Numbers 14:27 kjv
How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.
Numbers 14:27 nkjv
"How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me.
Numbers 14:27 niv
"How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites.
Numbers 14:27 esv
"How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me.
Numbers 14:27 nlt
"How long must I put up with this wicked community and its complaints about me? Yes, I have heard the complaints the Israelites are making against me.
Numbers 14 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 6:6 | And the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart. | God's grief over human sin. |
| Exod 16:7-8 | ...your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD... | Murmuring against leaders is truly against God. |
| Exod 17:7 | ...because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the LORD... | People testing God through complaint. |
| Num 14:11 | And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me...?" | God questions duration of rebellion/unbelief. |
| Num 14:23 | "not one of them shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers..." | Direct consequence for rebellion/unbelief. |
| Deut 1:32 | "Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the LORD your God..." | Emphasis on their unbelief as core sin. |
| Deut 9:7 | "Remember and do not forget how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness..." | Historical reminder of Israel's rebelliousness. |
| Ps 78:40-41 | "How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert! They tested God again..." | Recounts Israel's repeated rebellion and grieving God. |
| Ps 95:8-10 | "Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tested me..." | Warning against repeating the wilderness rebellion/unbelief. |
| Jer 6:11 | "...I am weary of holding it in." | God's divine exhaustion with sin. |
| Hos 4:16 | "For Israel is stubborn like a stubborn heifer..." | Metaphor for Israel's rebelliousness. |
| Mal 3:13-14 | "Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?'" | God hears their harsh words, even if they deny it. |
| Isa 43:24 | "You have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities." | Sins as a burden that wearies God. |
| Matt 12:36 | "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they utter..." | God hears all words, holds accountable. |
| Acts 7:51 | "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you." | Stephen's indictment of similar rebellion to forefathers. |
| 1 Cor 10:9-10 | "We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did...nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed..." | Warning to Christians against similar sins. |
| Heb 3:17 | "And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?" | God's wrath due to sin in the wilderness. |
| Heb 3:19 | "So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief." | Unbelief is identified as the root cause. |
| Heb 4:1-2 | "...since they did not enter because of disobedience." | Disobedience linked to unbelief; warning for New Covenant believers. |
| Heb 4:7 | "...'Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.'" | Calls for present-day response to avoid wilderness generation's error. |
| Jas 5:9 | "Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door." | Grumbling as a sin leading to judgment. |
| 1 Pet 4:17 | "For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God..." | Principle of judgment beginning with God's people. |
| Rev 2:4-5 | "...you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen..." | Warning to backsliding believers; remember consequences of turning from God. |
| Rev 16:9, 11, 21 | "...they did not repent and give Him glory...They cursed the name of God..." | Continued human rebellion and blasphemy against God despite judgment. |
Numbers 14 verses
Numbers 14 27 Meaning
Numbers 14:27 articulates God's direct lament and declaration of His impending judgment upon the murmuring congregation of Israel. It reveals His exhaustion with their persistent rebellion and unbelief, stating His weariness in bearing their sin. The verse underscores God's full awareness of their rebellious grumbling, emphasizing that their complaints were not merely against Moses and Aaron but explicitly "against me"—against Yahweh Himself. This divine pronouncement sets the stage for the severe consequences detailed immediately afterward.
Numbers 14 27 Context
Numbers chapter 14 describes the immediate aftermath of the twelve spies' return from Canaan. Ten of the spies brought a terrifying, faithless report, contrasting with the hopeful and courageous report of Joshua and Caleb. Overwhelmed by fear and unbelief, the congregation of Israel erupted in weeping, expressing a desire to return to Egypt and even appoint a new leader to guide them back. This act was a direct rejection of God's promise and leadership, mediated through Moses. The murmuring and rebellion climax in verse 27, where God Himself, deeply grieved and provoked, declares His weariness with their faithlessness, setting the stage for the pronouncement of judgment in the subsequent verses (specifically, the 40-year wilderness wandering and the death of that entire generation).
Numbers 14 27 Word analysis
- How long (עַד־מָתַי – ʻad-matay): A rhetorical question indicating the end of patience. It conveys God's profound weariness and the reaching of a divine limit for endurance of their sin. This is not ignorance, but a judicial question demonstrating a period of long-suffering that has concluded.
