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Monday, June 2nd, 2025
the Seventh Week after Easter
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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

Numbers 14:2

And all the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had perished in this wilderness!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Aaron;   Cowardice;   Disobedience to God;   Government;   Israel;   Moses;   Trouble;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Desert, Journey of Israel through the;   Murmuring;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Mediator;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Caleb;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Israel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Aaron;   Hexateuch;   Israel;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Caleb;   Moses;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Exodus, the Book of;   Grudge;   Numbers, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hafá¹­arah;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
All the children of Yisra'el murmured against Moshe and against Aharon: and the whole congregation said to them, Would that we had died in the land of Mitzrayim! or would that we had died in this wilderness!
King James Version
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!
Lexham English Bible
And all the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and all the community said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt or in this desert!
New Century Version
All the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron, and all the people said to them, "We wish we had died in Egypt or in this desert.
Amplified Bible
All the Israelites murmured [in discontent] against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, "Oh that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or that we had died in this wilderness!
New American Standard Bible
And all the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the entire congregation said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or even if we had died in this wilderness!
Geneva Bible (1587)
And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron: and the whole assemblie said vnto them, Would God we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wildernesse: would God we were dead.
Legacy Standard Bible
And all the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!
Contemporary English Version
and complained to Moses and Aaron, "We wish we had died in Egypt or somewhere out here in the desert!
Complete Jewish Bible
Moreover, all the people of Isra'el began grumbling against Moshe and Aharon; the whole community told them, "We wish we had died in the land of Egypt! or that we had died here in the desert!
Darby Translation
And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole assembly said to them, Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! or in this wilderness would that we had died!
Easy-to-Read Version
The Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron. All the people came together and said to Moses and Aaron, "We should have died in Egypt or in the desert.
English Standard Version
And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!
George Lamsa Translation
And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, Would God we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would God that we had died in this wilderness!
Good News Translation
They complained against Moses and Aaron, and said, "It would have been better to die in Egypt or even here in the wilderness!
Christian Standard Bible®
All the Israelites complained about Moses and Aaron, and the whole community told them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!
Literal Translation
And all the sons of Israel murmured against Moses, and against Aaron. And all the congregation said to them, Oh that we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wilderness, oh that we had died!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And all the childre of Israel murmured agaynst Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregacion sayde vnto them: Oh that we had dyed in the lande of Egipte, or that we might dye yet in this wyldernesse.
American Standard Version
And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would that we had died in this wilderness!
Bible in Basic English
And all the children of Israel, crying out against Moses and Aaron, said, If only we had come to our death in the land of Egypt, or even in this waste land!
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And all the chyldren of Israel murmured agaynst Moyses and Aaron, and the whole congregation sayde vnto them: Woulde God that we had dyed in the lande of Egypt, either that we had dyed in this wyldernesse.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said unto them: 'Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would we had died in this wilderness!
King James Version (1611)
And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses, and against Aaron: and the whole Congregation said vnto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt, or would God we had died in this wildernesse.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron; and all the congregation said to them,
English Revised Version
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!
Berean Standard Bible
All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and alle the sones of Israel grutchiden ayens Moises and Aaron, and seiden,
Young's Literal Translation
and all the sons of Israel murmur against Moses, and against Aaron, and all the company say unto them, `O that we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wilderness, O that we had died!
Update Bible Version
And all the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said to them, Oh that we had died in the land of Egypt! or that we had died in this wilderness!
Webster's Bible Translation
And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said to them, O that we had died in the land of Egypt! or O that we had died in this wilderness!
World English Bible
All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said to them, Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would that we had died in this wilderness!
New King James Version
And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!
New Living Translation
Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. "If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!" they complained.
New Life Bible
All the people of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this desert!
New Revised Standard
And all the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron; the whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And all the sons of Israel, murmured against Moses and against Aaron, - and all the assembly said unto them - Oh that we had died in the land of Egypt, Or in this wilderness, oh that we had died!
Douay-Rheims Bible
And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying:
Revised Standard Version
And all the people of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron; the whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!

Contextual Overview

1 Then all the community raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had perished in this wilderness! 3 Why has the Lord brought us into this land only to be killed by the sword, that our wives and our children should become plunder? Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?" 4 So they said to one another, "Let's appoint a leader and return to Egypt."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

murmured: Numbers 16:41, Exodus 15:24, Exodus 16:2, Exodus 16:3, Exodus 17:3, Deuteronomy 1:27, Psalms 106:24, Psalms 106:45, 1 Corinthians 10:10, Philippians 2:14, Philippians 2:15, Jude 1:16

Would: Numbers 14:28, Numbers 14:29, Numbers 11:15, 1 Kings 19:4, Job 3:11, Job 7:15, Job 7:16, Jonah 4:3, Jonah 4:8

Reciprocal: Exodus 17:2 - the people Numbers 11:10 - weep throughout Numbers 11:18 - it was well Numbers 12:13 - General Numbers 20:3 - God Numbers 32:8 - General 1 Samuel 8:8 - General Luke 10:16 - despiseth you Hebrews 3:16 - some

Cross-References

Genesis 10:19
and the borders of Canaan extended from Sidon all the way to Gerar as far as Gaza, and all the way to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
Genesis 13:10
Lot looked up and saw the whole region of the Jordan. He noticed that all of it was well-watered (before the Lord obliterated Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord , like the land of Egypt, all the way to Zoar.
Genesis 14:9
Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar. Four kings fought against five.
Genesis 14:10
Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them, but some survivors fled to the hills.
Genesis 14:20
Worthy of praise is the Most High God, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.
Deuteronomy 29:23
The whole land will be covered with brimstone, salt, and burning debris; it will not be planted nor will it sprout or produce grass. It will resemble the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord destroyed in his intense anger.
Deuteronomy 34:3
the Negev, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of the date palm trees, as far as Zoar.
1 Samuel 13:18
another band turned toward the road leading to Beth Horon; and yet another band turned toward the road leading to the border that overlooks the valley of Zeboim in the direction of the desert.
Nehemiah 11:34
in Hadid, Zeboim, and Neballat,
Isaiah 15:5
My heart cries out because of Moab's plight, and for the fugitives stretched out as far as Zoar and Eglath Shelishiyah. For they weep as they make their way up the ascent of Luhith; they loudly lament their demise on the road to Horonaim.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses, and against Aaron,.... They being the instruments of bringing them out of Egypt, and conducting them hither:

and the whole congregation said unto them; some of them, the rest assenting to it by their cries and tears and gestures;

would God we had died in the land of Egypt; and then what they left behind they thought might have come into the hands of their children or relations; but now they concluded it would become a prey to the Canaanites:

or would God we had died in this wilderness; the wilderness of Paran, at Taberah, where many of them had been destroyed by fire, Numbers 11:1, and now they wish they had perished with them.


 
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