Numbers 11:15 kjv
And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favor in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.
Numbers 11:15 nkjv
If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now?if I have found favor in Your sight?and do not let me see my wretchedness!"
Numbers 11:15 niv
If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me?if I have found favor in your eyes?and do not let me face my own ruin."
Numbers 11:15 esv
If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness."
Numbers 11:15 nlt
If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!"
Numbers 11 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 5:22-23 | "Moses returned to the Lord and said, 'O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?'" | Moses' initial complaint about hardship |
| Dt 1:9-12 | "At that time I said to you, 'I am not able to bear you by myself... The Lord your God has multiplied you...'" | Moses on the overwhelming burden of leadership |
| Num 20:10-12 | "Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly... and he said to them, 'Hear now, you rebels...?'" | Moses' breaking point, striking the rock |
| 1 Ki 19:4 | "But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a juniper tree. And he asked that he might die..." | Elijah's similar prayer of despair |
| Jon 4:3 | "Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live." | Jonah's wish for death out of disappointment |
| Jer 20:14-18 | "Cursed be the day on which I was born!... Why did I come out from the womb to see toil and sorrow...?" | Jeremiah's lament of deep distress |
| Job 3:20-22 | "Why is light given to him who is in misery...? Who longs for death, but it comes not...?" | Job's questioning of his life's suffering |
| Ps 103:13-14 | "As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust." | God understands human frailty |
| Isa 40:29-31 | "He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength... they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength..." | God renews strength in weariness |
| Heb 4:15 | "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." | Jesus' understanding of human struggle |
| Ex 18:17-23 | "What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out..." | Jethro advises Moses to delegate |
| Gal 6:2 | "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." | Principle of sharing burdens |
| Neh 4:10-11 | "In Judah it was said, 'The strength of those who bear burdens is failing...' Our enemies said, 'They will not know or see...'" | Acknowledging burden on leaders |
| Rom 5:3-4 | "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character..." | Suffering's purpose and fruit |
| 2 Cor 12:9-10 | "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses..." | God's strength in human weakness |
| Phil 4:6-7 | "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." | Countering anxiety with prayer |
| Ps 13:1-2 | "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow...?" | Psalm of lament, seeking God's help |
| Ps 37:23-24 | "The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand." | God upholds the righteous |
| Job 2:10 | "But he said to her, 'You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?'" | Accepting suffering from God's hand |
| Lam 3:19-20 | "Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me." | Deep anguish expressed in prayer |
| Ps 6:2-3 | "Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O Lord—how long?" | Prayer of one overwhelmed by trouble |
| Ex 33:12, 17 | "The Lord said to Moses, 'I will do the very thing you have asked, for you have found favor in my eyes, and I know you by name.'" | Confirmation of Moses finding favor |
Numbers 11 verses
Numbers 11 15 Meaning
Numbers 11:15 conveys Moses' deep spiritual and emotional distress, culminating in a desperate plea to God. Overwhelmed by the constant complaints and rebellion of the Israelites, and the perceived impossibility of his immense leadership burden, Moses expresses a wish for immediate death. He asks God to end his life if he has found favor, so that he would no longer have to witness and endure the profound misery of his calling.
Numbers 11 15 Context
Numbers chapter 11 opens with a cycle of persistent Israelite complaining, a recurring theme in their wilderness journey. It begins with a general grumbling about hardship that provokes the Lord's anger and results in fire among the people (Num 11:1-3). Immediately after this, the "rabble" (mixed multitude) among them, followed by the Israelites themselves, succumb to cravings for a varied diet, reminiscing about the fish and produce of Egypt, while expressing utter contempt for the manna, their miraculous daily provision (Num 11:4-9). This widespread lamentation, deeply unsettling to both God and Moses, becomes a significant source of distress. Moses then personally brings his burden before the Lord (Num 11:10-14), questioning why God placed the entire, demanding weight of the people upon him alone. He expresses deep fatigue, a sense of maternal responsibility without the capacity to bear it, and an overwhelming weariness from their constant grumbling. Verse 15 is the culminating point of Moses' personal lament to God, revealing the extreme level of his emotional and spiritual distress as he faces this crushing leadership responsibility.
Numbers 11 15 Word analysis
- If you will treat me like this (כָּזֹאת אַתָּה עֹשֶׂה לִּי, ka-zōṯ 'aṯ-tâ ‘ō-śeh lî): This phrase describes Moses' present interpretation of his situation, where the unending complaints and his overwhelming responsibility are perceived as God's treatment of him. "Like this" directly refers to the insatiable cravings and the unceasing grumbling of the Israelites which have pushed him to his breaking point. It captures his deep weariness and spiritual burden from consistently shepherding such a demanding and discontented people.
