Numbers 14:43 kjv
For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.
Numbers 14:43 nkjv
For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from the LORD, the LORD will not be with you."
Numbers 14:43 niv
for the Amalekites and the Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the LORD, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword."
Numbers 14:43 esv
For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are facing you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned back from following the LORD, the LORD will not be with you."
Numbers 14:43 nlt
When you face the Amalekites and Canaanites in battle, you will be slaughtered. The LORD will abandon you because you have abandoned the LORD."
Numbers 14 43 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 14:42 | "Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; lest you be struck down before your enemies." | Direct preceding warning |
| Deut 1:42 | "And the LORD said to me, ‘Tell them, “Do not go up or fight, for I will not be among you, lest you be defeated by your enemies.”’" | Moses reiterates God's warning later |
| Lev 26:17 | "I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies. Those who hate you shall rule over you..." | Consequences of breaking covenant |
| Deut 28:25 | "The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways..." | Covenant curse for disobedience |
| Jos 7:12 | "Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction..." | Israel's defeat due to unfaithfulness |
| Judg 2:13-14 | "...and forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel..." | Leaving God leads to oppression |
| 1 Sam 4:21-22 | "...“The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband." | Departure of God's presence (Ichabod) |
| 2 Chr 15:2 | "...The LORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you." | God's presence contingent on faithfulness |
| Ps 78:40-41 | "How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert! They tested God again and again..." | Recounts Israel's rebellion |
| Ps 106:24-25 | "Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise; they murmured in their tents..." | Despising the land and murmuring |
| Isa 30:1-2 | "Ah, stubborn children, declares the LORD, who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit..." | Self-willed plans without God |
| Isa 30:15 | "...in quietness and in trust shall be your strength; but you were unwilling," | Trusting God, not human effort, is strength |
| Jer 2:19 | "Your own evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the LORD your God..." | Bitter consequences of forsaking God |
| Hos 5:6 | "...they shall not find him; he has withdrawn from them." | God withdraws from the unfaithful |
| Matt 1:23 | "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us)." | God's presence as the ultimate blessing |
| John 15:5 | "...apart from me you can do nothing." | Inability to produce fruit without Christ |
| Rom 1:28 | "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done." | God gives up those who reject Him |
| Heb 3:7-11 | "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness..." | Warning against unbelief like Israel |
| Heb 3:18-19 | "And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief." | Unbelief as the root of disobedience and exclusion |
| Heb 4:1-2 | "...a promise of entering his rest remains, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened." | Danger of not uniting faith with hearing |
| Jas 4:6 | "But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" | God opposes pride, which fuels presumption |
| 1 Pet 5:5 | "...clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" | Humility versus spiritual presumption |
Numbers 14 verses
Numbers 14 43 Meaning
Numbers 14:43 explains the consequence of the Israelites' disobedience and refusal to trust the LORD at Kadesh-Barnea. Because they had rebelled against God's command and turned away from Him, they would face their enemies, the Amalekites and Canaanites, and be defeated by the sword. The central reason for this certain failure was the absence of the LORD's divine presence and protection among them, making their presumed attack futile and self-destructive.
Numbers 14 43 Context
Numbers chapter 14 describes the pivotal crisis at Kadesh-Barnea. After twelve spies were sent into Canaan, ten brought back a fearful report of formidable inhabitants and fortified cities, dissuading the Israelites from entering the Promised Land. Despite Caleb and Joshua's faithful appeal, the people rejected the LORD's promise, lamented their Exodus, and threatened to stone Moses and Aaron, seeking to return to Egypt. This profound rebellion against the LORD provoked divine judgment: the entire adult generation, except Caleb and Joshua, would die in the wilderness. Upon hearing this decree, some of the people grieved and decided to "go up" and attack the Canaanites anyway, presumptuously believing they could still succeed, though God had explicitly stated His withdrawal (Num 14:41-42). Verse 43 explains why their belated and self-willed attempt would fail catastrophically: the very enemies they previously feared were present, and critically, the LORD's protective presence had departed due to their prior faithlessness.
