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Thursday, August 7th, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Bible in Basic English

Numbers 14:16

Because the Lord was not able to take this people into the land which he made an oath to give them, he sent destruction on them in the waste land.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Intercession;   Israel;   Moses;   Prayer;   Unselfishness;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Caleb;   Mediator;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Moses;   Prayer;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Mediator, Mediation;   Prayer;   Spirituality;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Circumcision;   Gilgal;   Numbers, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Power;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Hexateuch;   Israel;   Job;   Moses;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Caleb;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Moses;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Intercession;   Numbers, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Deuteronomy;   Hafá¹­arah;   Joseph;   Sidra;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.
King James Version
Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.
Lexham English Bible
‘Yahweh was unable to bring this people in the land that he swore by an oath, and he slaughtered them in the desert.'
New Century Version
‘The Lord was not able to bring them into the land he promised them. So he killed them in the desert.'
New English Translation
‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to them, he killed them in the wilderness.'
Amplified Bible
'Because the LORD was not able to bring these people into the land which He promised to give them, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.'
New American Standard Bible
'Since the LORD could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, He slaughtered them in the wilderness.'
Geneva Bible (1587)
Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the lande, which he sware vnto them, therefore hath he slaine them in the wildernesse.
Legacy Standard Bible
‘Because Yahweh was not able to bring this people into the land which He swore to them, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.'
Complete Jewish Bible
that the reason Adonai slaughtered this people in the desert is that he wasn't able to bring them into the land which he swore to give them.
Darby Translation
Because Jehovah was not able to bring this people into the land that he had sworn unto them, he has therefore slain them in the wilderness.
Easy-to-Read Version
‘The Lord was not able to bring them into the land he promised them. So he killed them in the desert.'
English Standard Version
‘It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.'
George Lamsa Translation
Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.
Good News Translation
that you killed your people in the wilderness because you were not able to bring them into the land you promised to give them.
Christian Standard Bible®
‘Since the Lord wasn’t able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them, he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’
Literal Translation
Because Jehovah is not able to bring this people into the land which He swore to them, therefore He has slain them in the wilderness.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The LORDE was not able to brynge the people in to the londe, that he sware vnto them, therfore hath he slayne them in the wyldernes.
American Standard Version
Because Jehovah was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Because the Lord is not able to bryng in this people into the lande whiche he sware vnto them, therefore he hath slaine them in the wyldernesse.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which He swore unto them, therefore He hath slain them in the wilderness.
King James Version (1611)
Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the lande which he sware vnto them, therefore he hath slaine them in the wildernesse.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Because the Lord could not bring this people into the land which he sware to them, he has overthrown them in the wilderness.
English Revised Version
Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.
Berean Standard Bible
'Because the LORD was unable to bring this people into the land He swore to give them, He has slaughtered them in the wilderness.'
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and seie thei, He myyte not brynge this puple in to the lond for whiche he swoor, therfor he killide hem in wildirnesse;
Young's Literal Translation
From Jehovah's want of ability to bring in this people unto the land which He hath sworn to them -- He doth slaughter them in the wilderness.
Update Bible Version
Because Yahweh wasn't able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.
Webster's Bible Translation
Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.
World English Bible
Because Yahweh was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.
New King James Version
"Because the LORD was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.'
New Living Translation
‘The Lord was not able to bring them into the land he swore to give them, so he killed them in the wilderness.'
New Life Bible
‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land He promised to give them. So He has killed them in the desert.'
New Revised Standard
‘It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them that he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.'
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Because Yahweh, was not able, to bring in this people into the land which he had sworn unto them, therefore did he slay them in the desert.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He could not bring the people into the land for which he had sworn, therefore did he kill them in the wilderness.
Revised Standard Version
'Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to give to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Because the LORD could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.'

Contextual Overview

11 And the Lord said to Moses, How long will this people have no respect for me? how long will they be without faith, in the face of all the signs I have done among them? 12 I will send disease on them for their destruction, and take away their heritage, and I will make of you a nation greater and stronger than they. 13 And Moses said to the Lord, Then it will come to the ears of the Egyptians; for by your power you took this people out from among them; 14 And they will give the news to the people of this land: they have had word that you, Lord, are present with this people, letting yourself be seen face to face, and that your cloud is resting over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if you put to death all this people as one man, then the nations who have had word of your glory will say, 16 Because the Lord was not able to take this people into the land which he made an oath to give them, he sent destruction on them in the waste land. 17 So now, may my prayer come before you, and let the power of the Lord be great, as you said: 18 The Lord is slow to wrath and great in mercy, overlooking wrongdoing and evil, and will not let wrongdoers go free; sending punishment on children for the sins of their fathers, to the third and fourth generation. 19 May the sin of this people have forgiveness, in the measure of your great mercy, as you have had mercy on them from Egypt up till now.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Deuteronomy 9:28, Deuteronomy 32:26, Deuteronomy 32:27, Joshua 7:9

Reciprocal: Genesis 24:7 - which spake Exodus 13:5 - sware Psalms 115:2 - General Isaiah 48:11 - for how Jeremiah 14:9 - cannot Jeremiah 32:22 - which Ezekiel 36:20 - These Ezekiel 47:14 - lifted up mine hand Daniel 6:20 - able

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
And I will make of you a great nation, blessing you and making your name great; and you will be a blessing:
Genesis 14:11
And the four kings took all the goods and food from Sodom and Gomorrah and went on their way.
Genesis 14:12
And in addition they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who was living in Sodom, and all his goods.
Genesis 14:18
And Melchizedek, king of Salem, the priest of the Most High God, took bread and wine,
Genesis 14:19
And blessing him, said, May the blessing of the Most High God, maker of heaven and earth, be on Abram:
1 Samuel 30:8
Then David, questioning the Lord, said, Am I to go after this band? will I be able to overtake them? And in answer he said, Go after them, for you will certainly overtake them, and get back everything.
Isaiah 41:2
Who sent out from the east one who is right wherever he goes? he gives the nations into his hands, and makes him ruler over kings; he gives them as the dust to his sword, as dry stems before the wind to his bow.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them,.... That though he brought them out of Egypt, he was not able to bring them through the wilderness into Canaan; and that though he had wrought many signs and wonders for them, he could work no more, his power failed him, he had exhausted all his might, and could not perform the promise and oath he had made:

therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness; because he could not fulfil his word, and so made short work of it, destroying them all together, which Moses suggests would greatly reflect dishonour on him; and in this he shows, that he was more concerned for the glory of God than for his own.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The syntax of these verses is singularly broken. As did Paul when deeply moved, so Moses presses his arguments one on the other without pausing to ascertain the grammatical finish of his expressions. He speaks here as if in momentary apprehension of an outbreak of God’s wrath, unless he could perhaps arrest it by crowding in every topic of deprecation and intercession that he could mention on the instant.


 
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