Numbers 32:23
in Numbers 32But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against Jehovah; and be sure your sin will find you out.
KJV
But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.
⋯
This verse in Numbers 32
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Be sure your sin will find you out - literally, “know ye your sin that it will find you out.” Moses implies that their sin would eventually bring its own punishment along with it.
This site's exposition
ye have sinned against the Lord
The sentence opens with a condition, but if ye will not do so, so the sin Moses names is one particular failure, the breaking of this promise to cross over armed. Albert Barnes gives the Hebrew more nearly as know ye your sin, that it will find you out. John Gill reads sin here as standing for the punishment of sin, the thing that overtakes a man who thought he had left it behind him.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
), and not against your brethren only, and be sure your sin will find you out; " that is, "God will certainly reckon with you for it, though you may make a light matter of it." Note, Sin will, without doubt, find out the sinner sooner or later.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
Jazer - A city and country of the Amorites; Gilead - A mountainous country, famous for pasturage 6. Ye sit here - In ease and peace, while your brethren are engaged in a bloody war.
Your sin - The punishment of your sin. Sin will certainly find out the sinner sooner or later. It concerns us therefore to find our sins out, that we may repent of them and forsake them, lest our sins find us out, to our confusion and destruction.
But if ye will not do so,.... As they promised they would, and Moses insisted on it that they should: behold, ye have sinned against the Lord making such a request, and not fulfilling the conditions on which it was granted: and be sure your sin will find you out; fly in their faces, accuse them in their consciences, charge and load them with guilt, and bring deserved punishment upon them: sin may be put, as it often is, for the punishment of sin, which sooner or later will find out and come upon the impenitent and unpardoned sinner.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Perhaps, however, the phrase is used merely in a general sense to denote their marching on an expedition, the purpose of which was blessed with the presence, and destined to promote the glory, of God.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
THERE are many dear friends engaged in business who can only reach the Tabernacle in time for the middle of the service and, therefore, they lose the reading of the Scriptures and the exposition which make up a whole with the sermon. This is a great loss to them, but as it is not their fault, we must not let them suffer for it, so far as we can remedy the evil.
THERE are many dear friends engaged in business who can only reach the Tabernacle in time for the middle of the service and, therefore, they lose the reading of the Scriptures and the exposition which make up a whole with the sermon. This is a great loss to them, but as it is not their fault, we must not let them suffer for it, so far as we can remedy the evil. With this design let me explain to them that, according to the chapter which we have read and expounded, the Israelites had conquered the country possessed by Og, king of Bashan, and Sihon, king of the Amorites. And the tribes of Reuben and Gad, having great quantities of cattle, thought that a country so rich in pasture would be eminently suitable for them and for their flocks. They were no bad judges, for the country was specially fitted for sheep farming. They, therefore, asked Moses that they might have that country to be theirs. But Moses objected. Did they mean to sit still and enjoy that country—and then leave the rest of the tribes to cross the Jordan and to fight for their possessions? If so, he declared that it was a very evil course to take—that they were selfish in seeking their own ease and that they would be discouraging God's people and doing all sorts of mischief. He, therefore, proposed to them that if they were to have that conquered country for their own, they should at least cross the river with their brethren and fight and continue fighting until the land on the other side of the Jordan had been cleared of its old inhabitants and the whole of Israel could take the whole of the country—and each tribe could possess its portion. He put it to them as a matter of honor and as a matter of right, that they ought to help in conquering the rest of the land.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תַעֲשׂוּן֙ | taasun | you will do ! | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כֵּ֔ן | ken | thus | H3651 → | 771 times |
| הִנֵּ֥ה | hineh | there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| חֲטָאתֶ֖ם | chatatem | you have sinned | H2398 → | 238 times |
| לַיהוָ֑ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וּדְעוּ֙ | udeu | and know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| חַטַּאתְכֶ֔ם | chatatkhem | sin your | H2403 → | 295 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תִּמְצָ֖א | timtza' | it will find | H4672 → | 455 times |
| אֶתְכֶֽם׃ | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
וְאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תַעֲשׂוּן֙you will do !
taasunH6213 →2628 times
כֵּ֔ןthus
kenH3651 →771 times
הִנֵּ֥הthere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
חֲטָאתֶ֖םyou have sinned
chatatemH2398 →238 times
לַיהוָ֑הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
וּדְעוּ֙and know
udeuH3045 →945 times
חַטַּאתְכֶ֔םsin your
chatatkhemH2403 →295 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
תִּמְצָ֖אit will find
timtza'H4672 →455 times
אֶתְכֶֽם׃<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 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
1 Corinthians 4:5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each…
it leads to
- James 5:7
Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.
- 1 Corinthians 3:13
his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work.
- Hebrews 4:13
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
- Romans 2:16
on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Christ Jesus, as proclaimed by my gospel.
- James 5:7
Through
Proverbs 13:21Disaster pursues sinners, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.
it leads to
- Psalms 32:10
Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but loving devotion surrounds him who trusts in the LORD.
- Isaiah 3:10–11
Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor.
- Psalms 32:10
Through
Psalms 90:8You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 16:17
For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from My face, and their guilt is not concealed from My eyes.
- Jeremiah 16:17
About Numbers
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1916: “The Great Sin Of Doing Nothing” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); 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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.