And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?
Parallel translations
- WEB Why do you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which Yahweh has given them?
- BSB Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land that the LORD has given them?
- NKJV Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has given them?
- NASB And why are you discouraging the sons of Israel from crossing over into the land which the Lord has given them?
- NLT “Why do you want to discourage the rest of the people of Israel from going across to the land the Lord has given them?
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 challenges Gad and Reuben for proposing to settle east of the Jordan, fearing they will sap Israel's resolve to enter Canaan. It matters because their request risks repeating the unbelief that already cost a generation.
Overview
As the tribes of Reuben and Gad ask to settle in the rich pastureland east of the Jordan, Moses suspects they are shrinking back from the conquest, just as the spies once did. His pointed question shows a leader guarding the unity and faith of God's people. Discouraging others from claiming God's promises is treated as a serious spiritual danger, a warning the New Testament echoes in Hebrews against unbelieving hearts that turn from the living God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Num 21:4And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
- Num 32:9For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.
- Deut 1:28Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.
- Num 13:27And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
- Acts 21:13Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
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 32:7 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.