Numbers 14:33

Authorized King James Version

And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
וּ֠בְנֵיכֶם
And your children
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
#2
יִֽהְי֨וּ
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
#3
רֹעִ֤ים
shall wander
to tend a flock; i.e., pasture it; intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a frie
#4
בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃
in the wilderness
a pasture (i.e., open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert
#5
אַרְבָּעִ֣ים
forty
forty
#6
שָׁנָ֔ה
years
a year (as a revolution of time)
#7
וְנָֽשְׂא֖וּ
and bear
to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
#8
אֶת
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
#9
זְנֽוּתֵיכֶ֑ם
your whoredoms
adultery, i.e., (figuratively) infidelity, idolatry
#10
עַד
as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)
#11
תֹּ֥ם
be wasted
to complete, in a good or a bad sense, literal, or figurative, transitive or intransitive
#12
פִּגְרֵיכֶ֖ם
until your carcases
a carcase (as limp), whether of man or beast; figuratively, an idolatrous image
#13
בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃
in the wilderness
a pasture (i.e., open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing divine revelation contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

The historical context of the biblical period relevant to this book's composition provides crucial background for understanding this verse. The historical and cultural milieu of the biblical world informed the author's theological expression and the audience's understanding. The the cultural context of the biblical world would have shaped how the original audience understood divine revelation. Archaeological and historical evidence reveals Archaeological discoveries continue to illuminate the historical context of biblical texts.

Questions for Reflection

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