Deuteronomy 9 22

Deuteronomy 9:22 kjv

And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibrothhattaavah, ye provoked the LORD to wrath.

Deuteronomy 9:22 nkjv

"Also at Taberah and Massah and Kibroth Hattaavah you provoked the LORD to wrath.

Deuteronomy 9:22 niv

You also made the LORD angry at Taberah, at Massah and at Kibroth Hattaavah.

Deuteronomy 9:22 esv

"At Taberah also, and at Massah and at Kibroth-hattaavah you provoked the LORD to wrath.

Deuteronomy 9:22 nlt

"You also made the LORD angry at Taberah, Massah, and Kibroth-hattaavah.

Deuteronomy 9 verses

Deuteronomy 9 22 Meaning

Deuteronomy 9:22 records three distinct instances during Israel's wilderness journey where the people's rebellion directly "provoked" God to "wrath." Moses uses these historical events—Taberah (burning), Massah (testing), and Kibroth-hattaavah (graves of craving)—as specific examples of Israel's chronic disobedience and lack of faith. This serves as a stark reminder that their possession of the Promised Land is not due to their own righteousness, but solely by God's grace and His faithfulness to His covenant and judgment upon the current inhabitants. The verse underscores Israel's innate stubbornness and God's patience mixed with holy judgment against sin.

Deuteronomy 9 22 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 9 serves as a crucial theological sermon by Moses, delivered to the Israelites just before they enter the Promised Land. The preceding chapters emphasize obedience and blessings, but chapter 9 confronts their national sin. Moses explicitly reminds the people that they are entering the land not because of their own righteousness, but because of God's power and promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to dispossess the wicked nations (Dt 9:4-6).

Verse 22 is part of a series of historical examples (starting from Dt 9:7) that Moses lists to illustrate Israel's persistent disobedience. After recounting the egregious sin of the golden calf (Dt 9:7-21), he quickly lists Taberah, Massah, and Kibroth-hattaavah as further evidence of their "stiff-necked" and rebellious nature (Dt 9:24). This historical recounting underscores God's immense patience and forbearance, yet also His righteous judgment against those who persistently provoke Him. The context firmly grounds the giving of the land in God's faithfulness and power, not Israel's merit, serving as both a warning against future rebellion and an encouragement to humility and trust.

Deuteronomy 9 22 Word analysis

• And at Taberah (וּבְתַבְעֵרָה uvtavera): "And at [the place of] burning." The prefix 'וּבְ' (u-v) means "and at." Taberah itself comes from the root ba'ar (בָּעַר) meaning "to burn." This place is referenced in Num 11:1-3, where the Israelites complained about their hardship, and "the fire of the Lord burnt among them" on the outskirts of the camp, consuming some of the people, before Moses interceded. It signifies God's immediate judgment against murmuring and complaining.
• and at Massah (וּבְמַסָּה uvmassa): "And at [the place of] testing/proving." From the root nasah (נָסָה) meaning "to test, to prove, to try." This event is recounted in Exod 17:1-7. The people complained vehemently about lack of water and accused Moses (and implicitly, God) of bringing them into the wilderness to kill them. They "tested" God, essentially questioning His presence and provision among them. This demonstrated a profound lack of faith despite witnessing divine miracles.
• and at Kibroth-hattaavah (וּבְקִבְרֹות הַתַּאֲוָה uvkivrot hattaavah): "And at [the] graves of craving/lust." This name literally translates to "graves of the desire" or "graves of the craving/lust." The Hebrew word ta'avah (תַּאֲוָה) signifies strong desire, appetite, or even lust (in a negative sense). Recorded in Num 11:4-34, the mixed multitude and Israelites intensely craved meat, despising the manna provided by God. God sent quail in abundance, but also a severe plague that struck down many who succumbed to their gluttonous and ungrateful desire, thus creating "graves of craving."
• ye provoked (הִקְצַפְתֶּם hiktsaphtem): Hiphil stem of qatsaph (קָצַף), meaning "to be angry," "to vex," "to be displeased," or "to cause anger/wrath." The Hiphil here denotes "to cause someone to become angry," hence "to provoke to wrath." This verb emphasizes that Israel's actions were not merely regrettable errors but direct provocations that elicited a divine, righteous response. It conveys the deliberate and repeated nature of their affronts to God.
• the Lord (יְהוָה YHWH): The covenant name of God, revealing Him as the personal, faithful, and unchangeable God of Israel who is intimately involved with His people. When Israel "provoked" YHWH, they were spurning the very One who had chosen them, delivered them, and made promises to them.
• to wrath (לְקֶצֶף lekhetsef): "To wrath" or "to anger." From the noun qetseph (קֶצֶף) meaning "anger," "rage," or "wrath." This refers to God's holy indignation against sin and rebellion. It is not an impulsive, human-like fit of pique, but a just and righteous response from a holy God to disobedience, unbelief, and direct challenging of His authority and goodness. It underlines the serious consequences of Israel's actions.

