Numbers 14 42

Numbers 14:42 kjv

Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.

Numbers 14:42 nkjv

Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the LORD is not among you.

Numbers 14:42 niv

Do not go up, because the LORD is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies,

Numbers 14:42 esv

Do not go up, for the LORD is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies.

Numbers 14:42 nlt

Do not go up into the land now. You will only be crushed by your enemies because the LORD is not with you.

Numbers 14 verses

Numbers 14 42 Meaning

Numbers 14:42 delivers a severe divine warning against Israel's rebellious attempt to enter the Promised Land prematurely. It declares that success will not be granted because the LORD's empowering presence, which alone ensures victory, will not accompany them. Their actions would lead directly to defeat at the hands of their enemies as a consequence of their disobedience and presumption, following the LORD's pronouncement of judgment for their earlier unbelief.

Numbers 14 42 Context

Numbers chapter 14 describes a pivotal moment in Israel's history after the spies' negative report about Canaan. Despite Caleb and Joshua's encouragement, the people rebelled, threatened Moses and Aaron, and expressed a desire to return to Egypt. In response, the LORD's glory appeared, and He decreed that the entire generation of those aged twenty and above would die in the wilderness for their unbelief and disobedience, failing to enter the Promised Land (Num 14:26-35). Upon hearing this judgment, the people lamented (Num 14:39). In an act of misplaced zeal and defiance of the LORD's explicit decree, some decided to go up and conquer the land anyway, despite Moses' direct warning from God not to. Verse 42 serves as God's solemn and immediate prohibition against this impulsive, rebellious act. It directly sets the stage for the disastrous defeat that follows in Numbers 14:45.

Numbers 14 42 Word analysis

• Do not go up (אַל תַּעֲלוּ - `al ta'alu`): `al`: a strong prohibitive particle, meaning "do not" or "no." It's an emphatic negation, not merely a suggestion. `ta'alu`: the imperfect plural form of the verb `alah` (עָלָה), meaning "to go up," "ascend," or "climb." Significance: This is a direct command from the LORD, relayed by Moses. It signifies a halt to their unauthorized military advance. Their previous act of refusal was rooted in fear and unbelief, resulting in a divine judgment. Their current attempt is presumption, equally rooted in unbelief – a belief they can succeed without divine presence or permission. This contrasts with rightful "going up" into the land with God's presence, as commanded in Joshua.
• for the LORD (כִּי אֵין יְהוָה - `ki ein YHVH`): `ki`: a conjunction meaning "for," "because," "indeed." It introduces the reason for the command. `ein`: the Hebrew word for "there is no," or "is not." It states an absolute absence. `YHVH`: The personal covenant name of God (Yahweh or LORD), signifying His active, redeeming, and sovereign character. Significance: The absence is of the Almighty God Himself, the one who brings victory and grants favor. This is the crucial point; their prior sin had forfeited His active presence and support for this specific endeavor. Success in the wilderness and in battle was always contingent upon God's explicit guidance and empowering presence, not on human will or strength alone.
• is not (אֵין - `ein`): Already discussed with "for the LORD," but emphasizing its absolute nature. Significance: Not just "not with you" in terms of physical location, but "not among you" in terms of active endorsement, empowering presence, or covenantal backing for this particular venture. God's rejection of their presumptuous action is total.
• among you (בְּקִרְבְּכֶם - `bəqirbəkhem`): `bə`: "in" or "among." `qirbəkhem`: from `qereb` (קֶרֶב), meaning "midst," "inward parts," "inner being." The suffix `-khem` means "your" (plural). Significance: Refers to His active, sustaining, and leading presence within their camp, in their ranks, accompanying them into battle. When the LORD is `bəqirbəkhem`, Israel is strong and victorious (e.g., Deut 20:1, Josh 1:5). Its absence here guarantees failure. This also has theological resonance regarding the divine indwelling.
• lest you be struck down (פֶּן תִּנָּגְפוּ - `pen tinnagefu`): `pen`: "lest," "in order that...not," "for fear that." Introduces a negative consequence or warning. `tinnagefu`: Hithpael (reciprocal/reflexive, or passive of a root) imperfect of `nagaf` (נָגַף), meaning "to strike," "smite," "trip," "stumble," "defeat." Here in the passive sense: "that you be smitten/defeated." The verb `nagaf` is frequently used for divine judgment causing defeat. Significance: This directly states the inevitable outcome of their presumptuous action. Their defeat would be divinely permitted or caused, not just a result of human strength or weakness, underscoring that their conflict was ultimately with God, not just the Amalekites and Canaanites. It’s a direct consequence of defying the LORD’s command.
• before your enemies (לִפְנֵי אֹיְבֵיכֶם - `lifnei oyveikhem`): `lifnei`: "before the face of," "in the presence of," "before." `oyveikhem`: from `oyev` (אוֹיֵב), meaning "enemy." The suffix `-khem` means "your" (plural). Significance: Their humiliation and defeat would occur publicly at the hands of those they were supposed to conquer. This reinforces the consequence of acting outside God's will; what should be a divinely ordained triumph becomes a disastrous failure and a mockery of their mission.

