Numbers 14:34 kjv
After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
Numbers 14:34 nkjv
According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection.
Numbers 14:34 niv
For forty years?one year for each of the forty days you explored the land?you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.'
Numbers 14:34 esv
According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.'
Numbers 14:34 nlt
"'Because your men explored the land for forty days, you must wander in the wilderness for forty years ? a year for each day, suffering the consequences of your sins. Then you will discover what it is like to have me for an enemy.'
Numbers 14 34 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exd 16:35 | And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years... | Connects 40 years of wandering to God's provision. |
| Num 32:13 | And the Lord’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years... | Directly confirms the 40-year punishment. |
| Deu 1:35-36 | "Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land..." | Reaffirms the exclusion of the rebellious generation. |
| Deu 2:14 | And the space in which we came from Kadesh-barnea... until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out... thirty and eight years. | Highlights the almost entire duration of the 40 years as time of death. |
| Psa 95:10-11 | "Forty years long was I grieved with this generation... Therefore I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest." | Interprets the 40 years as God's grievance leading to exclusion from rest. |
| Eze 4:6 | "I have appointed thee each day for a year." | Direct parallel to "day for a year" principle in prophecy. |
| Lam 5:16 | The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned! | Illustrates the "bearing iniquity" concept, suffering for sin. |
| Lev 26:34 | Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate... because they have despised my judgments... | Similar principle of punishment duration related to sin (land's Sabbaths). |
| Jer 25:11-12 | And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. | Another example of a fixed period of punishment for national sin. |
| Isa 53:6 | All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. | Contrasts with bearing one's own iniquity; Christ bore ours. |
| Gal 3:10 | For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not... | Those who rebel "bear their own iniquity" under the law's curse. |
| Heb 3:17-19 | But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned...? | New Testament echo of Ps 95, emphasizing disobedience as the cause for not entering God's rest. |
| Heb 4:1-2 | Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. | Applies the wilderness generation's failure to Christian perseverance. |
| Deu 8:2 | And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness... to prove thee... | Recounts God's purpose for the 40 years: humility and testing. |
| Amo 2:10 | Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness... | Recalls the 40 years as part of God's acts of salvation and testing. |
| Exo 32:32-34 | Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book... the Lord visited the people for their sin. | God's willingness to forgive contrasted with the reality of consequences for sin. |
| Neh 9:21 | Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness; so that they lacked nothing... | Highlights God's enduring faithfulness even during judgment. |
| Zec 7:12 | Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words... | Connects hardening of hearts with severe consequences, similar to Israel's rebellion. |
| Rom 11:29 | For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. | God's ultimate faithfulness despite human failings, contrasted with temporary withdrawal of blessing. |
| 2 Tim 2:13 | If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself. | Reassures of God's ultimate nature, even when people experience consequences of their unfaithfulness. |
Numbers 14 verses
Numbers 14 34 Meaning
Numbers 14:34 declares God's disciplinary judgment upon the Israelites for their rebellion at Kadesh-Barnea. Because they doubted and refused to enter the promised land based on the faithless report of the ten spies, God ordained a punishment: for every day the spies searched the land (40 days), Israel would wander in the wilderness for a year (40 years). During this period, the rebellious generation would "bear their iniquities," signifying they would suffer the full consequences of their disobedience. The phrase "ye shall know my breach of promise" or "my opposition/estrangement" signifies that they would fully experience the severity of God's withdrawal or His determined opposition due to their breaking faith with Him. It underscores the certainty of divine retribution when covenants are violated by human unfaithfulness.
Numbers 14 34 Context
Numbers chapter 14 describes the immediate aftermath of the twelve spies' return from Canaan. Ten of the spies gave a faithless report, emphasizing the strength of the land's inhabitants and their fortifications, disheartening the people. Caleb and Joshua alone presented an optimistic report, encouraging the Israelites to trust in God's power. However, the majority of the congregation succumbed to fear, murmured against Moses and Aaron, and proposed returning to Egypt, even threatening to stone Moses, Aaron, Caleb, and Joshua. This blatant rebellion against the Lord triggered God's fierce anger, and He threatened to destroy the nation and raise up a new one from Moses. Moses interceded for the people, reminding God of His compassionate nature and His reputation among the nations. While God forgave them in that moment from utter destruction, He pronounced the severe judgment detailed in Numbers 14:34 and the following verses: that the adult generation who rebelled (with the exception of Caleb and Joshua) would perish in the wilderness over 40 years and would not enter the Promised Land. This verse specifically articulates the length and nature of this punitive wilderness wandering.
