And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’s people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!
Parallel translations
- WEB Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all Yahweh’s people were prophets, that Yahweh would put his Spirit on them!”
- BSB But Moses replied, “Are you jealous on my account? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would place His Spirit on them!”
- NKJV Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!”
- NASB But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? If only all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!”
- NLT But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Moses refuses jealousy and wishes all God's people were Spirit-filled prophets. He longs for the wider gift God would later pour out.
Overview
Far from defending his position, Moses expresses a holy desire that all the LORD's people receive the Spirit. His selfless words anticipate the new-covenant outpouring foretold by Joel and fulfilled at Pentecost (Joel 2:28; Acts 2). Moses points beyond himself to a day when God's Spirit rests on all his people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- 1 Cor 14:5I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
- Jas 5:9Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
- Luke 10:2Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
- Jas 4:5Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
- Matt 9:37–38Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
- Jas 3:14–15But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
- Phil 2:3Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
- Phil 1:15–18Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
- 1 Pet 2:1Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
- 1 Cor 3:21Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
- 1 Cor 3:3For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
- 1 Cor 13:4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
- Acts 26:29And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 11:29 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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