Words-group analysis:

• "And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibroth-hattaavah": This triple listing serves as an undeniable indictment of Israel's repeated and diverse patterns of rebellion—from general complaining (Taberah), to testing God's presence and provision (Massah), to insatiable, lustful craving and ingratitude for God's divine provision (Kibroth-hattaavah). These represent distinct facets of faithlessness, not isolated incidents but typical behaviors.
• "ye provoked the Lord to wrath": This phrase succinctly captures the cause-and-effect. Israel's actions (represented by the three named locations) were the cause, and God's righteous wrath was the just and inevitable effect. It emphasizes the active role of the people in triggering divine judgment. Their actions were a direct challenge to God's holiness and sovereignty.

Deuteronomy 9 22 Bonus section

The historical episodes cited in Dt 9:22 serve as a foundational lesson that the "faithfulness" and "provocation" dynamics between God and His people transcend time. The lessons from Taberah (the danger of murmuring), Massah (the sin of testing God's presence and doubting His provision), and Kibroth-hattaavah (the spiritual peril of carnal cravings and discontent) are repeatedly echoed throughout Scripture, both as warnings and as theological benchmarks for understanding God's character and His response to humanity's sin. This verse also implicitly reminds Israel, and us, of the grace shown in God not entirely consuming them, even in their worst provocations, reflecting His patience amidst His righteous wrath. These specific events highlight distinct facets of unbelief – the murmuring tongue, the doubting heart, and the unbridled appetite – showing the comprehensive nature of Israel's historical failures, underscoring Moses' overarching message about grace-enabled obedience.

Deuteronomy 9 22 Commentary

Deuteronomy 9:22 is a poignant summation of Israel's history of persistent rebellion against their covenant God. Moses' repetition of "and at" (וּבְ) emphasizes a pattern, not just isolated incidents. These were moments where Israel, despite receiving miraculous deliverance and divine sustenance, demonstrated profound ingratitude, impatience, and unbelief. At Taberah, their general complaining ignited God's consuming fire. At Massah, they questioned God's very presence and ability to provide, exhibiting a defiant spirit of testing Him. At Kibroth-hattaavah, their craving for fleshly desires over God's pure provision led to divine judgment and a plague.

The central truth is that their actions provoked YHWH to wrath. This divine wrath is not capricious, but a holy and just response to covenant unfaithfulness, idolatry of desires, and a hard-heartedness that challenged God's supreme authority and goodness. Moses includes these examples not to dwell on past failures needlessly, but to impress upon the new generation their ancestors' inherent propensity to rebel, and by extension, their own. This foundational understanding should cultivate humility, dependence, and heartfelt obedience rather than a spirit of self-righteousness. It warns that such "provocation" would continue to invite divine displeasure, ultimately affecting their covenant standing and relationship with God. The spiritual implications extend to all believers, reminding us to not test God, to be grateful for His provisions, and to avoid fleshly lusts that lead to grieving His Spirit.