Numbers 32:7

Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land that the LORD has given them?

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the tribes of Reuben and Gad immediately after asking why they would let their brothers fight while they remain idle. He poses this question at the moment the tribes are negotiating their settlement east of the Jordan.

The words — The Hebrew תְנִיא֔וּן (te.ni'u/n) literally means "do you discourage," paired with לֵ֖ב (lev, "heart") to describe the act of weakening resolve. The phrase מֵֽעֲבֹר אֶל (me.'avor 'el) denotes the physical act of "passing over into" the territory.

The thread — This accusation directly references the earlier failure at Kadesh-barnea, where the initial report discouraged the people from entering the land (Numbers 13:27; 32:9). The pattern of refusal to cross into the promised inheritance recurs in the wilderness narrative (Numbers 21:4).

Why it lands — The text demands a direct accounting for actions that obstruct communal obedience and divine promise. It requires the reader to examine whether personal preference is being used to justify reluctance to follow through on a stated commitment.

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

וְלָ֣מָּהve./La./mahand/ <to>/ why?תְנִיא֔וּןte.nu.'u/ndo you discourage/ !אֶת־'et-<obj.>לֵ֖בlev[the] heart of בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] people of יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsrael מֵֽעֲבֹר֙me./'a.Vorfrom/ passing over אֶל־'el-into הָאָ֔רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ land אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-which נָתַ֥ןna.Tanhe has givenלָהֶ֖םla./Hemto <the>/ themיְהוָֽה׃Yah.wehYahweh

King James Version

And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord hath given them?

Cross-references

Numbers 13:27 And they gave this account to Moses: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and indeed, it is flowing with milk and honey. Here is some of its fruit!
Numbers 21:4 Then they set out from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, in order to bypass the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient on the journey
Numbers 32:9 For when your fathers went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land that the LORD had given them.
Deuteronomy 1:28 Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’”
Acts 21:13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”