaven. So far am I from forbidding them that I consider it a favor. But I think you have not spoken thus in envy. Do not be overzealous on my account, because they have prophesied, and you do not yet prophesy. Await the proper time.
This site's exposition
And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses
on Numbers 11:28-29
Joshua asks Moses to forbid them, and Matthew Henry suggests Joshua was one of the seventy himself and jealous for the honour of the order. Moses answers with a wish rather than a ruling, would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them. Joel 2:28 promises that in so many words, and Peter stands up at Acts 2:16-18 and says this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown set the answer beside Mark 9:39, where John forbids a man casting out devils and is told to forbid him not.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
It is probable that Joshua himself was one of the seventy, which made him the more jealous for the honour of their order. He takes it for granted that they were not under any necessitating impulse, for the spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets, and therefore he would have them either not to prophesy at all or to come to the tabernacle and prophesy in concert with the rest.
And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
They, however, received the gifts of the Spirit as well as their brethren. And when Moses was urged to forbid their prophesying, his answer displayed a noble disinterestedness as well as zeal for the glory of God akin to that of our Lord (Mr 9:39).
My lord Moses, forbid them - How often have I blindly done What zealous Joshua did, Impatient to the rulers run, And cried, “My lords, forbid! Silence the schismatics, constrain Their thoughts with ours t’ agree, And sacrifice the souls of men To idol unity!”
My lord Moses, forbid them - How often have I blindly done What zealous Joshua did, Impatient to the rulers run, And cried, “My lords, forbid! Silence the schismatics, constrain Their thoughts with ours t’ agree, And sacrifice the souls of men To idol unity!”
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֜עַן | vaiyaan | and he answered | H6030 → | 331 times |
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| בִּן־ | bin- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| נ֗וּן | nun | Nun | H5126 → | 30 times |
| מְשָׁרֵ֥ת | mesharet | [the] servant of | H8334 → | 97 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֛ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| מִבְּחֻרָ֖יו | mibechurav | from youth<s> his | H979 → | |
| וַיֹּאמַ֑ר | vaiyomar | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֥י | ʾadoni | O lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֖ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| כְּלָאֵֽם׃ | kelaem | restrain them | H3607 → |
וַיַּ֜עַןand he answered
vaiyaanH6030 →331 times
יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַJoshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
בִּן־[the] son of
bin-H1121 →4930 times
נ֗וּןNun
nunH5126 →30 times
מְשָׁרֵ֥ת[the] servant of
mesharetH8334 →97 times
מֹשֶׁ֛הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
מִבְּחֻרָ֖יוfrom youth<s> his
mibechuravH979 →
וַיֹּאמַ֑רand he said
vaiyomarH559 →5305 times
אֲדֹנִ֥יO lord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
מֹשֶׁ֖הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
כְּלָאֵֽם׃restrain them
kelaemH3607 →
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
Exodus 33:11Thus the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun would not…
it leads to
- Numbers 12:8
I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?”
- Deuteronomy 34:10
Since that time, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face—
- Exodus 24:13
So Moses set out with Joshua his attendant and went up on the mountain of God.
- Exodus 33:9
As Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance, and the LORD would speak with Moses.
- Deuteronomy 5:4
The LORD spoke with you face to face out of the fire on the mountain.
- Numbers 12:8
Through
Joshua 1:1Now after the death of His servant Moses, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying,
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 34:9
Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.
- Deuteronomy 1:38
Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you, will enter it. Encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit the land.
- Deuteronomy 34:9
Through
John 3:26So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Look, Rabbi, the One who was with you beyond the Jordan, the One you testified about—He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him.”
it leads to
- John 1:7
He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe.
- John 1:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 16.26; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.