Numbers 14:30

Surely none of you will enter the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — God addresses the Israelite assembly at the edge of Canaan, immediately after declaring that the rebellious census-eligible generation will die in the wilderness.

The words — The verb נָשָׂאתִי (na.Sa.ti) literally means "I lifted up," denoting the solemn oath God made to establish them in the promised territory.

The thread — The survival of these two men appears again in Numbers 14:38 and Deuteronomy 1:36, while the oath language recalls Genesis 14:22.

Why it lands — The text states that only Caleb and Joshua will enter the land, establishing that divine promises endure despite collective rebellion. This requires readers to distinguish between generational disobedience and individual faithfulness without softening the stated judgment.

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

אִם־'im-if אַתֶּם֙'a.Temyou תָּבֹ֣אוּta.Vo.'uyou will go אֶל־'el-into הָאָ֔רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ land אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.Sherwhich נָשָׂ֙אתִי֙na.Sa.tiI lifted up אֶת־'et-<obj.>יָדִ֔יya.D/ihand/ my לְשַׁכֵּ֥ןle./sha.Kento/ cause to dwell אֶתְכֶ֖ם'et./Khem<obj.>/ youבָּ֑הּBa/hin <the>/ itכִּ֚יkithat אִם־'im-except כָּלֵ֣בka.LevCaleb בֶּן־ben-[the] son of יְפֻנֶּ֔הye.fu.NehJephunneh וִיהוֹשֻׁ֖עַvi./ho.Shu.a'and/ Joshua בִּן־bin-[the] son of נֽוּן׃NunNun

King James Version

Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

Cross-references

Numbers 14:38 Of those men who had gone to spy out the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive.
Deuteronomy 1:36 except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land on which he has set foot, because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly.”
Genesis 14:22 But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,
Numbers 26:65 For the LORD had told them that they would surely die in the wilderness. Not one was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
Numbers 32:12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun—because they did follow the LORD wholeheartedly.’

People named

JoshuaNunJephunneh