Bible Strands
Numbers 11:29
But Moses replied, “Are you jealous on my account? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would place His Spirit on them!”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Moses addresses Joshua in response to Joshua’s plea to stop the seventy elders from prophesying. This exchange occurs in the camp immediately after the Spirit descends on the elders and Joshua urges Moses to restrain them.
The words — The Hebrew מְקַנֵּא (meqanne') literally means "zealous" or "jealous," and יִתֵּן (yitten) means "will he give." Moses uses these terms to shift Joshua’s restrictive concern into a prayer for widespread divine empowerment.
The thread — The desire for widespread prophetic empowerment runs into 1 Corinthians 14:5, where Paul echoes the wish that all believers might prophesy. The harvest petitions in Matthew 9:37 and Luke 10:2 parallel Moses’ request that the Lord place His Spirit on all His people.
Why it lands — The text states a clear preference for universal spiritual gifting over restricted prophetic authority. It asks readers to desire God’s direct work among all believers rather than defending institutional control or limiting divine activity.
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
King James Version
And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!
Cross-references
- 1 Corinthians 14:5 I wish that all of you could speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be edified.
- Matthew 9:37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
- Luke 10:2 And He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.
- James 4:5 Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy?
- James 5:9 Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door!
- Philippians 1:15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.
- Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
- James 3:14 But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth.
- 1 Corinthians 3:21 Therefore, stop boasting in men. All things are yours,
- 1 Peter 2:1 Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.