‘Because the LORD was unable to bring this people into the land He swore to give them, He has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’
Parallel translations
- WEB ‘Because Yahweh was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.’
- KJV Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.
- NKJV ‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.’
- NASB ‘Since the Lord could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’
- NLT ‘The Lord was not able to bring them into the land he swore to give them, so he killed them in the wilderness.’
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 said the nations would conclude God was unable to bring Israel into the land, so He slew them. His plea guarded God's faithfulness from being slandered.
Overview
Moses voiced the very charge the nations might make: that the LORD failed to keep His sworn promise. Such a conclusion would dishonor God's power and faithfulness to the patriarchs. Moses' intercession appeals to God to vindicate His own covenant promises, which He always keeps.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Deut 9:28Otherwise, those in the land from which You brought us out will say, ‘Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land He had promised them, and because He hated them, He has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.’
- Josh 7:7“O, Lord GOD,” Joshua said, “why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be destroyed? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!
- Josh 7:9When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”
- Deut 32:26–27I would have said that I would cut them to pieces and blot out their memory from mankind,
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 14:16 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.