Numbers 32:10
And the LORD'S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,
Original Language Analysis
וַיִּֽחַר
was kindled
H2734
וַיִּֽחַר
was kindled
Strong's:
H2734
Word #:
1 of 7
to glow or grow warm; figuratively (usually) to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousy
אַ֥ף
anger
H639
אַ֥ף
anger
Strong's:
H639
Word #:
2 of 7
properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire
יְהוָ֖ה
And the LORD'S
H3068
יְהוָ֖ה
And the LORD'S
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
3 of 7
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
בַּיּ֣וֹם
the same time
H3117
בַּיּ֣וֹם
the same time
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
4 of 7
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
הַה֑וּא
H1931
הַה֑וּא
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
5 of 7
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
Historical Context
This refers to events at Kadesh-barnea circa 1445 BC (early chronology), when Israel's refusal to enter Canaan resulted in forty years of wilderness wandering. The request by Reuben and Gad to settle in Transjordan (Numbers 32:1-5) threatened to repeat that unbelief by prioritizing immediate comfort over God's promised inheritance. Moses's rebuke draws the parallel explicitly.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's irrevocable oath against the wilderness generation demonstrate that persistent unbelief exhausts divine patience?
- What parallels exist between Israel's rejection of the Promised Land and modern Christians who settle for less than God's full purpose?
- How should covenant communities today guard against corporate decisions that echo past rebellion?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And the LORD'S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying—God's wrath (aph, אַף, literally "nose" or "nostrils," depicting flared nostrils in anger) blazed against the generation that rejected His promise. The verb "kindled" (charah, חָרָה) means to burn or be inflamed, indicating intense divine displeasure. This occurred at Kadesh-barnea when the spies' evil report caused Israel to refuse entry into Canaan (Numbers 13-14).
God's oath (shaba, שָׁבַע) sealed their judgment—no adult from that generation except Caleb and Joshua would enter the Promised Land. Divine oaths are irrevocable declarations of God's sovereign will. Moses here warns the tribes of Reuben and Gad that their request to settle east of Jordan echoes their fathers' rebellion, risking God's fierce judgment again. The reference establishes that covenant-breaking provokes God's righteous anger.