Numbers 14 · Verse 40

Numbers 14:40

And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the Lord hath promised: for we have sinned.
Numbers 14:40, King James Version

Numbers 14:40 in other translations

BSBEarly the next morning they got up and went up toward the ridge of the hill country. “We have indeed sinned,” they said, “but we will go to the place the LORD has promised.”
WEBThey rose up early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Behold, we are here, and will go up to the place which the LORD has promised; for we have sinned.”
ASVAnd they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up to the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we are here, and will go up unto the place which Jehovah hath promised: for we have sinned.
YLTand they rise early in the morning, and go up unto the top of the mountain, saying, ‘Here we are, and we have come up unto the place which Jehovah hath spoken of, for we have sinned.'
DARBYAnd they rose up early in the morning, and went up to the hill-top, saying, Here are we, and we will go up to the place of which Jehovah has spoken; for we have sinned.
BBEAnd early in the morning they got up and went to the top of the mountain, saying, We are here and we will go up to the place which the Lord said he would give us: for we have done wrong.
WebsterAnd they rose early in the morning, and ascended to the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we are here, and will go up to the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.

What does Numbers 14:40 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 14:40-45
40-45. they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain--Notwithstanding the tidings that Moses communicated and which diffused a general feeling of melancholy and grief throughout the camp, the impression was of very brief continuance. They rushed from one extreme of rashness and perversity to another, and the obstinacy of their rebellious spirit was evinced by their active preparations to ascend the hill, notwithstanding the divine warning they had received not to undertake that enterprise. for we have sinned--that is, realizing our sin, we now repent of it, and are eager to do as Caleb and Joshua exhorted us--or, as some render it, though we have sinned, we trust God will yet give us the land of promise. The entreaties of their prudent and pious leader, who represented to them that their enemies, scaling the other side of the valley, would post themselves on the top of the hill before them, were disregarded. How strangely perverse the conduct of the Israelites, who, shortly before, were afraid that, though their Almighty King was with them, they could not get possession of the land; and yet now they act still more foolishly in supposing that, though God were not with them, they could expel the inhabitants by their unaided efforts. The consequences were such as might have been anticipated. The Amalekites and Canaanites, who had been lying in ambuscade expecting their movement, rushed down upon them from the heights and became the instruments of punishing their guilty rebellion.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 40 We - will go up unto the place, etc. - They found themselves on the very borders of the land, and they heard God say they should not enter it, but should be consumed by a forty years' wandering in the wilderness; notwithstanding, they are determined to render vain this purpose of God, probably supposing that the temporary sorrow they felt for their late rebellion would be accepted as a sufficient atonement for their crimes. They accordingly went up, and were cut down by their enemies; and why? God went not with them. How vain is the counsel of man against the wisdom of God! Nature, poor, fallen human nature, is ever running into extremes. This miserable people, a short time ago, thought that though they had Omnipotence with them they could not conquer and possess the land! Now they imagine that though God himself go not with them, yet they shall be sufficient to drive out the inhabitants, and take possession of their country! Man is ever supposing he can either do all things or do nothing; he is therefore sometimes presumptuous, and at other times in despair. Who but an apostle, or one under the influence of the same Spirit, can say, I can do All Things Through Christ who strengtheneth me?

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 14:40-45
Some of the Israelites were now earnest to go forward toward Canaan. But it came too late. If men would but be as earnest for heaven while their day of grace lasts, as they will be when it is over, how well would it be for them! That which has been duty in its season, when mistimed, may be turned into sin. Those who are out of the way of their duty, are not under God's protection, and go at their peril. God bade them go, and they would not; he forbade them, and they would go. Thus is the carnal mind enmity against God. They had distrusted God's strength; they now presume upon their own without his. And the expedition fails accordingly; now the sentence began to be executed, that their carcases should fall in the wilderness. That affair can never end well, which begins with sin. The way to obtain peace with our friends, and success against our enemies, is, to have God, as our Friend, and to keep in his love. Let us take warning from the fate of Israel, lest we perish after the same example of unbelief. Let us go forth, depending on God's mercy, power, promise, and truth; he will be with us, and bring our souls to everlasting rest.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Numbers 14:40 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.

וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣מוּvai.yash.Ki.muand they rose earlyH7925
בַבֹּ֔קֶרva.Bo.kerin the morningH1242
וַיַּֽעֲל֥וּvai.ya.'a.Luand they went upH5927
אֶל\־'el-toH413
רֹאשׁ\־rosh-[the] top ofH7218
הָהָ֖רha.Harthe hill countryH2022
לֵאמֹ֑רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
הִנֶּ֗נּוּhi.Ne.nuhere [are] weH2005
וְעָלִ֛ינוּve.'a.Li.nuand we will go upH5927
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הַמָּק֛וֹםha.ma.Komthe placeH4725
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
אָמַ֥ר'a.Marhe saidH559
יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
כִּ֥יkithatH3588
חָטָֽאנוּ\׃cha.Ta.nuwe have sinnedH2398

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

Cross references for Numbers 14:40

  • Deuteronomy 1:41

    Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against the Lord, we will go up and fight, according to all that the Lord our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill.

  • Matthew 7:21-23

    Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

  • Ecclesiastes 9:3

    This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

  • Luke 13:25

    When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:

  • Matthew 26:11-12

    For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
rose up.
De 1:41; Ec 9:3; Mt 7:21-23; 26:11,12; Lu 13:25
for we have sinned.We are sensible of our sin, and repent of it; and are now ready to do as Caleb and Joshua exhorted us. Or, though we have sinned, yet we hope God will make good his promise.

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

Context

  • Numbers 14:39

    And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.

  • Numbers 14:40

    And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the Lord hath promised: for we have sinned.

  • Numbers 14:41

    And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord? but it shall not prosper.

Read all of Numbers 14

Numbers 14:40 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y levantáronse por la mañana, y subieron á la cumbre del monte, diciendo: Henos aquí para subir al lugar del cual ha hablado Jehová; porque hemos pecado.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ils se levèrent de bon matin et montèrent sur le sommet de la montagne, disant: Nous voici; nous monterons au lieu dont l’ Éternel a parlé; car nous avons péché.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sie machten sich des Morgens früh auf, um auf den Gipfel des Gebirges hinaufzuziehen, und sprachen: Hier sind wir und wollen an den Ort hinaufziehen, von welchem Jehova geredet hat; denn wir haben gesündigt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et ecce mane primo surgentes ascenderunt verticem montis, atque dixerunt: Parati sumus ascendere ad locum, de quo Dominus locutus est: quia peccavimus.