Numbers 16:13

Authorized King James Version

Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
הַמְעַ֗ט
Is it a small thing
a little or few (often adverbial or comparative)
#2
כִּֽי
that
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
#3
הֶֽעֱלִיתָ֙נוּ֙
thou hast brought us up
to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
#4
מֵאֶ֨רֶץ
out of a land
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
#5
זָבַ֤ת
that floweth
to flow freely (as water), i.e., (specifically) to have a (sexual) flux; figuratively, to waste away; also to overflow
#6
חָלָב֙
with milk
milk (as the richness of kine)
#7
וּדְבַ֔שׁ
and honey
honey (from its stickiness); by analogy, syrup
#8
לַֽהֲמִיתֵ֖נוּ
to kill
to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill
#9
בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר
us in the wilderness
a pasture (i.e., open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert
#10
כִּֽי
that
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
#11
הִשְׂתָּרֵֽר׃
a prince
to have (transitively, exercise; reflexively, get) dominion
#12
עָלֵ֖ינוּ
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
#13
גַּם
properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and
#14
הִשְׂתָּרֵֽר׃
a prince
to have (transitively, exercise; reflexively, get) dominion

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 literary and historical milieu of the literary conventions and historical circumstances of biblical literature shapes this text's meaning. The historical development of salvation within the theological tradition of Numbers Understanding the ancient worldview that shaped the author's theological expression helps modern readers appreciate why the author emphasizes divine revelation in this particular way.

Questions for Reflection

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