Numbers 32 8

Numbers 32:8 kjv

Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.

Numbers 32:8 nkjv

Thus your fathers did when I sent them away from Kadesh Barnea to see the land.

Numbers 32:8 niv

This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land.

Numbers 32:8 esv

Your fathers did this, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land.

Numbers 32:8 nlt

Your ancestors did the same thing when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land.

Numbers 32 verses

Numbers 32 8 Meaning

Numbers 32:8 recalls Moses' decision to send twelve scouts from Kadesh-barnea to survey the Promised Land. This historical act, intended for preparation, became a pivotal moment where the majority of the spies returned with a report of fear and unbelief, leading to the rebellion of the Israelites and their subsequent forty-year wilderness wandering. Moses highlights this specific past failure as a cautionary example, underscoring the severe consequences of disobedience and lack of faith.

Numbers 32 8 Context

Numbers 32 opens with the tribes of Reuben and Gad, joined later by half of the tribe of Manasseh, requesting to settle in the fertile land east of the Jordan River (Gilead and Bashan) rather than crossing into Canaan. This request immediately sparks Moses' concern, as it parallels an earlier catastrophic decision in Israel's history: the Kadesh-barnea incident. Moses recounts this history in verses 6-15, serving as a powerful warning. The specific verse, Numbers 32:8, focuses on the initial step of the Kadesh-barnea failure, where the sending of the spies (commissioned by Moses and the Lord, Num 13:1-3) ultimately led to faithlessness and a generation's doom. Moses emphasizes that their ancestors' actions "discouraged" the hearts of the Israelites and prevented them from entering the land. This serves as a rhetorical device by Moses to prevent a repeat of past disobedience and its devastating consequences.

Numbers 32 8 Word analysis

• And: Hebrew "waw" (ו). Connects the current discussion directly to a historical event, signifying continuity and causality in Moses' argument.
• I sent: Hebrew šālaḥ (שָׁלַח). Implies commission, sending with authority. Moses, as the leader, dispatched them, but under divine direction (Num 13:1-3).
• them: Refers to the twelve scouts chosen to survey the land. Their actions, though of a select few, represented the collective nation.
• from Kadesh-barnea: Hebrew Mi-Qāḏēš Barneaʿ (מִקָּדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ). A significant oasis and crucial strategic point on the southern border of Canaan. Its name "Kadesh" means "holy" or "sanctuary," possibly linked to a sacred site. "Barnea" is of uncertain etymology, perhaps related to "wandering" or "desert." This location marked a pivotal decision point: the threshold to the promised land. It represents both opportunity and the place of tragic failure for a generation.
• to see: Hebrew lārūl (לָתוּר). From the verb tûr, meaning "to scout," "to spy out," "to explore," "to search out." It implies an intentional, careful reconnaissance mission, not just a casual glance.
• the land: Hebrew hāʾāreṣ (הָאָרֶץ). Refers specifically to the land of Canaan, promised by God to Abraham and his descendants. It is the destination and the symbol of God's covenant fulfillment.
• And they went up: Hebrew wattišbû (וַתָּשׁוּב) - This is incorrect as a word in Numbers 32:8 (should be w lūwhich meansto see`). For and they went up, the text actually is in a preceding context in Num 13:21 (wayya'alû) where the spies went up. Numbers 32:8 primarily recalls the sending* to see the land. This highlights the difference between the divine command for them to see/explore (Nu 32:8/13:2) and their actual going up into the land (Nu 13:21).
• And surveyed: Hebrew wayyāqîrū (וַיָּתֻרוּ) - This word (meaning 'and they scouted/explored') appears in Nu 13:21, not explicitly in Nu 32:8. The structure of Nu 32:8 focuses on "I sent them... to see the land." Moses is recalling his sending with their purpose, and the outcome (vv. 9ff) implies their action and subsequent failure. This illustrates how Moses condenses the narrative, recalling the key historical act of sending for reconnaissance.

Words-group analysis:

• "When I sent them from Kadesh-barnea": This phrase places the blame not on the scouts themselves as individuals but on the larger event originating from a crucial junction—Kadesh-barnea. Moses takes responsibility for the act of sending (as leader), while setting the stage for the collective failure that ensued. It evokes the gravity of that moment of decision at the very border of the Promised Land.
• "to see the land": The stated purpose was exploration, which was legitimate and God-ordained (Num 13:1-3). The problem was not the act of surveying, but the spirit of unbelief and fear with which the majority of the spies, and then the people, responded to what they saw (Num 13:31-33). This phrase establishes the legitimate divine command that was corrupted by human failure.

Numbers 32 8 Bonus section

The reference to Kadesh-barnea carries significant theological weight, being a primary Old Testament example of corporate unbelief (cf. Heb 3:16-19). The location served as Israel's "gateway" to the Promised Land. Moses' detailed recounting here, paralleling the version in Deuteronomy 1, demonstrates his role as a covenant mediator who educates and warns the new generation based on the severe consequences suffered by the previous one. This reiteration shows the importance of remembering and learning from historical divine judgment. It also subtly highlights Moses' frustration and past personal pain, as he himself was barred from entering the land due to a moment of disobedience (Num 20:12) which, though distinct from the Kadesh-barnea rebellion, stemmed from a similar failure to fully glorify God amidst Israel's unbelief.

Numbers 32 8 Commentary

Numbers 32:8 acts as a solemn historical reminder by Moses to the Transjordanian tribes, particularly Reuben and Gad. He does not simply mention a past event; he leverages the traumatic experience of Kadesh-barnea to impress upon them the critical danger of actions that could undermine the unity and resolve of Israel. By reminding them how the spies, once sent "to see the land," provoked a widespread rebellion due to their fear and unbelief, Moses implicitly warns that seeking their own immediate convenience east of the Jordan, without fully participating in the conquest, could similarly "discourage the hearts" of their brethren and invite divine displeasure once more. The verse emphasizes that obedience requires faith, not just compliance with a command. Their predecessors' failure to enter the land was not because the land was inhospitable, but because their hearts were disobedient and full of unbelief despite God's promises. This verse encapsulates the foundational principle that trust in God is paramount for the fulfillment of His promises, and that past failures serve as powerful warnings against repeating patterns of doubt and self-interest.