Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do what has proceeded out of your mouth.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Build cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which has proceeded out of your mouth.”
- KJV Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.
- BSB Build cities for your little ones and folds for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”
- NASB Build yourselves cities for your little ones, and sheepfolds for your sheep, and do what you have promised.”
- NLT Go ahead and build towns for your families and pens for your flocks, but do everything you have promised.”
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 tells them to build their cities and folds and to do exactly what they promised. He calls them to follow through on their own words.
Overview
Moses instructs them to proceed with building for their families and flocks, but charges them to perform what proceeded out of their mouth. Faithfulness to one's spoken commitments is treated as a matter of obedience to God. The verse reinforces a consistent biblical ethic that one's word should be reliable, an integrity that reflects the trustworthy character of God Himself.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Num 32:16They came near to him, and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones;
- Num 30:2When a man vows a vow to Yahweh, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
- Num 32:34–42The children of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
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 32:24 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.