Numbers 14:14
in Numbers 14And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have already heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, that You, O LORD, have been seen face to face, that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that thou Jehovah art in the midst of this people; for thou Jehovah art seen face to face, and thy cloud standeth over them, and thou goest before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.
KJV
And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.
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This verse in Numbers 14
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
The Egyptians will hear of it
on Numbers 14:13-16
Moses answers the offer by arguing about what Egypt and Canaan will conclude. The nations will say the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land. He made the same argument at Exodus 32:12.
This site's exposition
have been seen face to face
The Hebrew behind face to face reads eye to eye, a picture of the LORD seen at close range. Rahab confirms at Joshua 2:10 that Canaan had heard of the sea. Barnes calls the syntax of these verses singularly broken.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land,....
A mitigation of the sentence in answer to the prayer of Moses; they shall not all be cut off, but the decree goes forth ratified with an oath, published to the people, again and again repeated, that this whole congregation should perish in the wilderness, and none of them enter Canaan but Caleb and Joshua only,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
That thy cloud standeth over them - This cloud, the symbol of the Divine glory, and proof of the Divine presence, appears to have assumed three different forms for three important purposes. 1. It appeared by day in the form of a pillar of a sufficient height to be seen by all the camp, and thus went before them to point out their way in the desert. Exo 40:38.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
THAT THOU, ETERNAL, ‘NIR’AH’ (HAST BEEN SEEN) EYE TO EYE. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented that “[this verse is to be understood in the light of what it says], And the appearance of the Glory of the Eternal etc. in the eyes of the children of Israel. 113 Exodus:17.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
AND THE EGYPTIANS SHALL HEAR ‘KI HE’ELITHA’ IN THY MIGHT. “And the Egyptians shall hear that you have killed them. Ki he’elitha.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאָמְר֗וּ | veameru | and they will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יוֹשֵׁב֮ | yoshev | [the] inhabitant[s] of | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| הָאָ֣רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| הַזֹּאת֒ | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ | shameu | they have heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אַתָּ֣ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | O Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בְּקֶ֖רֶב | bekerev | [are] in [the] midst of | H7130 → | 227 times |
| הָעָ֣ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הַזֶּ֑ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַ֨יִן | ʾayin | eye | H5869 → | 887 times |
| בְּעַ֜יִן | beayin | in eye | H5869 → | 887 times |
| נִרְאָ֣ה׀ | nirah | he was seen | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אַתָּ֣ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | O Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וַעֲנָֽנְךָ֙ | vaananekha | and cloud your | H6051 → | 87 times |
| עֹמֵ֣ד | ʾomed | [is] standing | H5975 → | 521 times |
| עֲלֵהֶ֔ם | ʾalehem | over them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וּבְעַמֻּ֣ד | uveamud | and in a pillar of | H5982 → | 111 times |
| עָנָ֗ן | ʾanan | cloud | H6051 → | 87 times |
| אַתָּ֨ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| הֹלֵ֤ךְ | holekh | [are] going | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| לִפְנֵיהֶם֙ | lifneihem | <to> before them | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יוֹמָ֔ם | yomam | by day | H3119 → | 50 times |
| וּבְעַמּ֥וּד | uveamud | and in a pillar of | H5982 → | 111 times |
| אֵ֖שׁ | ʾesh | fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| לָֽיְלָה׃ | layelah | night | H3915 → | 233 times |
וְאָמְר֗וּand they will say
veameruH559 →5305 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יוֹשֵׁב֮[the] inhabitant[s] of
yoshevH3427 →1079 times
הָאָ֣רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
הַזֹּאת֒<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
שָֽׁמְעוּ֙they have heard
shameuH8085 →1159 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אַתָּ֣הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
יְהוָ֔הO Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בְּקֶ֖רֶב[are] in [the] midst of
bekerevH7130 →227 times
הָעָ֣םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
הַזֶּ֑ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
עַ֨יִןeye
ʾayinH5869 →887 times
בְּעַ֜יִןin eye
beayinH5869 →887 times
נִרְאָ֣ה׀he was seen
nirahH7200 →1300 times
אַתָּ֣הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
יְהוָ֗הO Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וַעֲנָֽנְךָ֙and cloud your
vaananekhaH6051 →87 times
עֹמֵ֣ד[is] standing
ʾomedH5975 →521 times
עֲלֵהֶ֔םover them
ʾalehemH5921 →5755 times
וּבְעַמֻּ֣דand in a pillar of
uveamudH5982 →111 times
עָנָ֗ןcloud
ʾananH6051 →87 times
אַתָּ֨הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
הֹלֵ֤ךְ[are] going
holekhH1980 →1546 times
לִפְנֵיהֶם֙<to> before them
lifneihemH6440 →2123 times
יוֹמָ֔םby day
yomamH3119 →50 times
וּבְעַמּ֥וּדand in a pillar of
uveamudH5982 →111 times
אֵ֖שׁfire
ʾeshH784 →378 times
לָֽיְלָה׃night
layelahH3915 →233 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
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
- Deuteronomy 34:10
Since that time, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face—
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 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?”
- 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.
- Genesis 32:30
So Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
- Deuteronomy 34:10
Through
Deuteronomy 5:4The LORD spoke with you face to face out of the fire on the mountain.
it leads to
- Exodus 19:18–19
Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because the LORD had descended on it in fire. And the smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently.
- Exodus 19:18–19
Through
Exodus 15:14The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the dwellers of Philistia.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 2:25
This very day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon all the nations under heaven. They will hear the reports of you and tremble in anguish because of you.”
- Deuteronomy 2:25
Through
Nehemiah 9:12You led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they should travel.
it leads to
- Exodus 13:21–22
And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel…
- Exodus 13:21–22
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies14
On this verse
On this chapter
About Numbers

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Calvin, Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
