All the Israelites railed against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in the land of Egypt,” the whole community shouted at them, “or if only we might die in this wilderness!”
“Why is יהוה taking us to that land to fall by the sword?” “Our wives and children will be carried off!” “It would be better for us to go back to Egypt!”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ולמה
81
יהוה
26
מביא
53
אתנו
457
אלהארץ
327
הזאת
413
לנפל
190
בחרב
212
נשינו
416
וטפנו
151
יהיו
31
לבז
39
הלוא
42
טוב
17
לנו
86
שוב
308
מצרימה
385
Numbers 14:4
Gematria: 2390
ויאמרואישאלאחיונתנהראשונשובהמצרימה
And they said to one another, “Let us head back for .” Egypt.”
Translation Notes
*head back for Lit. “set the head and return to”; cf. Neh. 9.17. — Others “make a captain and return to
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאמרו
263
איש
311
אלאחיו
56
נתנה
505
ראש
501
ונשובה
369
מצרימה
385
Numbers 14:5
Gematria: 2450
ויפלמשהואהרןעלפניהםלפניכלקהלעדתבניישראל
Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembled congregation of Israelites.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויפל
126
משה
345
ואהרן
262
עלפניהם
285
לפני
170
כלקהל
185
עדת
474
בני
62
ישראל
541
Numbers 14:6
Gematria: 2692
ויהושעבןנוןוכלבבןיפנהמןהתריםאתהארץקרעובגדיהם
And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, of those who had scouted the land, rent their clothes
only you must not rebel against יהוה. Have no fear then of the people of the country, for they are our prey: ” their protection has departed from them, but יהוה is with us. Have no fear of them!”
And יהוה said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me, and how long will they have no faith in Me despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst?
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאמר
257
יהוה
26
אלמשה
376
עדאנה
130
ינאצני
211
העם
115
הזה
17
ועדאנה
136
לאיאמינו
148
בי
12
בכל
52
האתות
812
אשר
501
עשיתי
790
בקרבו
310
Numbers 14:12
Gematria: 2097
אכנובדברואורשנוואעשהאתךלגויגדולועצוםממנו
I will strike them with pestilence and disown them, and I will make of you a nation far more numerous than they!”
Word-by-Word Analysis
אכנו
77
בדבר
208
ואורשנו
569
ואעשה
382
אתך
421
לגויגדול
92
ועצום
212
ממנו
136
Numbers 14:13
Gematria: 2937
ויאמרמשהאליהוהושמעומצריםכיהעליתבכחךאתהעםהזהמקרבו
But Moses said to יהוה, “When the Egyptians, from whose midst You brought up this people in Your might, hear the news,
they will tell it to the inhabitants of that land. Now they have heard that You, יהוה, are in the midst of this people; that You, יהוה, appear in plain sight when Your cloud rests over them and when You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ואמרו
253
אליושב
349
הארץ
296
הזאת
413
שמעו
416
כיאתה
436
יהוה
26
בקרב
304
העם
115
הזה
17
אשרעין
631
בעין
132
נראה
256
אתה
406
יהוה
26
ועננך
196
עמד
114
עלהם
145
ובעמד
122
ענן
170
אתה
406
הלך
55
לפניהם
215
יומם
96
ובעמוד
128
אש
301
לילה
75
Numbers 14:15
Gematria: 3669
והמתהאתהעםהזהכאישאחדואמרוהגויםאשרשמעואתשמעךלאמר
If then You slay this people wholesale, e., without discrimination; NJPS “to a man,” trad. “as one man.” See the Dictionary under ’ish. the nations who have heard Your fame will say,
‘יהוה ! slow to anger and abounding in kindness; forgiving iniquity and transgression; yet not remitting all punishment, but visiting the iniquity of parents upon children, upon the third and fourth generations.’
none of those involved—who have seen My Presence and the signs that I have performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and who have tried Me these many note at Gen. 31.41. times and have disobeyed Me—
Translation Notes
*many — Lit. “ten”; cf.
