Numbers 11:17

And I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put that Spirit on them. They will help you bear the burden of the people, so that you do not have to bear it by yourself.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God speaks to Moses at the Tent of Meeting, answering Moses' complaint that he cannot bear the people's burden alone (Numbers 11:14). Seventy elders are to stand there with him.

The words — אָצַלְתִּי (ʾaṣaltî, H680) means "I will share" or "I will portion out," not "I will remove." The Spirit is divided, not transferred away from Moses.

The thread — Numbers 11:25 records the fulfillment of this promise. 2 Kings 2:9 echoes the logic: Elisha asks for a "double portion" of Elijah's spirit before Elijah departs.

Why it lands — The text presents shared spirit as the mechanism by which a load too heavy for one person is structurally distributed. It is a delegation principle, not a consolation.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְיָרַדְתִּ֗יve./ya.rad.Tiand/ I will come down וְדִבַּרְתִּ֣יve./di.bar.Tiand/ I will speak עִמְּךָ֮'i.me./Khawith/ you שָׁם֒shamthere וְאָצַלְתִּ֗יve./'a.tzal.Tiand/ I will share מִן־min-some of הָר֛וּחַha./Ru.achthe/ spirit אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwhich עָלֶ֖יךָ'a.Lei./kha[is] on/ you וְשַׂמְתִּ֣יve./sam.Tiand/ I will put [it]עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם'a.lei./Hemon/ them וְנָשְׂא֤וּve./na.se.'Uand/ they will carry אִתְּךָ֙'i.te./Khawith/ you בְּמַשָּׂ֣אbe./ma.Sa'in/ [the] burden of הָעָ֔םha./'Amthe/ people וְלֹא־ve./lo'-and/ not תִשָּׂ֥אti.Sa'you will carry [it]אַתָּ֖ה'a.Tahyou לְבַדֶּֽךָ׃le./va.De./khato/ alone/ you

King James Version

And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.

Cross-references

Numbers 11:25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and He took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and placed that Spirit on the seventy elders. As the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied—but they never did so again.
1 Samuel 10:6 Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be transformed into a different person.
2 Kings 2:9 After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken away from you?” “Please, let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
2 Kings 2:15 When the sons of the prophets who were watching him from Jericho saw what had happened, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him.
1 Corinthians 2:12 We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
1 Corinthians 12:4 There are different gifts, but the same Spirit.
Joel 2:28 And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
Isaiah 59:20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD.
Romans 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
Exodus 18:22 Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you.