- kill me at once (הָרְגֵנִי נָא הָרֹג, ha-r'gē-nî nā' hā-rōḡ): The verb הָרַג (harag) is a strong term for slaying or killing. The accompanying particle נָא (na') denotes an earnest request, "please." The repetition of the root, known as the infinitive absolute (הָרֹג) with the imperative, adds intense emphasis, essentially "certainly kill me" or "kill me by all means." This reflects Moses' profound agony and desire for immediate cessation of his suffering, signifying a desperate plea for escape rather than continued torment.
- if I have found favor in your sight (אִם־מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ, 'im-mā-ṣā-ṯî ḥên bə-‘ê-ne-ḵā):
- "if I have found": A conditional clause, but one based on Moses' known relationship with God, where he consistently has found favor (e.g., Ex 33:12, 17). It's an appeal to their existing, intimate covenant relationship.
- "favor" (חֵן, ḥēn): Refers to grace, mercy, or acceptance. Moses appeals to God's benevolence and compassion, even in his extreme despair.
- "in your sight": A common idiom meaning "in your estimation" or "in your approval." It signifies a request for mercy acknowledged and granted by God Himself.
- do not let me see my wretchedness (אַל־נָא אֶרְאֶה בְּרָעָתִי, 'al-nā' 'er-'eh bə-rā-‘ā-ṯî):
- "do not let me see": A plea to prevent a future experience.
- "my wretchedness" (בְּרָעָתִי, bə-rā-‘ā-ṯî): From the Hebrew word רַע (ra'), which can mean evil, wickedness, but also distress, calamity, or misery. Here, it refers to Moses' intense personal suffering and anguish derived from witnessing the continuous sin, ingratitude, and complaints of the Israelites, combined with his sense of inadequacy to shepherd them. It is the deep, soul-wearying pain he wishes to avoid experiencing further.
- "If you will treat me like this, kill me at once...": This half of the verse is a raw, agonizing outcry, indicative of the extreme burden Moses feels. It conveys a choice of death over the present reality, highlighting the human limitations of even the most Spirit-filled leaders when facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles alone. This desperate petition shows the profound trust and intimacy Moses had with God, allowing such honest and vulnerable prayer.
- "...if I have found favor in your sight, do not let me see my wretchedness.": This second part of the verse frames Moses' plea for death within the context of God's character and Moses' existing relationship with Him. It softens the starkness of the death wish by appealing to divine compassion and favor. Moses isn't rebelling against God but earnestly seeking an escape from his overwhelming misery, whether through an end to his life or through some other divine intervention that would spare him further profound anguish and responsibility. This reflects Moses' persistent, albeit strained, dependence on God's will and grace.
Numbers 11 15 Bonus section
- A Call for Delegation: Moses' distress directly prompts God's instruction to appoint seventy elders, illustrating God's responsiveness to the specific needs and burdens of His servants. This demonstrates a divine model for leadership structure, where a single leader is not intended to bear the entire load, but can delegate responsibility through the Holy Spirit's enablement.
- The Weight of Expectation: As the divinely appointed leader, Moses was expected to be the solution to all the people's physical and spiritual complaints. This immense pressure from the people, combined with his profound sense of responsibility for their well-being and their continued faithlessness, became an overwhelming psychological and spiritual weight. His cry in verse 15 expresses the feeling of being crushed by these internal and external expectations.
Numbers 11 15 Commentary
Numbers 11:15 is a profoundly honest and vulnerable prayer from Moses, the chosen leader and prophet. It underscores that even individuals profoundly connected to God are not immune to immense emotional and spiritual despair. Moses is not suffering from a lack of faith in God's power but from the sheer weight of continuous, unrelenting human grumbling and the isolated burden of leading a nation in the wilderness. His desperate wish for death is a plea for release from an unbearable pastoral and intercessory load, illustrating a moment of deep burnout. This lament to God, made directly and without reservation, demonstrates the depth of his relationship with the Lord, allowing him to lay bare his soul. God's compassionate response to this plea, by directing Moses to appoint seventy elders to share the spirit of leadership (Num 11:16-17), signifies God's understanding of human limits and His provision for His servants even in their weakness. The verse is a testament to the reality of suffering in leadership and God's enduring empathy.
- Practical Example: For spiritual leaders or individuals feeling overwhelmed by immense responsibilities and unceasing demands, this verse provides a validation of their deep human emotions. It offers permission to express profound fatigue and despair honestly to God without fear of condemnation. It also reminds us that God hears these cries and often provides solutions, sometimes through delegation or the sharing of burdens, just as He did for Moses by distributing the spirit to the elders.