But they presumedוַיַּעְפִּלוּto go upלַעֲלוֹתtoאֶלthe topרֹאשׁof the mountain,הָהָרthough the arkוַאֲרוֹןof the covenantבְּרִיתof YHWHיְהוָהandוּMosesמֹשֶׁהdid notלֹאdepartמָשׁוּfromמִthe midstקֶּרֶבof the camp.הַמַּחֲנֶה
Numbers 14:44
Study it in the app“But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain, though the ark of the covenant of YHWH and Moses did not depart from the midst of the camp.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Numbers 14:44, word by word
- But they presumedיַּעְפִּלוּyapilu
presume
To dare boldly against what God said.
Where else “yapilu” appears- to go upעֲלוֹתalot
go up
To go from a low place to a higher one: up the mountain, to Jerusalem or to a city.
Where else “alot” appears- the topרֹאשׁrosh
top
Literally "the head": the highest part, as of a mountain.
Where else “rosh” appears- of the mountainהָרhar
mountain
A great rise of land, like Sinai or Zion.
Where else “har” appears- though the arkאֲרוֹןaron
ark
The sacred chest of the covenant, which held the tablets.
Where else “aron” appears- of the covenantבְּרִיתberit
covenant
The commitment God makes with his people, with promises and commands.
Where else “berit” appears- of YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- Mosesמֹשֶׁהmoshe
Moses
Moses, the man God called to bring Israel out of Egypt and through whom he gave the Law. His name sounds like "draw out" (Exodus 2:10).
Where else “moshe” appears- departמָשׁוּmashu
depart
To shift from its place.
Where else “mashu” appears- the midstקֶּרֶבkerev
midst
In the midst of: "among the people".
Where else “kerev” appears- of the campמַּחֲנֶהmachane
camp
A place where a group settles to live temporarily, with order and limits.
Where else “machane” appears
The context
43For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you will fall by the sword; because you have turned back from following YHWH, YHWH will not be with you.”
44 · This verse (above)
45Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country, and struck them and crushed them as far as Hormah.