Part of this verse refers back to the LORD’s words in 14.24. Good News Translation does not include this verse in the LORD’s oath, but it should be.
None except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun: In many languages it will be necessary to begin a new sentence here, for example, “The only exceptions are…” (New Living Translation) and “This includes everyone, except…” (similarly Good News Translation). For Caleb the son of Jephunneh, see 13.6; for Joshua the son of Nun, see 11.28 and 13.8. Caleb and his father Jephunneh are identified here as Kenizzite for the first time (also in Josh 14.6, 14). The Kenizzite may be rendered “of the Kenizzite clan.” The Kenizzites were not Israelites. In Gen 15.19 they are mentioned among the prior inhabitants of Canaan. According to Gen 36.11, Kenaz, the forefather of the Kenizzites, was a descendant of Esau. Since the book of Numbers makes it clear that Caleb was chosen as a leader of Judah (13.6; 34.19), at some point the Kenizzites must have become related to or absorbed by the tribe of Judah (see Josh 14.6; 1 Chr 4.15; so Ashley, page 233).
For the idiomatic Hebrew expression rendered for they have wholly followed the LORD (literally “they have filled after the LORD”), see verse 11.
Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
This verse summarizes the basic content of 14.33-35.
And the LORD’s anger was kindled against Israel: The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered And introduces the consequence of the LORD’s oath, so some languages may prefer to translate it “So” (NET Bible) or “Then.” For the figurative Hebrew expression rendered anger was kindled, see 11.1.
And he made them wander in the wilderness forty years: The form of the Hebrew verb rendered made … wander is causative. Sometimes this verb refers to a person’s unstable movements, meaning “totter” or “stagger,” but here it conveys the notion of moving from place to place with no fixed home base (see the comments on “wanderer” at Gen 4.12 in A Handbook on Genesis). For the Hebrew word rendered wilderness (midbar), see 1.1.
Until all the generation … was consumed is literally “until the completing of all the generation.” New Revised Standard Version has “until all the generation … had disappeared,” which avoids the misunderstanding that the old generation was consumed by fire or some other disaster. Other helpful models here are “until that whole generation … was dead” (Good News Translation), “until the entire generation … had died” (New Living Translation), and “until the whole generation … was gone” (New International Version; similarly Revised English Bible). In languages that do not have a specific word for generation, this clause may be rendered “until all those people … had died.”
That had done evil in the sight of the LORD: This is the only time that this clause occurs in Numbers. It may be rendered “that had done what the LORD considers wrong” or “that had done what displeases the LORD.”
Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Moses shifts from the past generation to the present one here, so translators may insert a paragraph break at the beginning of this verse (so Contemporary English Version, New International Readers Version).
And behold: The Hebrew word hinneh rendered behold introduces what Moses wants to stress (compare 23.20). This phrase may be rendered “Now look” (NET Bible), “And now you are doing the same” (Bijbel in Gewone Taal; similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), or “And/But here you are” (New International Version, New Living Translation).
You have risen in your fathers’ stead: Some languages have their own idiom to express the meaning of this clause; for example, Zürcher Bibel translates “you have taken your fathers’ place” (similarly Good News Translation), Chewa has “you have entered into the place of your parents,” and Revised English Bible says “You are … following in your fathers’ footsteps.” For your fathers, see verse 8.
A brood of sinful men describes the present generation of Gadites and Reubenites, not their fathers. The Hebrew root for the word brood (r b h) can mean “become numerous” or “become great.” So King James Version translates this phrase “an increase of sinful men,” Bijbel: Vertaling in opdracht van het Nederlandsch Bijbelgenootschap has “a multitude of sinful men,” and Bible en français courant and Parole de Vie say “band of sinners.” However, the root r b h can also mean “make numerous,” “make great,” or “rear children,” which is how Revised Standard Version understands it by saying brood (so also New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New Living Translation, NET Bible, ESV, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Zürcher Bibel). Some languages will have to translate this phrase as “you brood of sinners” (similarly TNIV, Die Bibel: Einheitsübersetzung der Heiligen Schrift) or “a new generation of sinners” (Willibrordvertaling) in order to make clear it clear that it refers to the present generation, not to their fathers. SPCL renders this phrase as “you sons of sinful fathers,” and La Biblia: Traducción en Lenguaje Actual says “you, who are as bad as your ancestors.” These renderings wrongly suggest that sinful men refers to the fathers. The Hebrew phrase here does not focus on sin as sinful nature inherited from the fathers. Instead, it focuses on the sin as committed by the people themselves (compare Gen 13.13; so Levine, page 488).
