Numbers 14:3
in Numbers 14Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And wherefore doth Jehovah bring us unto this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be a prey: were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
KJV
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?
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This verse in Numbers 14
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land
on Numbers 14:3-4
The complaint moves from grief to a plan in one verse. They propose a captain and a return to Egypt, which reverses everything the last two books did, and Nehemiah 9:17 looks back on this moment and says that in their rebellion they appointed a captain to return to their bondage. What they say will become a prey, their wives and children, is what verse 31 promises to bring in.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices
): Were it not better for us to return into Egypt? But the ferment being high, and the spirits of the people being disposed to entertain any thing that was perverse, it soon ripened to a resolution, without a debate (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
), his glory appeared not to silence their blasphemies; but, when they threatened Caleb and Joshua, they touched the apple of his eye, and his glory appeared immediately. Note, Those who faithfully expose themselves for God are sure to be taken under his special protection, and shall be hidden from the rage of men, either under heaven or in heaven.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the L ORD , therefore the L ORD will not be with you. 44 But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the L ORD , and Moses, departed not out of the camp.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:90%@v43-44
Wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land,....
The devil keeps up his interest in the hearts of men by insinuating to them ill thoughts of God, as if he desired the death of sinners, and delighted in the hardships and sufferings of his own servants, whereas he knows his thoughts to us-ward (whether we know them so or no) to be thoughts of good, and not of evil, Jer. xxix.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
A leader to reconduct them to Egypt is spoken of (Ne 9:17) as actually nominated. The sinfulness and insane folly of their conduct are almost incredible. Their conduct, however, is paralleled by too many among us, who shrink from the smallest difficulties and rather remain slaves to sin than resolutely try to surmount the obstacles that lie in their way to the Canaan above.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלָמָ֣ה | velamah | and <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| יְ֠הוָה | yahweh | [is] Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מֵבִ֨יא | mevi' | bringing | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֹתָ֜נוּ | ʾotanu | <obj.> us | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָאָ֤רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| הַזֹּאת֙ | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| לִנְפֹּ֣ל | linpol | to fall | H5307 → | 435 times |
| בַּחֶ֔רֶב | bacherev | by the sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| נָשֵׁ֥ינוּ | nasheinu | wives our | H802 → | 781 times |
| וְטַפֵּ֖נוּ | vetapenu | and little one[s] our | H2945 → | 42 times |
| יִהְי֣וּ | yihyu | they will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לָבַ֑ז | lavaz | <into> plunder | H957 → | 25 times |
| הֲל֧וֹא | halo' | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| ט֦וֹב | tov | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| לָ֖נוּ | lanu | for <the> us | ||
| שׁ֥וּב | shuv | [is] to return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃ | mitzrayemah | Egypt towards | H4714 → | 641 times |
וְלָמָ֣הand <to> why?
velamahH4100 →752 times
יְ֠הוָה[is] Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
מֵבִ֨יאbringing
mevi'H935 →2568 times
אֹתָ֜נוּ<obj.> us
ʾotanuH853 →10935 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָאָ֤רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
הַזֹּאת֙<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
לִנְפֹּ֣לto fall
linpolH5307 →435 times
בַּחֶ֔רֶבby the sword
bacherevH2719 →413 times
נָשֵׁ֥ינוּwives our
nasheinuH802 →781 times
וְטַפֵּ֖נוּand little one[s] our
vetapenuH2945 →42 times
יִהְי֣וּthey will become
yihyuH1961 →3559 times
לָבַ֑ז<into> plunder
lavazH957 →25 times
הֲל֧וֹא¿ not
halo'H3808 →5168 times
ט֦וֹבgood
tovH2896 →538 times
לָ֖נוּfor <the> us
lanu
שׁ֥וּב[is] to return
shuvH7725 →1056 times
מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃Egypt towards
mitzrayemahH4714 →641 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
Jeremiah 9:3“They bend their tongues like bows; lies prevail over truth in the land. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not take Me into account,” declares the LORD.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 4:22
“For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they know not how to do good.”
- Jeremiah 9:8
Their tongues are deadly arrows; they speak deception. With his mouth a man speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him.
- Judges 2:10
After that whole generation had also been gathered to their fathers, another generation rose up who did not know the LORD or the works that He had done for Israel.
- Isaiah 59:13–15
rebelling and denying the LORD, turning away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lies from the heart.
- Romans 3:13
“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.”
- Jeremiah 4:22
Through
Psalms 78:40How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
- Psalms 95:8–10
do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the day at Massah in the wilderness,
- Hebrews 3:15–17
As it has been said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion.”
- Ephesians 4:30
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.