- shall I bear (אֶשָּׂא – essah, from נָשָׂא – nasa): Implies a carrying, lifting, or enduring. God describes Himself as carrying or bearing the burden of their actions. This speaks to divine forbearance and long-suffering, yet also implies a heavy load which even He, in His infinite capacity, chooses to cease bearing in this manner.
- this evil (הָעֵדָה הָרָעָה – ha’edah hara’ah):
- evil (רָעָה – ra’ah): Signifies morally bad, wicked, or calamitous. It is a severe moral indictment from God's perspective. Their behavior is intrinsically harmful and rebellious against divine good.
- congregation (עֵדָה – edah): This specific term refers to the assembly of Israel as a divinely constituted, formally organized body for covenant purposes. It highlights that it is not merely individuals, but the collective, covenant community that has acted wickedly. This term implies corporate responsibility before God.
- which murmur (מַבְלִינִים – mavlīnīm, from לוּן – lun): The act of grumbling, complaining, lodging an accusation. This is more than just dissatisfaction; it is an expressed attitude of discontent, often blaming God or His appointed leaders, undermining divine authority and providence. It stems from a lack of trust.
- against me (עָלָי – ‘alai): This preposition makes the direct object God Himself. It explicitly states that their complaints, though voiced through Moses and Aaron, were ultimately rebellion against God. This elevates the seriousness of the sin from interpersonal complaint to divine treason.
- I have heard (שָׁמַעְתִּי – shama’ti): Indicates not only an auditory perception but also a full comprehension and taking notice. God is omniscient; He doesn't just hear sounds but understands the full intent, spirit, and blasphemous nature of their words. It implies that their sin is fully known to Him and registered for judgment.
- the murmuring (תְּלֻנּוֹת – telunnōt, plural of תְּלוּנָּה – telunah): Repetition emphasizes the repeated and persistent nature of their complaints. It highlights the volume, frequency, and collective nature of their discontent, signifying a deep-seated spiritual rebellion.
- of the children of Israel (בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל – b’nē Yisra’el): Specifies the addressees of the judgment – the entire community God brought out of Egypt.
- which they murmur against me (אֲשֶׁר הֵם מַלִּינִים עָלָי – asher hēm mallīnīm ‘alai): This final phrase is a precise reiteration of the initial complaint, reinforcing the severity and directness of their offense against God. The repetition underlines the persistence of the sin and confirms that God has clearly identified the source and target of their rebellion.
Words-Group Analysis:
- "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me?": This opening rhetorical question encapsulates divine frustration and justice. It portrays God as an aggrieved party, expressing the culmination of His long-suffering in the face of persistent, corporate evil that directly opposes His sovereignty. It signals that a tipping point has been reached.
- "I have heard the murmuring of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.": This reiteration serves to confirm God's omniscience and underscore the gravity of their sin. It removes any doubt about who their complaints were ultimately aimed at and implies a definite record has been kept, leading to divine accountability. The repetition of "murmur against me" transforms mere grumbling into an act of direct rebellion and a covenant breach.
Numbers 14 27 Bonus section
The concept of God "bearing" or being "weary" is an anthropomorphism used to convey the intensity of His grievance against their unfaithfulness, illustrating a profound emotional cost to divine long-suffering. It does not imply a limitation in His power but expresses His righteous indignation and judicial weariness. This mirrors passages where God is grieved or vexed by humanity's sin, underscoring His active engagement with His creation's moral choices. The repeating "murmur against me" frames the Israelite rebellion as a theological error rather than just logistical or leadership discontent. This passage also functions as a powerful warning against collective unbelief and the dangers of allowing fear and distrust to override faith in God's promises and provision. It is a vivid example of corporate judgment, highlighting that individual sins contribute to and reinforce the collective disposition of a community, drawing collective consequences.
Numbers 14 27 Commentary
Numbers 14:27 marks a critical turning point in Israel's wilderness journey. It portrays God’s just indignation, expressing both His long-suffering ("How long shall I bear") and the absolute boundary of His patience. The designation "evil congregation" reveals the moral depth of their corporate failure, not just a momentary lapse, but a profound disposition of unbelief and defiance. Their "murmuring" is not treated as a minor complaint, but as a direct act of insubordination "against me"—against Yahweh Himself. This underscores that true rebellion always targets divine authority. God's declaration "I have heard" affirms His perfect knowledge of their hearts and words, setting the stage for an inevitable judgment commensurate with the seriousness of their offense. It is a powerful example of how persistent sin and unbelief can exhaust even divine patience, leading to dire consequences for those under covenant.