To increase still more the fierce anger of the LORD against Israel is literally “to add more to the burning nose/anger of the LORD to/toward Israel.” For the Hebrew expression rendered fierce anger, see 25.4. Israel may be translated “the Israelites” (NET Bible) or “the people of Israel.” ESV renders this clause in the same way as Revised Standard Version. Good News Translation has “ready to bring down the fierce anger of the LORD on Israel again,” which seems to be a free rendering. A better model is “and making the LORD even more angry with Israel” (New International Version; similarly Contemporary English Version). In some languages it may be helpful to start a new sentence here, saying “You are making the LORD even angrier with Israel” (New Living Translation) or “Do you want the LORD to become even angrier with Israel?” (similarly La Biblia: Traducción en Lenguaje Actual).
Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
And all the gold of the offering that they offered to the LORD …: The Hebrew words for offering (terumah) and offered (rum) come from the same root. See the comments on 15.19, where they are rendered “present an offering.” Good News Translation omits the ideas of gold and to the LORD, which should be kept. The pronoun they refers to Moses and Eleazar, which New International Readers Version specifies.
From the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds: See verses 14 and 48.
Was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels: As noted in the comments on 3.47, the standard shekel may have weighed about 11.4 grams (0.4 ounce), so sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels is about 190 kilograms (420 pounds).
A possible model for this verse is:
• All the gold from the generals and captains that Moses and Eleazar presented as a gift to the LORD weighed about 190 kilograms.
Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
This verse, the final clause in particular, marks the climax at the end of Moses’ speech.
For if you turn away from following him …: The Hebrew particle ki rendered For appears to mark the conclusion of Moses’ address, so it may also be translated as an emphatic marker by saying “Indeed” or “Surely,” or it may be omitted (so Good News Translation). The Hebrew pronoun for you is plural, referring to the Gadites and Reubenites, which Good News Translation makes explicit by saying “you people of Reuben and Gad.” If translators follow this model, it would be better to say “you people of Gad and Reuben” for the same order as in verses 2 and 6. For turn away from following him, see 14.43, where a similar expression occurs. Contemporary English Version says simply “reject the LORD.” A model that keeps the imagery here is “turn your backs on him.”
He will again abandon them in the wilderness is literally “he will add still to abandon him in the wilderness.” The singular Hebrew pronoun for “him” refers to the people of Israel as a whole. At the end of his speech as at the beginning, Moses emphasizes the unity of Israel as a nation that either fights or falls together. The example of what had happened to the former generation should have served as an obvious warning to anyone in the present generation who desired to break ranks and rebel against the LORD (or so it seemed to Moses). Good News Translation renders this clause as “he will once again abandon all these people in the wilderness,” but a better model showing the unity of Israel is “he will again abandon this whole people in the wilderness” (Revised English Bible). For wilderness see verse 13.
And you will destroy all this people: Moses uses a hyperbole here. He does not mean that the Gadites and Reubenites will literally destroy or kill all their fellow Israelites. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh provides a helpful model here, saying “you will bring calamity upon all this people” (similarly Bijbel: Vertaling in opdracht van het Nederlandsch Bijbelgenootschap). New International Version and Revised English Bible are even clearer with “and you will be the cause of their destruction,” and so is Good News Translation with “and you will be responsible for their destruction.” New Living Translation and Nueva Traducción Viviente are similar to Good News Translation, but they keep the theme of Israel’s unity by saying “you will be responsible for destroying this entire nation!”
Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
(The men of war had taken booty, every man for himself): Since the Israelite army commanders gave the entire donation of gold (verses 48-52 and 54), The men of war refers to “Those who were not officers” (Good News Translation). These common soldiers took and kept their own spoil from the war with the Midianites. Bible en français courant makes this clear by saying “As for the common soldiers, each kept for himself the booty that he had picked up” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Bijbel in Gewone Taal, De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling, Nije Fryske Bibeloersetting, Buber).