Numbers 14 43 Word analysis
- For there: This phrase indicates the location where their attempted conquest would take place, implicitly connecting it to the very territory they had feared entering initially. "There" points to the high country of the Negev, specifically the area controlled by the Amalekites and Canaanites, implying an immediate confrontation.
- the Amalekites and the Canaanites: These are specified as the formidable human antagonists. The Amalekites (עֲמָלֵקִים, ‘Amalēqîm) were a nomadic, warlike people who were Israel's persistent enemies from early in their history (Exo 17:8-16). The Canaanites (כְּנַעֲנִי, Kena‘anî) represent the settled inhabitants of the promised land whom Israel was commanded to dispossess. Their presence emphasizes the tangible nature of the threat.
- are before you: Indicates their immediate proximity and readiness for battle, confronting the Israelites directly. It means "facing them" or "standing in their way."
- and you shall fall by the sword: This is a direct prophecy of defeat and death. To "fall by the sword" (נְפַל בְּחֶרֶב, nep̄al bəḥereḇ) is a common biblical idiom for military slaughter and perishing in battle. It signifies total failure in their unauthorized campaign.
- because you have turned away from the LORD: This is the fundamental reason for their impending disaster. "Turned away" (שׁוּב, shuv) implies a conscious act of spiritual rebellion, desertion, or unfaithfulness. It's a profound abandonment of allegiance to Yahweh (יהוה), the covenant God, who had consistently led and provided for them. This turning away from Him signifies a break in their relationship, voiding His previous promises of aid in battle.
- and the LORD will not be with you: This is the gravest consequence, emphasizing the withdrawal of divine presence and favor. "Not be with you" (אֵין יְהוָה אֶתְכֶם, ein YHWH et-khem) means the absence of Yahweh’s active, empowering, and protective presence, which was the very guarantee of Israel’s success against superior foes (Exo 33:14, Jos 1:5). Without His presence, Israel was stripped of supernatural power and left vulnerable to natural consequences and enemy strength. This marks a direct reversal of the blessing of "Immanuel" (God with us).
Words-group analysis:
- "For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are before you, and you shall fall by the sword": This clause vividly depicts the imminent and unavoidable danger the Israelites were walking into. The enemies they previously feared and the means of their destruction were directly in front of them, confirming the judgment. It underscores that God's judgment uses existing circumstances and adversaries.
- "because you have turned away from the LORD, and the LORD will not be with you": This phrase encapsulates the core theological principle. The first part ("turned away") specifies the cause from the human side – their wilful disobedience and rebellion. The second part ("LORD will not be with you") articulates the divine response and direct consequence – the withdrawal of God's essential, enabling presence, making success impossible. It teaches that the presence of God is not an automatic right but contingent upon faithfulness to the covenant.
Numbers 14 43 Bonus section
The concept of "the LORD being with you" is foundational throughout Scripture, often marking divine blessing, empowerment for mission, and assured success. Its absence, as stated in Numbers 14:43, signals divine withdrawal, covenant curse, and inevitable defeat. This is not arbitrary punishment, but the natural consequence of disconnecting from the source of life, strength, and victory. The Israelites' "turning away" wasn't merely a minor sin; it was a profound act of rejecting Yahweh's leadership and promises, leading to a void in divine presence that no amount of human strength or belated courage could fill. This verse also illustrates the danger of presumption—attempting to achieve God's purposes on one's own terms and timing, especially after explicit divine prohibitions. Such actions, though perhaps appearing courageous, are, in essence, further rebellion and inevitably lead to painful outcomes.
Numbers 14 43 Commentary
Numbers 14:43 serves as a stark warning within the narrative of Israel’s wilderness journey. It succinctly explains why their self-initiated and presumptuous attempt to invade Canaan failed disastrously after they had refused to obey God's command. Their prior fear and faithlessness led to divine judgment, and their subsequent, disobedient "courage" was rooted in rebellion, not trust. The verse underscores the critical principle that true success and divine favor are inextricably linked to obedience and the abiding presence of God. When people "turn away from the LORD," they effectively remove themselves from His protective care and empowerment. Without His divine presence, any endeavor, no matter how outwardly zealous or strategically planned, becomes futile and destined for failure. This teaches that reliance on human will, pride, or delayed repentance without God's explicit blessing results in judgment and defeat.