Numbers 14 · Verse 3

Numbers 14:3

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?
Numbers 14:3, King James Version

Numbers 14:3 in other translations

BSBWhy 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?”
WEBWhy does the LORD bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be captured or killed! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return into Egypt?”
ASVAnd wherefore doth Jehovah bring us unto this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be a prey: were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
YLTand why is Jehovah bringing us in unto this land to fall by the sword? our wives and our infants are become a prey; is it not good for us to turn back to Egypt?'
DARBYAnd why is Jehovah bringing us to this land that we may fall by the sword, that our wives and our little ones may become a prey? Is it not better for us to return to Egypt?
BBEWhy is the Lord taking us into this land to come to our death by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will get into strange hands: would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?
WebsterAnd why hath the LORD brought us to 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?

What does Numbers 14:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 14:2-4

2-4. Would God that we had died in Egypt--Such insolence to their generous leaders, and such base ingratitude to God, show the deep degradation of the Israelites, and the absolute necessity of the decree that debarred that generation from entering the promised land [Nu 14:29-35]. They were punished by their wishes being granted to die in that wilderness [He 3:17; Jude 5]. A leader to reconduct them to Egypt is…

Read the full comment on Numbers 14:2-4 →

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 14:1-4

Those who do not trust God, continually vex themselves. The sorrow of the world worketh death. The Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, and in them reproached the Lord. They look back with causeless discontent. See the madness of unbridled passions, which makes men prodigal of what nature accounts most dear, life itself. They wish rather to die criminals under God's justice, than to live conquerors in his…

Read the full comment on Numbers 14:1-4 →

Numbers 14:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְלָמָ֣הve.la.Mahand <to> why?H4100
יְ֠הוָהYah.weh[is] YahwehH3068
מֵבִ֨יאme.Vi'bringingH935
אֹתָ֜נוּ'o.Ta.nu<obj.> usH853
אֶל\־'el-intoH413
הָאָ֤רֶץha.'A.retzthe landH776
הַזֹּאת֙ha.zoT<the> thisH2063
לִנְפֹּ֣לlin.Polto fallH5307
בַּחֶ֔רֶבba.Che.revby the swordH2719
נָשֵׁ֥ינוּna.Shei.nuwives ourH802
וְטַפֵּ֖נוּve.ta.Pe.nuand little one[s] ourH2945
יִהְי֣וּyih.Yuthey will becomeH1961
לָבַ֑זla.Vaz<into> plunderH957
הֲל֧וֹאha.Lo'¿ notH3808
ט֦וֹבTovgoodH2896
לָ֖נוּLa.nufor <the> us
שׁ֥וּבshuv[is] to returnH7725
מִצְרָֽיְמָה\׃mitz.Ra.ye.mahEgypt towardsH4714

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Numbers 14:3

  • Numbers 14:31-32

    But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.

  • Jeremiah 9:3

    And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord.

  • Psalms 78:40

    How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the Lord.
Ps 78:40; Jer 9:3
our wives.
31,32

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Numbers 14:2

    And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!

  • Numbers 14:3

    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?

  • Numbers 14:4

    And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

Read all of Numbers 14

Numbers 14:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		¿Y por qué nos trae Jehová á esta tierra para caer á cuchillo, y que nuestras mujeres y nuestros chiquitos sean por presa? ¿no nos sería mejor volvernos á Egipto?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et pourquoi l’ Éternel nous fait-il venir dans ce pays, pour y tomber par l’épée, pour que nos femmes et nos petits enfants deviennent une proie? Ne serait-il pas bon pour nous de retourner en Égypte?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und warum bringt uns Jehova in dieses Land, daß wir durchs Schwert fallen und unsere Weiber und unsere Kindlein zur Beute werden? Wäre es nicht besser für uns, nach Ägypten zurückzukehren?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Utinam mortui essemus in Ægypto: et in hac vasta solitudine utinam pereamus, et non inducat nos Dominus in terram istam, ne cadamus gladio, et uxores ac liberi nostri ducantur captivi. Nonne melius est reverti in Ægyptum?