King James Version

What Does Numbers 14:35 Mean?

Numbers 14:35 in the King James Version says “I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in thi... — study this verse from Numbers chapter 14 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

Numbers 14:35 · KJV


Context

33

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

34

After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year , shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. breach: or, altering of my purpose

35

I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

36

And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,

37

Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.


Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
God declares: 'I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation... in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.' The emphatic Hebrew construction 'im lo zot e'eseh' (surely this I will do) guarantees certain fulfillment. God swears by Himself that the unbelieving generation will die in wilderness. The phrase 'I the LORD have said' invokes divine authority - when God speaks, He performs (Isa 55:11). This demonstrates God's word's absolute reliability - both promises and warnings. The fulfillment was exact - all that generation died except Caleb and Joshua (Num 26:64-65). God's threats aren't empty but certain unless repentance intervenes.

KJV Study — Public Domain

Historical & Cultural Context

This judgment came after Moses' intercession prevented immediate destruction but couldn't prevent consequence for persistent unbelief. The sentence was precise: one year of wilderness wandering for each day the spies searched Canaan (forty days, forty years, v.34). Everyone from twenty years old upward would die; only those younger would enter, plus faithful Caleb and Joshua (v.29-30). The execution took nearly forty years, with the generation gradually dying off until the second census (Num 26) showed complete turnover. Deuteronomy repeatedly references this judgment (Deut 1:34-40, 2:14-16), and Paul uses it as warning for Christians (1 Cor 10:5-10, Heb 3:7-4:11).

Reflection Questions

  1. Do you take God's warnings as seriously as His promises, recognizing both will certainly be fulfilled?
  2. How does this generation's fate warn you against hardening your heart through persistent unbelief?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 18 words
אֲנִ֣י1 of 18
H589

i

יְהוָה֮2 of 18

I the LORD

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

דִּבַּרְתִּי֒3 of 18

have said

H1696

perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue

אִם4 of 18

I will surely

H518

used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not

לֹ֣א׀5 of 18
H3808

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

הַזֹּ֔את6 of 18

it

H2063

this (often used adverb)

אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֗ה7 of 18

do

H6213

to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application

לְכָל8 of 18
H3605

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

הָֽעֵדָ֤ה9 of 18

congregation

H5712

a stated assemblage (specifically, a concourse, or generally, a family or crowd)

הָֽרָעָה֙10 of 18

unto all this evil

H7451

bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)

הַזֹּ֔את11 of 18

it

H2063

this (often used adverb)

הַנּֽוֹעָדִ֖ים12 of 18

that are gathered together

H3259

to fix upon (by agreement or appointment); by implication, to meet (at a stated time), to summon (to trial), to direct (in a certain quarter or positi

עָלָ֑י13 of 18
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

בַּמִּדְבָּ֥ר14 of 18

against me in this wilderness

H4057

a pasture (i.e., open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert

הַזֶּ֛ה15 of 18
H2088

the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that

יִתַּ֖מּוּ16 of 18

they shall be consumed

H8552

to complete, in a good or a bad sense, literal, or figurative, transitive or intransitive

וְשָׁ֥ם17 of 18
H8033

there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or thence

יָמֻֽתוּ׃18 of 18

and there they shall die

H4191

to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill


Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Numbers. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Numbers 14:35 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Numbers 14:35 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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