Numbers 14 15

Numbers 14:15 kjv

Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,

Numbers 14:15 nkjv

Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying,

Numbers 14:15 niv

If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say,

Numbers 14:15 esv

Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say,

Numbers 14:15 nlt

Now if you slaughter all these people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of your fame will say,

Numbers 14 verses

Numbers 14 15 Meaning

Numbers 14:15 records Moses' crucial appeal to God during the Israelites' rebellion at Kadesh-Barnea. Moses warns God that if He were to utterly destroy His people, the surrounding Gentile nations, who had already witnessed and heard of His mighty acts, would misinterpret this drastic judgment. They would conclude that Yahweh was either incapable of leading His people into the promised land or lacked the power to protect them, thereby defaming His great name and diminishing His glory in the eyes of the world. Moses uses this appeal to God's reputation as a powerful plea for mercy.

Numbers 14 15 Context

Numbers chapter 14 takes place after the twelve spies return from reconnoitering Canaan. Ten of the spies deliver a demoralizing report, exaggerating the land's difficulties and the inhabitants' strength, thereby sowing fear and unbelief among the Israelites. Joshua and Caleb, the two faithful spies, offer a contrasting, hopeful report, trusting in God's power. However, the majority of the people succumb to fear, murmur against Moses and Aaron, propose choosing a new leader, and resolve to return to Egypt, fundamentally rejecting God’s promise and command.

In response to this grave act of rebellion and distrust, God's wrath flares, and He threatens to disinherit the entire nation, strike them with a plague, and raise up a new nation from Moses. Numbers 14:15 then becomes the opening of Moses’ passionate intercession. He does not base his plea on the Israelites' merit, as they had none, but on a much higher ground: God’s own glorious reputation and name among the watching Gentile nations. This context highlights the critical nature of the moment and Moses’ pivotal role as a mediator, strategically appealing to God's desire for His glory to be magnified globally.

Numbers 14 15 Word analysis

• Now if You kill: The Hebrew phrase is Wəhārāgta (וְהָרַגְתָּ), where hāraga' (הָרַג) means "to slay, to kill, to murder." This is Moses posing a direct, albeit hypothetical, consequence. It highlights the divine prerogative of life and death, and Moses' boldness in presenting such a stark outcome back to God, challenging the immediate ramifications of God's declared judgment (Num 14:12).
• this people: hā'ām hazzeh (הָעָם הַזֶּה). This refers specifically to the community of Israelites, who are inherently God's covenant people. Moses uses this designation despite their current rebellion, emphasizing their unique relationship with God that ought to endure. Their identity as "His people" is foundational to Moses' argument that God destroying them would be incongruous with His established covenant and reputation.
• as one man: kā'îsh 'eḥād (כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד). Literally "like one man." This is a Hebrew idiom denoting completeness, unity in action or fate, swiftness, and totality. In this context, it implies a swift, comprehensive, and complete annihilation of the entire nation, leaving no one behind, signifying a divine act of wiping them out altogether.
• then the nations: wəhaygoyim (וְהַגּוֹיִם). Refers to the Gentile or heathen nations surrounding Israel, those who are not part of God's chosen covenant people. Moses shifts the perspective from internal divine-Israelite interaction to the broader global perception. These nations are observers, whose interpretation of God’s actions carries significant weight for His global reputation.
• who have heard Your fame: 'ăsher-šām'û 'et-shim'ăḵā (אֲשֶׁר שָׁמְעוּ אֶת-שִׁמְעֶךָ). Šām'û means "they have heard," referring to a past widespread awareness. Shim'ăḵā (from šēm'a) means "Your report, Your renown, Your fame." This refers to the widespread accounts and rumors among these nations about Yahweh’s powerful and miraculous deeds, particularly the Exodus from Egypt (Exod 15:14) and His providential care for Israel in the wilderness. Their prior "hearing" sets the stage for their future judgment.
• will speak, saying: wə'āmərû (וְאָמְרוּ). The verb 'āmĕrû means "they will say" or "they will declare." This emphasizes that the nations will not merely observe or think; they will audibly voice their conclusions. This prophetic declaration by Moses underlines the unavoidable and damaging public impact on God's reputation. What they would say (detailed in the following verse) would directly undermine God's glory and power in their eyes.

Numbers 14 15 Bonus section

• Moses' intercession demonstrates a core aspect of true prophetic mediation: speaking God's truth to man, and also speaking man's need to God, strategically appealing to God's revealed character and glory.
• The incident at Kadesh-Barnea serves as a watershed moment. While God did relent from total destruction, He still imposed the consequence of the wilderness wandering and the death of that unbelieving generation, balancing His mercy with His justice and faithfulness to His Name.
• The principle that God acts for His own name's sake is a recurring theme throughout Scripture, from the wilderness narratives to the prophetic books, demonstrating that God's ultimate motivation is always His own glory, which benefits humanity.
• This passage shows that God allows for human agency in His divine plan. Though God could have carried out His threat and started anew with Moses, He allowed Moses' prayer, aligning with His character, to sway His decision concerning the covenant people's immediate future.

Numbers 14 15 Commentary

Numbers 14:15 stands as a testament to the profound relationship between divine justice, human intercession, and God's sovereign commitment to His own glory. Moses’ argument is not rooted in Israel's righteousness, for they had proven faithless, but rather in God's greater purpose of revealing His true nature to all nations. The perceived "failure" of God to bring His people into the land, or to sustain them if He were to destroy them, would distort His identity in the eyes of the Gentiles. They would see it not as righteous judgment against a rebellious people, but as weakness or incompetence on God's part.

This plea highlights a crucial biblical principle: God acts not only for His covenant people but ultimately for the sake of His own name and glory throughout the earth. Moses shrewdly appeals to this divine self-interest. He understands that God's plan involves manifesting His power and unique character to a world observing His interaction with Israel. The nations were aware of God's mighty arm in the Exodus; a complete destruction now would present a confusing and diminishing testimony. Moses' intercession successfully pivots God's intention from immediate annihilation to a different form of judgment, preserving the nation while still addressing their rebellion, all for the glory of His Name. This reveals the efficacy of Spirit-led intercession that aligns with God’s own heart and purposes, even in the face of profound human failure.