Revised Standard Version and Contemporary Russian Version place parentheses around this verse because it interrupts verses 52 and 54, which are both about the commanders. The Hebrew word order seems to indicate that this verse is a parenthetical statement. Some languages will have an appropriate way of marking this verbally, without the need for actual parentheses; for example, Chewa begins this verse with “It so happened that the ordinary soldiers had taken….”
Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
In verses 16-19 the Gadites and Reubenites respond to Moses’ main objection. They do not plan to rebel but propose a compromise. In many languages it will be helpful to begin a new paragraph here (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation).
Then they came near to him, and said: The pronoun they refers to the Gadites and Reubenites. It may be helpful to make this explicit in some languages (so Contemporary English Version, New Century Version). As here, the Hebrew verb rendered came near is often used to refer to a lesser party coming into the presence of a greater one (see, for example, Gen 43.19; 2 Kgs 5.13; so Ashley, page 611). The leaders of the two tribes now enter into formal negotiations with Moses, the leader of Israel, with regard to their standing request.
We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks, and cities for our little ones: They mention building sheepfolds first and cities last. Perhaps they do this because they consider that the sheepfolds will sound less permanent and therefore less objectionable to Moses than the cities; in any case, this statement continues to highlight the preeminence of their animals in their planning (see verse 4). Verses 3-4 seem to imply that the cities had been destroyed, so it may be better to render build as “rebuild.” Alternatively, translators may say they will “fortify” the cities that they had occupied.
As A Handbook on The First and Second Books of Samuel mentions at 1 Sam 24.3, the Hebrew expression for sheepfolds refers to a fence-like enclosure made of stones, so Good News Translation says “stone enclosures.” Some sheepfolds were permanent, consisting of stone walls and a roof; others were temporary constructions. As mentioned at 11.22, the Hebrew word for sheep (tsʾon) refers to sheep and goats. But in this verse it is used metonymically to refer to all types of livestock (so Cole, page 509). The Hebrew word for flocks (miqneh) is a generic term for livestock (see verse 1, where it is rendered “cattle”). New Living Translation provides a helpful model for sheepfolds … for our flocks, saying “pens for our livestock.”
The Hebrew word for cities is the regular term ʿir. Good News Translation has “fortified towns.” At first glance, “towns” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) would have been sufficient. But the rendering “fortified towns” may help to indicate more clearly to the reader that these towns and the “fortified cities” in verse 17 are the same (so Rashi). This rendering also agrees with the suggestion above that their proposal may refer to “fortifying” towns rather than “rebuilding” them, which would have required considerably more time.
The Hebrew term for little ones is the same one used in 14.3, where it refers to children. Here it may be rendered “dependents” (Good News Translation) or “families” (NET Bible, Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, La Nouvelle Bible Segond, SPCL). Some translations say “women and children” (New International Version) or “wives and children” (Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation, Nueva Traducción Viviente), but the Hebrew does not mention women here.
Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds: For Eleazar the priest, see verse 6; for the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, see verses 14 and 48.
And brought it into the tent of meeting: For the tent of meeting, see 1.1.
As a memorial for the people of Israel before the LORD: According to Levine (page 463), giving the gold to the LORD was an act of devotion and loyalty that brought the Israelites to the attention of their God. However, it is not clear in the Hebrew text whether the memorial (or “reminder”) was for the Israelites or for the LORD, or for both (compare Exo 30.16) Contemporary English Version makes the first option explicit, though in rather ambiguous terms: “to remind Israel of what had happened.” If the gift of gold were a reminder for the Israelites, then it could cause them to give more support for the Tabernacle (so Ashley, page 601). The second option is made explicit in Good News Translation with “so that the LORD would protect the people of Israel.” Revised English Bible also follows interpretation by saying “that the LORD might remember Israel” (similarly Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, SPCL, Bijbel in Gewone Taal, De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling), and so does New Living Translation with “as a reminder to the LORD that the people of Israel belong to him.” It is difficult to choose between these alternative interpretations, so we recommend that translators try to retain both options in a more general wording (if this does not result in confusing ambiguity or meaninglessness).
Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
