Numbers 33 56

Numbers 33:56 kjv

Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.

Numbers 33:56 nkjv

Moreover it shall be that I will do to you as I thought to do to them.' "

Numbers 33:56 niv

And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.'?"

Numbers 33:56 esv

And I will do to you as I thought to do to them."

Numbers 33:56 nlt

And I will do to you what I had planned to do to them."

Numbers 33 verses

Numbers 33 56 Meaning

Numbers 33:56 declares God's solemn warning to the Israelites: if they fail to utterly dispossess the inhabitants of Canaan and destroy their idolatrous practices as commanded, God will turn His judgment against Israel itself. He will treat them precisely as He intended to treat the unrighteous Canaanites by dispossessing them from the land. This emphasizes that Israel's continued dwelling in the Promised Land was conditional upon their obedience to God's commands and their holiness, not an automatic right.

Numbers 33 56 Context

Numbers 33 concludes the travel narrative of the Israelites from Egypt, culminating their forty years in the wilderness (vv. 1-49). Immediately preceding verse 56, Moses delivers God's specific commands regarding the occupation of the Promised Land (Num 33:50-55). God explicitly instructs them to drive out all the inhabitants, destroy their carved images and altars, and take possession of the land. This context establishes that the land is a divine gift, but its retention is strictly conditional upon Israel's faithful obedience and complete eradication of idolatry, serving as a clean break from the pagan practices of Canaan. Verse 56 thus acts as a stark, conditional warning, delineating the severe divine consequence for failing to fulfill the preceding instructions. Historically, Israel often failed to fully obey these commands, leading to centuries of struggle with pagan influences and ultimately the fulfillment of this warning in the later exiles.

Numbers 33 56 Word analysis

• Then: This adverb marks a direct and imminent consequence. It signifies that what follows is a result directly tied to the actions or inactions of the Israelites concerning the preceding commands (driving out inhabitants, destroying idols). It sets up a cause-and-effect relationship based on covenant fidelity.
• I: Refers to God, Yahweh. This singular pronoun underscores God's personal, sovereign, and active agency. He is not a distant observer but the One who will decisively intervene to uphold His righteous standards and covenant terms, initiating the promised consequences.
• will do: From the Hebrew e'eshe (אֶעֱשֶׂה), from the verb asah, meaning "to make, do, accomplish, bring about." This denotes a resolute, purposeful, and certain execution of divine will. It's a statement of assured action, indicating God's unyielding determination to bring about what He has planned, whether blessing or judgment.
• to you: Refers to the Israelites, God's chosen covenant people. This precise address highlights that even their unique relationship with God and their privileged status does not exempt them from divine judgment. On the contrary, their covenant blessings came with strict responsibilities, and failure in these areas meant direct accountability.
• as I thought: From the Hebrew ka'asher dimmiti (כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּמִּיתִי), from the verb damam or damah, which can mean "to plan, devise, intend, imagine, consider." Here, it signifies a settled, deliberate, and established divine intention or purpose concerning the Canaanites. It implies a just plan of retribution for the profound wickedness of the Canaanite nations, a plan which would be exacted on Israel if they emulated that wickedness.
• to do: From the Hebrew la'asot (לַעֲשׂוֹת), another infinitive form of asah. It reiterates the concept of deliberate action and planned execution, specifically linking God's intended judgment for the Canaanites with the potential judgment for Israel.
• to them: Refers to the Canaanite inhabitants of the Promised Land. These peoples were condemned by God for their extreme idolatry, pervasive immorality, and detestable practices, whose "iniquity was complete" (Gen 15:16). Their ordained fate was destruction and dispossession from the land by God's decree, setting them up as a stark example of divine wrath against sin.

Words-group analysis

• "Then I will do to you as I thought to do to them": This entire phrase encapsulates a powerful principle of divine justice and impartiality. It acts as a severe reversal of roles: the agent of God's judgment (Israel dispossessing the Canaanites) will become the recipient of that very judgment if they fail to fully obey and choose to become like "them." This parallelism emphasizes that God is consistently holy; He is not partial to any nation, even His chosen people, when they adopt the sins and idolatries of those He has already condemned. It profoundly states that the inheritance of the Promised Land was strictly conditional upon faithful obedience and uncompromising holiness.

Numbers 33 56 Bonus section

The profound severity of God's command to eradicate the Canaanites and the subsequent warning in Numbers 33:56 underscores a critical biblical principle: separation for holiness. God intended Israel to be a distinct, consecrated nation, a shining light of monotheism and righteous living amidst pagan darkness, worshipping Him alone. Permitting the Canaanite practices or people to remain would inevitably corrupt Israel's pure worship, their moral fabric, and their unique covenant relationship with God. This verse therefore functions not merely as a punitive threat but as a crucial reinforcement of God's demand for absolute fidelity and exclusive worship. It also foreshadows future judgments throughout Israel's history when they repeatedly failed to live up to this demanding standard, demonstrating God's unchanging character and the dire spiritual consequences of syncretism and disobedience for His people across all generations. The underlying truth is that what God judges in one group, He will equally and consistently judge in another, especially if that other group bears His name or enters into covenant with Him.

Numbers 33 56 Commentary

Numbers 33:56 delivers a solemn warning concerning divine justice and covenant responsibility. God's plan for Israel to possess the land of Canaan was utterly contingent on their faithful obedience, particularly their diligent purging of the land from its idolatrous inhabitants and their detestable practices. This verse asserts that if Israel fails in this crucial duty, thereby allowing paganism and moral corruption to persist or even assimilate among them, God Himself will dispossess Israel from the land, just as He planned to dispossess the Canaanites due to their profound depravity. This underscores that God's holiness demands righteousness from His covenant people; Israel was chosen for a relationship characterized by holiness, not for immunity from consequence. Their elevated status brought heightened accountability. This principle resonates throughout biblical history, demonstrating God's consistent standard against sin, first manifested against the wicked nations, then against His own people when they mirrored that wickedness. For example, Israel later faced devastating exile to Babylon because they adopted the idolatrous practices of the nations around them, directly fulfilling the spiritual truth embedded in this warning.