• Words-Group analysis: "Do not go up, for the LORD is not among you": This phrase encapsulates the core message. It's an imperative command (`Do not go up`) followed by the immutable reason (`for the LORD is not among you`). It highlights the principle that Israel's success or failure was solely dependent on the LORD's active presence and sanction. Any action without His backing, even if seemingly righteous (conquering the land), would lead to ruin. It's a fundamental theological lesson: human effort without divine anointing and authorization is futile, even dangerous.
"lest you be struck down before your enemies": This clarifies the precise nature of the "strike down" (`nagaf`) which indicates divine judgment and brings defeat publicly before enemies. It demonstrates God’s direct involvement in enforcing the consequences of their actions. The phrase emphasizes the utter folly and dire consequences of acting against God’s clear instruction and without His enabling presence. This failure would also serve as a public witness to other nations, demonstrating that God had withdrawn from Israel due to their sin.

Numbers 14 42 Bonus section

This verse underscores the profound difference between a mission commanded by God (where His presence guarantees victory, as seen in Josh 1:5, Deut 20:4) and a mission initiated by human will in defiance of divine decree (where His absence guarantees defeat). The act of "going up" was Israel's attempt to self-atoned or fix their previous failure through impulsive action, rather than humbly accepting the LORD's judgment and repenting in sincerity. It highlights a common human tendency to try to "do something" out of guilt or fear, rather than patiently trusting in God's timing and will. The narrative implicitly conveys that while physical activity (like military conquest) is necessary, it is powerless without the unseen, yet decisive, spiritual power and endorsement of God Himself. Their sin had forfeited not just a right, but the enabling presence for that right. The divine nagaf ("struck down") implies a significant theological concept: victory over enemies is never just about human military prowess; it is ultimately about God fighting for or against His people based on their covenant faithfulness.

Numbers 14 42 Commentary

Numbers 14:42 is a sharp warning delivered by Moses to the Israelites who, out of presumptuous guilt and misplaced zeal, decided to "go up" and seize the land after hearing God's judgment against their generation. This verse teaches a crucial lesson: God's explicit presence and command are absolutely essential for any endeavor to succeed in His name. When the LORD states He "is not among you" for this particular action, it signifies not His spatial absence, but His refusal to endorse, empower, or accompany their unauthorized mission. Their prior sin (unbelief at the spies' report) had separated them from His active favor for this particular purpose. Their attempt to bypass the divinely ordained consequence of wandering in the wilderness, by forging ahead on their own terms, amounted to a further act of rebellion. The resulting defeat (described in Num 14:45) was not just a military failure but a divine judgment ("struck down"), confirming that attempting to perform God's will without His guidance and presence leads inevitably to disaster.

Examples:

• A church planning an outreach based solely on human strategy without fervent prayer for divine direction.
• An individual making a major life decision against clear biblical principles, presuming God will bless their self-willed path.
• Someone serving in ministry with good intentions but outside of a true calling or divine empowering, leading to burnout or ineffectiveness.