Numbers 14:3

Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The Israelite congregation speaks to Moses and Aaron during their wilderness journey, immediately after hearing the spies' report. They voice fear of dying by the sword and losing their families to plunder.

The words — The Hebrew phrase וְ/לָ/מָ֣ה (ve./la./Mah) carries the literal sense "and to why?" The verb מֵבִ֨יא (me.Vi') means "bringing," directly attributing their current trajectory to Yahweh's action.

The thread — The pattern of wilderness grumbling appears in Psalms 78:40, which records how often they disobeyed and grieved God in the desert. The fear that their children would become plunder is later addressed in Numbers 14:31, where God promises to bring those children into the land instead.

Why it lands — The text records a direct challenge to divine leadership, asking whether retreat to Egypt would be preferable to facing military defeat. It asks the reader to identify when fear distorts stated promises and demands a choice between calculated retreat and continued obedience.

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

וְלָמָ֣הve./la./Mahand/ <to>/ why?יְ֠הוָהYah.weh[is] Yahweh מֵבִ֨יאme.Vi'bringing אֹתָ֜נוּ'o.Ta./nu<obj.>/ us אֶל־'el-into הָאָ֤רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ land הַזֹּאת֙ha./zoT<the>/ this לִנְפֹּ֣לli/n.Polto/ fall בַּחֶ֔רֶבba./Che.revby the/ sword נָשֵׁ֥ינוּna.Shei./nuwives/ our וְטַפֵּ֖נוּve./ta.Pe./nuand/ little one[s]/ our יִהְי֣וּyih.Yuthey will become לָבַ֑זla./Vaz<into>/ plunder הֲל֧וֹאha./Lo'¿/ not ט֦וֹבTovgoodלָ֖נוּLa./nufor <the>/ usשׁ֥וּבshuv[is] to return מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃mitz.Ra.ye.ma/hEgypt/ towards

King James Version

And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?

Cross-references

Numbers 14:31 But I will bring your children, whom you said would become plunder, into the land you have rejected—and they will enjoy it.
Psalms 78:40 How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!
Jeremiah 9:3 “They bend their tongues like bows; lies prevail over truth in the land. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not take Me into account,” declares the LORD.