Numbers 14 28

Numbers 14:28 kjv

Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:

Numbers 14:28 nkjv

Say to them, 'As I live,' says the LORD, 'just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you:

Numbers 14:28 niv

So tell them, 'As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say:

Numbers 14:28 esv

Say to them, 'As I live, declares the LORD, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you:

Numbers 14:28 nlt

Now tell them this: 'As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say.

Numbers 14 verses

Numbers 14 28 Meaning

This verse states a solemn divine decree directly from the Lord to the rebellious Israelites. It serves as an oath, where God binds Himself by His own life, affirming that He will perform the exact consequence that aligns with the murmuring words they have spoken in His hearing. Specifically, it announces that their wish to die in the wilderness, rather than entering the promised land, will be granted as a judgment for their unbelief and defiance.

Numbers 14 28 Context

Numbers 14:28 is a direct consequence of the Israelites' profound rebellion and lack of faith after hearing the report from the twelve spies sent into Canaan. Ten spies delivered a fearful account of powerful inhabitants and fortified cities, causing the entire congregation to murmur against Moses, Aaron, and even against God (Num 14:2). They lamented that they should have died in Egypt or the wilderness, and expressed a desire to return to Egypt (Num 14:3-4), effectively rejecting God's promise to give them the land and demonstrating severe unbelief. Despite the faithful report of Joshua and Caleb (Num 14:6-9), the people threatened to stone them. In response to this deep-seated rejection and specific spoken desires for death in the wilderness, God intervenes with this decree, binding Himself by an oath to carry out the very thing they wished upon themselves. This verse seals the fate of the generation that left Egypt, confirming their judgment.

Numbers 14 28 Word analysis

• Say to them (אֱמֹר אֲלֵהֶם, ’ĕmōr ’ălêhem): A direct imperative from God to Moses, instructing him to deliver this severe judgment to the Israelites personally. It highlights the direct communication of divine truth and the weight of the message.
• As I live (חַי אָנִי, ḥay ’ānî): This is a powerful, emphatic divine oath, characteristic of the Lord’s pronouncements, especially concerning a definitive and irreversible decree. By swearing by His own life, God guarantees the absolute certainty and immutability of His word. It emphasizes His eternal existence as the ultimate assurance of His decree. This also serves as a polemic against the false gods of the nations, whose existence is void and cannot swear by their own lives because they are not living.
• declares the Lord (נְאֻם יְהוָה, nə’um YHWH): A common prophetic formula used throughout the Old Testament to authenticate the divine origin of the message. YHWH (Yahweh) is the covenantal name of God, emphasizing that this declaration comes from the faithful and sovereign God who has entered into a covenant relationship with Israel. It signifies that what follows is His direct and authoritative word.
• just as you have spoken (כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתֶּם, ka’ăsher dibbartem): This phrase highlights a precise correlation. God's action is directly proportional to the Israelites' verbal expressions of despair, complaint, and wish for death (e.g., Num 14:2: "Would that we had died in this wilderness!"). It underscores the principle that words have profound consequences before God.
• in My hearing (בְּאָזְנָי, bə’oznay): This detail stresses God’s attentiveness and omniscience. Their murmuring was not secret or insignificant; it was openly stated and heard by the ever-present Lord. It demonstrates that God is aware of every spoken word, not just actions, and that there is no hiding from His perfect knowledge.
• so I will do to you (כֵּן אֶעֱשֶׂה לָכֶם, kēn ’e‘ĕseh lâkhem): This is the culminating consequence, establishing the principle of "measure for measure" or sowing and reaping. The divine judgment is a precise mirroring of their expressed desires. Because they wished to die in the wilderness, God would ensure they died there. This reflects divine justice and integrity, fulfilling both their lament and God’s promise of consequence for rebellion.

Numbers 14 28 Bonus section

This pivotal declaration marks the moment God's judgment officially shifted Israel from a people preparing to enter the Promised Land to a condemned generation destined to perish in the wilderness, saving only Caleb and Joshua. It underscores a powerful lesson for believers across all generations: genuine faith is demonstrated through trust in God's promises even when circumstances appear overwhelming. The wilderness becomes a place of both pilgrimage and purging. The Lord, being the covenant-keeping God, honored His earlier promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give the land, but this rebellious generation was denied entry due to their personal unbelief, setting a crucial precedent for future obedience.

Numbers 14 28 Commentary

Numbers 14:28 is a critical verse in the wilderness narrative, revealing a solemn decree of divine justice. God's emphatic oath, "As I live," underscores the absolute certainty and irrevocability of His word; it is as sure as His own eternal existence. The judgment delivered here is a direct consequence, almost a "granting" of their own blasphemous wishes. Having repeatedly wished for death in the wilderness rather than trusting God to deliver them into Canaan, the Lord declares that their words, spoken in His hearing, will indeed come to pass. This demonstrates that God is neither deaf nor indifferent to the words of His people, particularly when those words express deep-seated unbelief and rebellion against His revealed will and character. It illustrates the biblical principle that our words carry significant weight and accountability before God, and that we often reap the consequences of what we declare, especially in moments of distrust and disobedience.