Numbers 32:15 kjv
For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.
Numbers 32:15 nkjv
For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people."
Numbers 32:15 niv
If you turn away from following him, he will again leave all this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction."
Numbers 32:15 esv
For if you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people."
Numbers 32:15 nlt
If you turn away from him like this and he abandons them again in the wilderness, you will be responsible for destroying this entire nation!"
Numbers 32 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 26:14-17 | "But if you will not listen to me and will not carry out all these commandments... I will turn my face against you..." | Consequences for national disobedience. |
| Deut 1:34-35 | "When the LORD heard what you said, he was enraged... not one of these people, this evil generation, shall see the good land..." | God's anger at disobedience in the wilderness. |
| Deut 28:15 | "However, if you do not obey the LORD your God... all these curses will come on you and overtake you." | Warnings for disobedience leading to curses. |
| Josh 7:1, 4-5 | "But the Israelites committed a trespass regarding the devoted things; Achan... took some of them. So the LORD's anger burned against Israel." | Individual sin impacts the entire community. |
| Josh 22:17-18 | "Was not the iniquity of Peor enough for us?... if you turn away today from following the LORD, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community of Israel." | Warning about corporate consequences of apostasy. |
| 1 Sam 12:15 | "But if you do not obey the voice of the LORD and rebel against his command, then the hand of the LORD will be against you..." | Direct warning about defying divine command. |
| Psa 78:40 | "How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert!" | Israel's history of rebellion and its impact. |
| Isa 1:20 | "But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” | Consequences of refusing God's will. |
| Jer 2:19 | "Your own evil will correct you; your backslidings will discipline you... that it is bitter and painful for you when you forsake the LORD..." | Internal discipline from turning away. |
| Eze 3:20 | "Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them... they will die..." | Consequences of individual spiritual turning. |
| Rom 1:24, 26 | "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts..." | God "giving over" or abandoning those who rebel. |
| 1 Cor 10:5-6 | "Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things occurred as examples..." | Lessons from Israel's wilderness failures. |
| 1 Cor 10:11-12 | "These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us... So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" | Israel's history serves as a warning for believers. |
| Heb 3:8-10 | "Do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested me..." | Warning against hardened hearts leading to exclusion. |
| Heb 3:17-19 | "And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?" | Direct link between disobedience and wilderness judgment. |
| Heb 4:1, 11 | "Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it... Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience." | Importance of entering God's rest through obedience. |
| Heb 10:26-27 | "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment..." | Grave consequences for deliberate turning from God. |
| Heb 10:38-39 | "And, 'But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.' But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved." | Exhortation to perseverance and faith, not turning back. |
| 2 Pet 2:20-21 | "If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning." | Falling back into old ways leads to worse state. |
| Jud 1:5 | "Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that after the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, he destroyed those who did not believe." | God's destruction of unbelievers from Egypt. |
| Prov 14:14 | "The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs." | Natural consequences of one's choices. |
| Gal 6:7-8 | "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A person reaps what they sow." | Reaping what is sown applies to obedience/disobedience. |
| Mal 3:7 | "Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you..." | Invitation to return from backsliding, implies past turning away. |
Numbers 32 verses
Numbers 32 15 Meaning
This verse presents a solemn warning from Moses to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. It unequivocally states the severe consequences should they renege on their promise to join the other tribes in conquering Canaan. Their failure to follow through would not only provoke God to once again impose a period of wandering and suffering in the wilderness upon the whole Israelite community but would also directly result in the ruin and destruction of the entire nation, undoing the progress towards the Promised Land.
Numbers 32 15 Context
Numbers 32 describes the request of the tribes of Reuben and Gad, later joined by half of Manasseh, to settle in the fertile land east of the Jordan. Moses initially reacts strongly, fearing they are repeating the faithless actions of the previous generation at Kadesh-Barnea (Num 13-14), which led to a 40-year wandering in the wilderness and the death of an entire generation. Moses’ primary concern is that their apparent reluctance to participate in the conquest of Canaan will discourage the other tribes and lead to another collective failure. This verse, Num 32:15, is Moses’ stark warning, delivered to emphasize the profound corporate implications of their potential disobedience and to ensure they understand the covenantal responsibility to finish the divine mission together, securing the inheritance for all of Israel.