Word-by-Word Analysis
כי
30
כלהאנשים
456
הראים
256
אתכבדי
437
ואתאתתי
1218
אשרעשיתי
1291
במצרים
382
ובמדבר
254
וינסו
132
אתי
411
זה
12
עשר
570
פעמים
240
ולא
37
שמעו
416
בקולי
148
Numbers 14:23
Gematria: 3261
אםיראואתהארץאשרנשבעתילאבתםוכלמנאצילאיראוה
shall see the land that I promised on oath to their fathers; none of those who spurn Me shall see it.
But My servant Caleb, because he was imbued with a different spirit and remained loyal to Me—him will I bring into the land that he entered, and his offspring shall hold it as a possession.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ועבדי
92
כלב
52
עקב
172
היתה
420
רוח
214
אחרת
609
עמו
116
וימלא
87
אחרי
219
והביאתיו
440
אלהארץ
327
אשרבא
504
שמה
345
וזרעו
289
יורשנה
571
Numbers 14:25
Gematria: 2369
והעמלקיוהכנענייושבבעמקמחרפנווסעולכםהמדברדרךיםסוףפ
Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites occupy the valleys. Start out, then, tomorrow and march into the wilderness by way of the Sea of Reeds.” Sea of Reeds See note at Exod. 10.19.
In this very wilderness shall your carcasses drop. Of all of you [men] [men] The whole adult population will die in the wilderness; however, only the men had been counted in the census (see 1.2–3). who were recorded in your various lists from the age of twenty years up, you who have muttered against Me,
You shall bear your punishment for forty years, corresponding to the number of days—forty days—that you scouted the land: a year for each day. Thus you shall know what it means to thwart Me.
I יהוה have spoken: Thus will I do to all that wicked band that has banded together against Me: in this very wilderness they shall die and so be finished off.’”
As for the agents agents See note at 13.2. whom Moses sent to scout the land, those who came back and caused the whole community to mutter against him by spreading calumnies about the land—
Word-by-Word Analysis
והאנשים
412
אשרשלח
839
משה
345
לתור
636
אתהארץ
697
וישבו
324
וילונו
108
וילינו
112
עליו
116
אתכלהעדה
535
להוציא
142
דבה
11
עלהארץ
396
Numbers 14:37
Gematria: 2318
וימתוהאנשיםמוצאידבתהארץרעהבמגפהלפנייהוה
those who spread such calumnies about the land died of plague, by the will of יהוה.
Early next morning [their fighting force] set out toward the crest of the hill country, saying, “We are prepared to go up to the place that יהוה has spoken of, for we were wrong.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
וישכמו
382
בבקר
304
ויעלו
122
אלראשההר
742
לאמר
271
הננו
111
ועלינו
172
אלהמקום
222
אשראמר
742
יהוה
26
כי
30
חטאנו
74
Numbers 14:41
Gematria: 2546
ויאמרמשהלמהזהאתםעבריםאתפייהוהוהואלאתצלח
But Moses said, “Why do you transgress יהוה’s command? This will not succeed.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאמר
257
משה
345
למה
75
זה
12
אתם
441
עברים
322
אתפי
491
יהוה
26
והוא
18
לא
31
תצלח
528
Numbers 14:42
Gematria: 1847
אלתעלוכיאיןיהוהבקרבכםולאתנגפולפניאיביכם
Do not go up, lest you be routed by your enemies, for יהוה is not in your midst.
For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there to face you, and you will fall by the sword, inasmuch as you have turned from following יהוה and יהוה will not be with you.”
Yet defiantly defiantly Meaning of Heb. wa-ya‘pilu uncertain. they marched toward the crest of the hill country, though neither יהוה’s Ark of the Covenant nor Moses stirred from the camp.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויעפלו
202
לעלות
536
אלראש
532
ההר
210
וארון
263
בריתיהוה
638
ומשה
351
לאמשו
377
מקרב
342
המחנה
108
Numbers 14:45
Gematria: 2203
וירדהעמלקיוהכנעניהישבבהרההואויכוםויכתוםעדהחרמהפ
And the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that hill country came down and dealt them a shattering blow at Hormah.