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Thursday, July 31st, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

Numbers 20:4

Why have you brought up the Lord 's community into this wilderness? So that we and our cattle should die here?

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?
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?
Bible in Basic English
Why have you taken the Lord's people into this waste, for death to come to us and to our cattle there?
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 Then the entire community of Israel entered the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died and was buried there. 2 And there was no water for the community, and so they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron. 3 The people contended with Moses, saying, "If only we had died when our brothers died before the Lord ! 4 Why have you brought up the Lord 's community into this wilderness? So that we and our cattle should die here? 5 Why have you brought us up from Egypt only to bring us to this dreadful place? It is no place for grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink!" 6 So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting. They then threw themselves down with their faces to the ground, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 8 "Take the staff and assemble the community, you and Aaron your brother, and then speak to the rock before their eyes. It will pour forth its water, and you will bring water out of the rock for them, and so you will give the community and their beasts water to drink." 9 So Moses took the staff from before the Lord , just as he commanded him. 10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the community together in front of the rock, and he said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring water out of this rock for you?"

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 rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord .
Genesis 20:6
Then in the dream God replied to him, "Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. That is why I have kept you from sinning against me and why I did not allow you to touch her.
Genesis 20:17
Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children.
Genesis 20:18
For the Lord had caused infertility to strike every woman in the household of Abimelech because he took Sarah, Abraham's wife.
2 Samuel 4:11
Surely when wicked men have killed an innocent man as he slept in his own house, should I not now require his blood from your hands and remove you from the earth?"
1 Chronicles 21:17
David said to God, "Was I not the one who decided to number the army? I am the one who sinned and committed this awful deed! As for these sheep—what have they done? O Lord my God, attack me and my family, but remove the plague from your people!"

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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