Numbers 14 31

Numbers 14:31 kjv

But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.

Numbers 14:31 nkjv

But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised.

Numbers 14:31 niv

As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected.

Numbers 14:31 esv

But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected.

Numbers 14:31 nlt

"'You said your children would be carried off as plunder. Well, I will bring them safely into the land, and they will enjoy what you have despised.

Numbers 14 verses

Numbers 14 31 Meaning

Numbers 14:31 proclaims God's divine justice and unwavering faithfulness despite human rebellion. While the faithless generation feared their children would be plundered by Canaanites, God declares He will specifically bring these same children into the Promised Land. They will intimately experience the land which their parents scornfully rejected, thus fulfilling His covenant promise and demonstrating His power over human unbelief and fear.

Numbers 14 31 Context

Numbers 14:31 occurs within a pivotal moment in Israel's wilderness journey following their Exodus from Egypt. After twelve spies were sent into Canaan (Num 13), ten returned with a report of formidable giants and fortified cities, inspiring fear and despair among the Israelites. Despite Caleb and Joshua's faithful counter-report and plea to trust God, the people gave in to panic, wept, complained against the Lord and Moses, and even plotted to choose a new leader to return to Egypt (Num 14:1-4). This profound act of unbelief and rebellion against God's direct command and provision incurred His righteous wrath. In response to Moses' intercession, God vowed that all the rebellious generation (aged 20 and above, except Caleb and Joshua) would die in the wilderness, unable to enter the Promised Land (Num 14:28-30). Verse 31 directly contrasts this severe judgment by revealing God's counter-plan: the very children whom the parents had fearfully claimed would become "prey" would instead be preserved and brought into the land they despised. This emphasizes God's faithfulness to His covenant despite Israel's grievous sin, ensuring the continuity of His plan through the next generation.

Numbers 14 31 Word analysis

• But (אַךְ - ʾakh): A strong adversative conjunction. It marks a dramatic shift, directly countering the despairing declaration of the parents and highlighting the divine reversal of their fear-driven prognosis. It underscores God's sovereignty.
• your little ones (טַפְּכֶם - ṭappəkem): Refers to young children or dependents. This term highlights the generation's specific fear that their vulnerable children would suffer or be taken as "prey" (Num 14:3). It emphasizes their perceived defenselessness, a complete lack of faith in God's protective power.
• whom you said (אֲשֶׁר אֲמַרְתֶּם - ʾăšer ʾămartem): Directly recalls the Israelites' own words in Num 14:3, demonstrating God's awareness of their lack of faith and placing the burden of responsibility on their negative pronouncements. It stresses the direct consequence of their unbelieving speech.
• would be a prey (לָבַז יִהְיֶה - lavaz yihyeh): The Hebrew baz means "spoil" or "plunder." This phrase expresses the parents' worst fears – that their children would be utterly defeated, captured, and exploited by the Canaanites. It portrays a deep-seated fear and a complete distrust in God's ability to protect them in the face of perceived enemy strength.
• I will bring in (וְהֵבֵאתִי - vehēvēʾtî): This is God's declarative, active, and sovereign act. The "I" is emphatic. It is not by their strength or wisdom, but solely by God's power and faithfulness, that these children will enter the land. This contrasts sharply with the parents' inability and unworthiness.
• and they shall know (וְיָדְעוּ - veyādeʿû): From the Hebrew root yadaʿ, meaning to "know" in an experiential and intimate sense, not merely intellectual awareness. They will not just physically possess the land; they will personally and intimately experience its blessings, its fruit, and God's provision within it. This experience will also lead them to "know" God more deeply and trust in His faithfulness.
• the land (אֶת־הָאָרֶץ - ʾet-hāʾāreṣ): Refers to Canaan, the very "good land" (Deut 1:35) promised by God and consistently identified as the goal of the Exodus. It is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen 12:7, 15:18).
• which you have despised (אֲשֶׁר מְאַסְתֶּם - ʾăšer meʾastem): From the Hebrew root maʾas, meaning to "reject," "spurn," "disdain," or "abhor." This word conveys a strong and deliberate act of contempt, not merely fear. They did not just dread the land; they scorned it and, by extension, the God who promised it (Num 14:11). This rejection showed a fundamental disrespect for God's wisdom, power, and generosity.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "But your little ones, whom you said would be a prey": This clause sets up a powerful irony. The very people (the children) whom the fearful generation saw as helpless victims, are precisely those whom God sovereignly chooses to save and empower, thereby nullifying the parents' faithless prognosis.
• "I will bring in, and they shall know the land": This phrase highlights divine intervention and the resulting experiential relationship. It emphasizes that entrance and possession are entirely God's doing, leading to a deep, personal understanding and enjoyment of His covenant faithfulness through the gift of the land.
• "the land which you have despised": This underscores the profound contrast between the two generations and the just outcome of their choices. The object of scorn and unbelief by the parents becomes the cherished inheritance of their children, a tangible demonstration of God's prevailing will and the consequence of rejection.

Numbers 14 31 Bonus section

• The phrase "know the land" (yadaʿ et-haʾareṣ) implies not only possessing it physically but also experiencing its provisions and fruitfulness, a stark contrast to the barren wilderness they were about to endure.
• This verse encapsulates a crucial lesson about the enduring nature of God's covenant: despite a major rebellion by the adult population, God upheld His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by preserving their offspring and bringing them into the inheritance.
• The children's entry into the land serves as a profound historical precedent for the New Testament understanding of entry into God's spiritual "rest" (Heb 3-4), highlighting that unbelief bars access, while faith and obedience lead to God's intended destiny.
• The "despising" of the land was effectively a "despising" of God Himself, demonstrating a core issue of unbelief where the object of a divine promise is treated with contempt.

Numbers 14 31 Commentary

Numbers 14:31 succinctly captures the themes of divine judgment, unwavering faithfulness, and generational succession in God's plan. It directly refutes the rebellious generation's fearful cry by declaring that their "little ones," whom they saw as vulnerable "prey," would precisely be the ones God brings into the Promised Land. This statement is rich in poetic justice, as the very land despised by the parents will be intimately known and enjoyed by their children. It powerfully illustrates that while human unfaithfulness can lead to judgment (as seen in the older generation's wilderness death), it cannot ultimately thwart God's covenant promises. His plan prevails, revealing His sovereignty, protection, and fidelity, ensuring that what was rejected by one generation is fulfilled in the next, through His direct intervention.