Numbers 14 34 Word analysis
- According to the number of the days in which ye searched the land: This links the punishment directly to the duration of their sin. The 40 days of reconnaissance, initially for their good, became the measure of their doom. It establishes a divine principle of consequence being proportionate to transgression.
- even forty days: The specific timeframe of the spy mission. The number '40' in Scripture often signifies a period of testing, probation, judgment, or divine work leading to a new beginning (e.g., the flood, Moses on Sinai, Jesus in the wilderness). Here, it marks the duration of Israel's unfaithfulness.
- each day for a year (Hebrew: yōm ləšānāh): This is a prophetic and punitive ratio established by God for this specific judgment. It means a direct correspondence, making the duration of their sin the blueprint for the duration of their suffering. It is a divinely imposed measure of judgment, showing the weight of their rebellion.
- shall ye bear your iniquities (Hebrew: tiś’û ’eṯ-‘ăwōnōṯêḵem): "Bear" (from nasa) means to carry, suffer the penalty for, or endure the consequences of sin. "Iniquities" (avonot) refers to their perversity, moral distortion, and guilt resulting from their sinful actions. They would personally endure the physical hardship and generational consequence of their disobedience in the wilderness. It underscores personal and collective accountability before God.
- even forty years: This specifies the precise duration of their wilderness wandering, the consequence matching the principle of "a day for a year." It was the length of time needed for the entire rebellious generation to perish before the new generation could enter Canaan.
- and ye shall know my breach of promise: The Hebrew term tenu'ati (often translated "breach of promise" or "my opposition/estrangement") is debated among scholars. It comes from the root nu'a, meaning "to shake, waver, flee." Interpretations include:
- My opposition/disfavor: They will experience God's active resistance and antagonism as He carries out judgment against them.
- My turning away/withdrawal: God is "alienated" from them, withdrawing His direct, blessing-filled presence and instead dealing with them in judgment. They will "know" (experience intimately) the severity of their unfaithfulness.
- The consequence of their changeability/wavering: Some argue tenu'ati could relate to their fickle and wavering hearts, leading to God's unchanging judicial response. The NRSV "you shall know what it means to be estranged from me" captures this sense well. It does not imply God is breaking His eternal covenant but rather acting consistently within its disciplinary clauses when humans break their side.
- Words-group: "shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years": This phrase ties the action of rebellion to its consequence and duration. It's a statement of divine justice where the punishment fits the crime not just in kind but also in measured length. The experience of "bearing" highlights the punitive nature of the wilderness wandering as a direct consequence of their specific sin of unbelief.
Numbers 14 34 Bonus section
The "day for a year" principle in Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6 is a specific divine directive given for particular judgments or prophecies, not a universal interpretive key for all biblical timelines. Its application here highlights a direct divine consequence, showing that God's justice is proportionate. The wilderness wandering was not merely a random period but a purposeful purge. It ensured that only a new generation, trained in the wilderness and prepared to trust God, would enter the Promised Land. This severe consequence underscores the profound importance God places on faith and obedience, particularly in the face of His divine promises and commands. It also serves as a perpetual warning against unbelief and rebellion for future generations of believers.
Numbers 14 34 Commentary
Numbers 14:34 serves as a pivotal verse detailing God's judgment upon the rebellious Israelites, setting the stage for 38 more years of wandering. The principle of "a day for a year" demonstrates God's precision in judgment and the weight He attaches to unbelief and disobedience. It was not a random period but a calculated response to their fear-driven rebellion. The wilderness was not just a journey but a tomb for an entire generation who refused to trust God for victory in Canaan. Their "bearing of iniquities" emphasizes that sin carries inevitable, personal, and corporate consequences. Furthermore, knowing God's "breach of promise" or "opposition" is the painful experience of the God of covenant revealing His disciplinary face, confirming that blessings are conditional upon covenant faithfulness, and profound consequences arise from its rejection. It underscores the severity of spurning God's gifts and commands.
- Example: Just as a child who defies a parent's clear boundary will "know" the parent's displeasure through imposed consequences, Israel would fully comprehend the severity of their divine Father's broken relationship due to their rebellion.