Numbers 32 15 Word analysis
- For if (כִּי אִם, ki im): A strong conditional phrase, emphasizing the weighty nature of the consequence if the specified condition is met. It highlights the gravity of the choice presented to the tribes.
- you turn away (תְּשׁוּבֻן, teshuvun): From the verb שׁוּב (shuv), meaning "to turn, return, turn back." In this context, it implies a turning away from the path of obedience and from following God's clear directive. It speaks of a deliberate act of defection or disobedience, akin to apostasy.
- from following him (מֵאַחֲרָיו, me'acharayv): Lit. "from behind Him," signifying cessation of active pursuit or obedience to God's lead. It denotes abandoning the covenantal path and divine guidance, highlighting a departure from devoted adherence.
- he will again (וְיָסַף עוֹד, v'yasaf 'od): V'yasaf from יָסַף (yasaf), meaning "to add, continue, do again." 'Od means "yet, still, again." The combination underscores a repetition of past divine judgment. It directly links the potential future consequence to the bitter experience of the 40-year wilderness wandering due to the first generation's disobedience. God's response is consistent with His character and covenant faithfulness.
- abandon them (לְהַנִּיחֵו, lehanikhev): From the verb נוּח (nuakh), meaning "to rest, settle." In Hiphil (causative stem) here, it can mean "cause to rest," "leave," "let alone." In the context of divine judgment and the wilderness, it strongly implies God allowing them to remain in a state of aimless wandering, withdrawing His providential care, or delivering them to their desolate fate—effectively "abandoning" them to their punishment.
- in the wilderness (בַּמִּדְבָּר, bamidbar): A potent symbol in Israel's history of divine judgment, wandering, testing, and a state of deprivation. The return to the wilderness implies a return to suffering, hardship, and the delay or forfeiture of the Promised Land, marking a failure to enter God's rest.
- and you will destroy (וְשִֽׁחַתֶּ֖ם, v'shikhattem): From שָׁחַת (shachat), meaning "to corrupt, ruin, spoil, destroy." The perfect tense emphasizes a sure outcome—their actions will lead to this destructive result. This verb highlights the severity of the consequences, signifying a fundamental ruin, not just a minor setback. The collective "you" emphasizes corporate responsibility.
- all these people (לְכָל־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּֽה, lekhol-ha'am hazzeh): Explicitly clarifies that the consequences extend beyond the dissenting tribes; their actions directly impact and potentially bring ruin upon the entire nation of Israel. This stresses the principle of corporate solidarity and shared destiny within the covenant community.
Numbers 32 15 Bonus section
The strong warning in Numbers 32:15 underscores the concept of a "contagion of disobedience." Moses fears that if two tribes pull back from the collective responsibility, it will demoralize and cause other tribes to hesitate or sin, thereby destroying the entire communal purpose and leading to the judgment of the entire body. This illustrates that spiritual vitality and the fulfillment of God's purposes require united obedience and mutual encouragement within the covenant community. The repeated emphasis on "again" and the imagery of the "wilderness" serve as a potent anamnestic device, compelling the audience to recall the dire lessons of their recent history and to avoid repeating the mistakes of their ancestors, lest they face the same or even worse divine repercussions.
Numbers 32 15 Commentary
Numbers 32:15 serves as a potent reminder of the corporate nature of God's covenant with Israel and the ripple effects of disobedience. Moses' warning is deeply rooted in the recent bitter experience of the first generation's failure in the wilderness, particularly the episode at Kadesh-Barnea. Their choice to shirk responsibility directly implies a distrust in God's faithfulness and ability to lead them into the land. If Reuben and Gad turned away, it would discourage the rest of the nation, provoke God's anger again, and effectively nullify the progress made since the last great failure, leading to the spiritual and physical demise of all Israel. This verse powerfully illustrates that individual or tribal choices within a covenant community carry far-reaching consequences, emphasizing the interconnectedness of God's people and the critical importance of collective faithfulness to divine mandates.