Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, July 19th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Bible in Basic English

Numbers 20:4

Why have you taken the Lord's people into this waste, for death to come to us and to our cattle there?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Israel;   Moses;   Murmuring;   Trouble;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Desert, Journey of Israel through the;   Rocks;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Kadesh or Kadesh-Barnea;   Zin;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Kadesh-barnea;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Mourning;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Beast;   Meribah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Aaron;   Kadesh Barnea;   Levi;   Meribah;   Numbers, the Book of;   Wilderness of the Wanderings;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Cattle;   Kadesh-Meribah;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Provocation;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Aaron;   Congregation, Assembly;   Jephthah;   Massah and Meribah;   Moses;   Numbers, Book of;   Zin;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Kadesh, Kadeshbarnea ;   Wanderings of the Israelites;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Balaam;   Kadesh-barnea;   Levi;   Rebels;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Journeyings of israel from egypt to canaan;   Kadesh;   Meribali;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Moses;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Criticism (the Graf-Wellhausen Hypothesis);   Massah and Meribah;   Moses;   Pentateuch;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Exodus, Book of;   Kadesh;   Water;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals?
King James Version
And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?
Lexham English Bible
Why have you brought the assembly of Yahweh, us and our livestock, into this desert to die here?
English Standard Version
Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle?
New Century Version
Why did you bring the Lord 's people into this desert? Are we and our animals to die here?
New English Translation
Why have you brought up the Lord 's community into this wilderness? So that we and our cattle should die here?
Amplified Bible
"Why have you brought up the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness to die here, we and our livestock?
New American Standard Bible
"Why then have you brought the LORD'S assembly into this wilderness, for us and our livestock to die here?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Why haue ye thus brought the Congregation of the Lorde vnto his wildernesse, that both we, and our cattell should die there?
Legacy Standard Bible
Why then have you brought the assembly of Yahweh into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here?
Contemporary English Version
You brought us into this desert, and now we and our livestock are going to die!
Complete Jewish Bible
Why did you bring Adonai 's community into this desert? To die there, we and our livestock?
Darby Translation
And why have ye brought the congregation of Jehovah into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our beasts?
Easy-to-Read Version
Why did you bring the Lord 's people into this desert? Do you want us and our animals to die here?
George Lamsa Translation
Why have you brought the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die here?
Good News Translation
Why have you brought us out into this wilderness? Just so that we can die here with our animals?
Christian Standard Bible®
Why have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here?
Literal Translation
And, why have you brought the assembly of Jehovah to this wilderness to die there, we and our animals?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wherfore haue ye brought the congregacion of the LORDE in to this wildernesse, yt we shulde dye here with oure catell?
American Standard Version
And why have ye brought the assembly of Jehovah into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our beasts?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Why haue ye brought the congregation of the Lorde into this wildernesse, that both we and our cattell shoulde dye in it?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And why have ye brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, to die there, we and our cattle?
King James Version (1611)
And why haue yee brought vp the Congregation of the Lord into this wildernesse, that we and our cattell should die there?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And wherefore have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, to kill us and our cattle?
English Revised Version
And why have ye brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our cattle?
Berean Standard Bible
Why have you brought the LORD's assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whi han ye led out the chirche of the Lord in to wildirnesse, that bothe we and oure beestis die?
Young's Literal Translation
and why have ye brought in the assembly of Jehovah unto this wilderness to die there, we and our beasts?
Update Bible Version
And why have you brought the assembly of Yahweh into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our beasts?
Webster's Bible Translation
And why have ye brought the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?
World English Bible
Why have you brought the assembly of Yahweh into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals?
New King James Version
Why have you brought up the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here?
New Living Translation
Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord 's people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock?
New Life Bible
Why have you brought the Lord's people into this desert, for us and our animals to die here?
New Revised Standard
Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Wherefore then hast thou brought the convocation of Yahweh into this desert, - to die there, we, and our cattle?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Why have you brought out the church of the Lord into the wilderness, that both we and our cattle should die?
Revised Standard Version
Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Why then have you brought the LORD'S assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here?

Contextual Overview

1 In the first month all the children of Israel came into the waste land of Zin, and put up their tents in Kadesh; there death came to Miriam, and they put her body to rest in the earth. 2 And there was no water for the people: and they came together against Moses and against Aaron. 3 And the people were angry with Moses and said, If only death had overtaken us when our brothers came to their death before the Lord! 4 Why have you taken the Lord's people into this waste, for death to come to us and to our cattle there? 5 Why have you made us come out of Egypt into this evil place? This is no place of seed or figs or vines or other fruits, and there is no water for drinking. 6 Then Moses and Aaron went away from the people to the door of the Tent of meeting; and, falling on their faces there, they saw the glory of the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Moses, 8 Take the rod, you and Aaron, your brother, and make all the people come together, and before their eyes give orders to the rock to give out its water; and so make water come out of the rock for them, and give the people and their cattle drink. 9 And Moses took the rod from before the Lord as he gave him orders. 10 Then Moses and Aaron made the people come together in front of the rock, and he said to them, Give ear now, you people whose hearts are turned from the Lord; are we to get water for you out of the rock?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

why: Numbers 11:5, Exodus 5:21, Exodus 17:3, Psalms 106:21, Acts 7:35, Acts 7:39, Acts 7:40

that we: Numbers 16:13, Numbers 16:14, Numbers 16:41, Exodus 14:11, Exodus 14:12, Exodus 16:3

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 6:16 - tempted him Joshua 7:7 - to deliver 2 Kings 3:9 - no water

Cross-References

Genesis 19:24
Then the Lord sent fire and flaming smoke raining down from heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis 20:6
And God said to him in the dream, I see that you have done this with an upright heart, and I have kept you from sinning against me: for this reason I did not let you come near her.
Genesis 20:17
Then Abraham made prayer to God, and God made Abimelech well again, and his wife and his women-servants, so that they had children.
Genesis 20:18
For the Lord had kept all the women of the house of Abimelech from having children, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
2 Samuel 4:11
How much more, when evil men have put an upright person to death, in his house, sleeping on his bed, will I take payment from you for his blood, and have you cut off from the earth?
1 Chronicles 21:17
And David said to God, Was it not I who gave the order for the people to be numbered? It is I who have done the sin and the great wrong; but these are only sheep; what have they done? let your hand, O Lord God, be lifted up against me and against my family, but not against your people to send disease on them.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness,.... The wilderness of Zin, whither by various marches and journeys, and through different stations, they were at length come:

that we and our cattle should die there? with thirst; they seem to represent it, as if this was the end, design, and intention of Moses and Aaron in bringing them thither; their language is much the same with their fathers on a like occasion; which shows the bad influence of example, and how careful parents should be of their words and actions, that their posterity be not harmed by them; see Exodus 17:3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The language of the murmurers is noteworthy. It has the air of a traditional remonstrance handed down from the last generation. Compare marginal references.


 
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