Numbers 22 3

Numbers 22:3 kjv

And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.

Numbers 22:3 nkjv

And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel.

Numbers 22:3 niv

and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites.

Numbers 22:3 esv

And Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were many. Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel.

Numbers 22:3 nlt

And when the people of Moab saw how many Israelites there were, they were terrified.

Numbers 22 verses

Numbers 22 3 Meaning

Numbers 22:3 conveys the profound and intense fear that seized the people of Moab when they encountered the numerous and formidable Israelites. Their fear was not merely apprehension but a deep, overwhelming dread that left them utterly distressed and physically "sick." This extreme reaction stemmed directly from Israel's vast population, a manifestation of God's promise to Abraham, highlighting Moab's recognition of the unstoppable force marching through their territory.

Numbers 22 3 Context

Numbers chapter 22 marks a pivotal shift in Israel's journey through the wilderness. Having successfully defeated the mighty Amorite kings Sihon and Og in Transjordan (Num 21:21-35) and established their presence on the plains of Moab, the Israelites were now encamped just across the Jordan from Jericho. This positioned them directly on Moabite borders, stirring profound fear in the hearts of Moab and their allies, the Midianites. The verse highlights the direct consequence of Israel's overwhelming numbers and recent military successes, attributing Moab's dread to this visible strength. It sets the stage for Balak, the king of Moab, to desperately seek an alternative to military confrontation: hiring the Mesopotamian prophet-for-hire, Balaam, to curse Israel. Moab's intense fear and sickness of dread are the immediate emotional and political backdrop for the entire Balaam narrative, demonstrating their awareness of the Lord's mighty hand empowering Israel.

Numbers 22 3 Word analysis

• And Moab: The geographical entity, a Transjordanian kingdom (descended from Lot's incest with his elder daughter, Gen 19:37), and a historical enemy of Israel. Their land, rich and strategic, made them vulnerable to the powerful, land-hungry Israelites.
• was sorely afraid: Hebrew: וַיָּגָר (vayyagor), from the root גּוּר (gur). It conveys a sense of deep, cowering apprehension, dread, or an intense, settled fear, almost indicating a desire to recoil or find shelter from an imminent threat. This is more than mere discomfort; it's a profound, internal fright.
• of the people: Referring to the Israelites, specifically the vast multitude of the covenant nation, journeying toward the Promised Land under divine guidance. This generic term highlights their perception of Israel as an undifferentiated, intimidating force.
• because they were many: Hebrew: כִּי רַב הוּא (ki rav hu), "for great it was" or "for many it was." This is the explicit reason for Moab's terror. The immense population of Israel (likely millions, according to biblical numbers) fulfilled God's covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to multiply their descendants into a vast nation. This multitude represented an unstoppable force, demonstrating God's faithfulness and power to His chosen people.
• and Moab was sick with dread: Hebrew: וַיָּקָץ מוֹאָב (vayyāqats Mo'āḇ), from the root קוּץ (quts). This phrase indicates an even more intense and distressing level of fear, literally "to loathe, abhor, be disgusted, feel sick," or "to be distressed, vexed, or filled with dread to the point of sickness." It implies a psychological and possibly physical revulsion brought on by overwhelming terror, suggesting that their very being recoiled from the prospect of facing Israel. This dual expression ("sorely afraid" and "sick with dread") uses two distinct but reinforcing verbs to convey an extreme, visceral terror.
• because of the children of Israel: Hebrew: מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (mipp'ney b'nei Yisra'el), "from the face of the children of Israel." This second, more specific designation of the source of their dread underscores the direct threat Israel posed as God's covenant people. The use of "children of Israel" emphasizes their lineage and identity as the recipients of divine promises, making their multitude and success a clear manifestation of God's power.

Words-group analysis:

• "And Moab was sorely afraid of the people, because they were many": This initial clause establishes the immediate and obvious reason for Moab's fear – Israel's sheer overwhelming number. This quantity was not accidental; it was the direct fulfillment of God's covenant promises to multiply Abraham's descendants (e.g., Gen 12:2; 15:5; 22:17), which served as a clear sign of His favor and power.
• "and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel": This second clause amplifies and intensifies the dread. It signifies that the fear went beyond mere apprehension, becoming a debilitating, sickening terror that permeated Moab's collective consciousness. The repetition, with slight variation in terms for fear and reference to Israel, underscores the depth and all-consuming nature of their dread, demonstrating the spiritual reality of God's protection over His people and the dread He cast upon their adversaries (Deut 2:25). Moab's dread was not merely about a large army, but an instinctual recognition of a divinely backed force.

Numbers 22 3 Bonus section

The geographical location of Moab, situated directly across the Jordan River from Jericho, placed them in the direct path of Israel's march into Canaan. Their land was crucial for trade routes and fertile for agriculture, making the threat of Israel's encampment existential. The Hebrew terms for fear used in this verse, yagor (dread) and quts (sick with dread/loathing), illustrate a spectrum of terror, from an immediate, cowering fear to a deeper, more visceral revulsion, emphasizing that Moab was utterly overwhelmed and recoiling from the very thought of the Israelites. This intense fear from the adversary ironically affirms the power and faithfulness of God to His covenant people, demonstrating His direct involvement in preparing the way for them to enter the Promised Land by disheartening their foes, even before a battle could be waged. The fear described in Numbers 22:3 mirrors the fulfillment of God's promises in Deuteronomy 2:25 and 11:25, where God declares He will place the dread and fear of Israel upon the surrounding nations.

Numbers 22 3 Commentary

Numbers 22:3 serves as a profound testament to the awesome and terrifying nature of God's blessing when viewed by those outside His covenant. Moab's intense, dual fear—initially a deep dread, then a sickening loathing—was a direct consequence of Israel's sheer numerical strength, which in itself was a fulfillment of divine promise (Gen 12:2; Ex 1:7). The previous victories against Sihon and Og had undoubtedly solidified Moab's perception of Israel as an unstoppable force, leading them to understand, albeit in dread, that the "many" Israelites were under a powerful divine protection. This dread highlights the futility of human resistance against God's purposes. Moab's fear does not lead to repentance or seeking the God of Israel, but to a desperate resort to pagan countermeasures—a significant spiritual contrast with Rahab in Jericho (Josh 2:9-11) who, likewise filled with fear, nevertheless confessed God's power and turned to Him. The physical "sickness with dread" indicates a profound psychological impact, signaling a state of spiritual hopelessness in the face of divinely ordained advancement.