And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
Parallel translations
- WEB Moab was very afraid of the people, because they were many. Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
- BSB and Moab was terrified of the people because they were numerous. Indeed, Moab dreaded the Israelites.
- NKJV And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel.
- NASB So Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel.
- NLT And when the people of Moab saw how many Israelites there were, they were terrified.
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
Moab is gripped with dread and distress at the sheer number of the Israelites. Fear, not faith, governs Moab's reaction to God's people.
Overview
Moab's terror echoes the dread that fell on the nations as Israel approached (Exodus 15:15-16). Though Israel had been commanded not to harass Moab (Deuteronomy 2:9), Moab assumes the worst. The chapter contrasts the nations' fearful scheming with God's settled purpose to bless and protect His people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Exod 15:15Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
- Isa 23:5As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.
- Josh 9:24And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the LORD thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
- Josh 2:10–11For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
- Deut 2:25This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee.
- Ps 53:5There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.
- Josh 2:24And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 22:3 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.