Numbers 20:3

Numbers 20:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord!
• New International Version (NIV)They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord!
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord!
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: “If only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord!

Context of Numbers 20:3

1In the first month of the year, the whole community of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. While they were there, Miriam died and was buried. 2There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron. The people blamed Moses and said, “If only we had died in the Lord’s presence with our brothers! 4Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? 5Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!”

Numbers 20:3 word by word

וַיָּ֥רֶב הָעָ֖ם עִם־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֵאמֹ֔ר וְל֥וּ גָוַ֛עְנוּ בִּגְוַ֥ע אַחֵ֖ינוּ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• chodeרִיבrîyb rûb · to contendH7378
• with Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• and spakeאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Would God thatלוּlû' lû' lû · ifH3863
• we had diedגָּוַעgâva‛ · to dieH1478
• when our brethrenאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for Numbers 20:3

• Numbers 14:1Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night.
• Exodus 16:2There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron.
• Exodus 17:2So once more the people complained against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded. “Quiet!” Moses replied. “Why are you complaining against me? And why are you testing the Lord?”
• Job 3:10Curse that day for failing to shut my mother’s womb, for letting me be born to see all this trouble.
• Numbers 11:1Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the Lord heard everything they said. Then the Lord’s anger blazed against them, and he sent a fire to rage among them, and he destroyed some of the people in the outskirts of the camp.
• Numbers 14:36The ten men Moses had sent to explore the land—the ones who incited rebellion against the Lord with their bad report—
• Numbers 16:31He had hardly finished speaking the words when the ground suddenly split open beneath them.
• Lamentations 4:9Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger. Starving, they waste away for lack of food from the fields.

Commentaries on Numbers 20:3

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2-6Verses 2-6 The language of the murmurers is noteworthy. It has the air of a traditional remonstrance handed down from the last generation. Compare marginal references.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3our brothers: This shows that the Israelites saw themselves as connected to those who had died: Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1–5), those who died during the first plague after craving meat (Numbers 11:33), the skeptics who died in the wilderness (14:29), the ten unfaithful spies (14:36–37), Korah, Abiram, and Dathan (16:32), the 250 leaders (16:35), and the 14,700 people who died in the second plague (16:49).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-132-13. there was no water for the congregation--There was at Kadesh a fountain, En-Mishpat (Ge 14:7), and at the first encampment of the Israelites there was no want of water. It was then either partially dried up by the heat of the season, or had been exhausted by the demands of so vast a multitude.Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 20:3

• Israel
• Moses
• Murmuring
• Trouble

In the dictionaries

• God
• Moses
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Exodus
• Meribah
• Refuse
• Aaron
• Agrapha
• Chronicles, Books of
• Chronology of the Old Testament

Commentaries on Numbers 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings