Verse 11 refers back to the LORD’s words in 14.22-23.

Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land: The Hebrew particle ʾim at the beginning of this verse only marks the beginning of a negative oath here, so many versions omit the word Surely (so New International Version, New Living Translation). However, in some languages it is necessary to emphasize the beginning of such an oath, especially if it is pronounced by persons (such as God) who have the power to carry it out; for example, Chewa begins with “Most certainly none…,” and Good News Translation has “I swear that … none….” Came up may be rendered simply “came” (Good News Translation; see the comments on “Go up” at 13.17). For from twenty years old and upward, see 1.3. In some languages the literal verb see may be natural in this context, but others will prefer to say “enter” (Good News Translation). The Hebrew term for land (ʾadamah) can mean “country,” but here it refers to the fertile land of Canaan, so a better rendering is “tillable land.”

Which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob: See 11.12. Swore renders the same Hebrew verb as in the previous verse, but here it has a positive connotation. The Hebrew text does not have the phrase to give. Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible are more literal by rendering swore to give as “promised.” Compare New International Version and Revised English Bible with “promised on oath” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling), and SPCL with “solemnly promised.” However, like Revised Standard Version, other languages will naturally include the idea of “give” here (so Chewa).

Because they have not wholly followed me is literally “because they have not filled after me” (similarly Alter). Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation (“because they did not remain loyal to me”) give dynamic translations of this Hebrew idiom, which occurs also in 14.24, where it is rendered “[Caleb] has followed me fully.” New Living Translation says “for they have not obeyed me wholeheartedly.” It may be necessary to place this reason clause closer to the beginning of the verse (so Good News Translation), rather than at the end, as in the Hebrew text and Revised Standard Version.

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 .