Numbers 14:36
New International Version
So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it—

New Living Translation
The ten men Moses had sent to explore the land—the ones who incited rebellion against the LORD with their bad report—

English Standard Version
And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land—

Berean Standard Bible
So the men Moses had sent to spy out the land, who had returned and made the whole congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report about the land—

King James Bible
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,

New King James Version
Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land,

New American Standard Bible
As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, and who returned and led all the congregation to grumble against him by bringing a bad report about the land,

NASB 1995
As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land,

NASB 1977
As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land,

Legacy Standard Bible
As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land,

Amplified Bible
As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, and who returned and made all the congregation murmur and complain against him by bringing back a bad report concerning the land,

Christian Standard Bible
So the men Moses sent to scout out the land, and who returned and incited the entire community to complain about him by spreading a negative report about the land—

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So the men Moses sent to scout out the land, and who returned and incited the entire community to complain about him by spreading a negative report about the land—

American Standard Version
And the men, whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up an evil report against the land,

Contemporary English Version
Ten of the men sent to explore the land had brought back bad news and had made the people complain against the LORD.

English Revised Version
And the men, which Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up an evil report against the land,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So the men Moses sent to explore the land died in front of the LORD from a plague.

International Standard Version
After this, the men whom Moses sent out to explore the land, who returned and made the whole congregation complain against him by bringing an evil report concerning the land,

Majority Standard Bible
So the men Moses had sent to spy out the land, who had returned and made the whole congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report about the land—

NET Bible
The men whom Moses sent to investigate the land, who returned and made the whole community murmur against him by producing an evil report about the land,

New Heart English Bible
The men, whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up an evil report against the land,

Webster's Bible Translation
And the men whom Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing a slander upon the land,

World English Bible
The men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up an evil report against the land,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Then the men whom Moses has sent to spy out the land, [who] then return and cause all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing out an evil account concerning the land,

Young's Literal Translation
And the men whom Moses hath sent to spy the land, and they turn back and cause all the company to murmur against him, by bringing out an evil account concerning the land,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the men whom Moses sent to search out the land, and they will turn back and will murmur against him to all the assembly, to bring forth slander upon the land.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore all the men, whom Moses had sent to view the land, and who at their return had made the whole multitude to murmur against him, speaking ill of the land that it was naught,

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, all the men, whom Moses had sent to contemplate the land, and who, having returned, had caused the entire multitude to murmur against him, disparaging the land as if it were evil,

New American Bible
And the men whom Moses had sent to reconnoiter the land and who on returning had set the whole community grumbling against him by spreading discouraging reports about the land—

New Revised Standard Version
And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report about the land—
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation murmur against him by publishing an evil report concerning the land,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And men whom Moshe sent to spy the land returned and they made all of the assembly complain against him because they sent out an evil report about the land;
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the men, whom Moses sent to spy out the land, and who, when they returned, made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up an evil report against the land,

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, and who came and murmured against it to the assembly so as to bring out evil words concerning the land, -

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Plague on the Ten Spies
36So the men Moses had sent to spy out the land, who had returned and made the whole congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report about the land— 37those men who had brought out the bad report about the land—were struck down by a plague before the LORD.…

Cross References
Hebrews 3:16-19
For who were the ones who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? / And with whom was God angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? / And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed? ...

Deuteronomy 1:26-28
But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. / You grumbled in your tents and said, “Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be annihilated. / Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’”

Psalm 106:24-26
They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise. / They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the LORD. / So He raised His hand and swore to cast them down in the wilderness,

1 Corinthians 10:10
And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.

Joshua 5:6
For the Israelites had wandered in the wilderness forty years, until all the nation’s men of war who had come out of Egypt had died, since they did not obey the LORD. So the LORD vowed never to let them see the land He had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Deuteronomy 9:23
And when the LORD sent you out from Kadesh-barnea, He said, “Go up and possess the land that I have given you.” But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. You neither believed Him nor obeyed Him.

Hebrews 4:2
For we also received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, since they did not share the faith of those who comprehended it.

Psalm 78:22
because they did not believe God or rely on His salvation.

1 Corinthians 10:5
Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness.

Jude 1:5
Although you are fully aware of this, I want to remind you that after Jesus had delivered His people out of the land of Egypt, He destroyed those who did not believe.

Deuteronomy 1:32
But in spite of all this, you did not trust the LORD your God,

Psalm 95:8-11
do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the day at Massah in the wilderness, / where your fathers tested and tried Me, though they had seen My work. / For forty years I was angry with that generation, and I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known My ways.” ...

Exodus 23:20-21
Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. / Pay attention to him and listen to his voice; do not defy him, for he will not forgive rebellion, since My Name is in him.

Hebrews 3:12
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God.

Deuteronomy 32:20
He said: “I will hide My face from them; I will see what will be their end. For they are a perverse generation—children of unfaithfulness.


Treasury of Scripture

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 on the land,

Numbers 13:31
But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

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Account Assembly Bad Cause Community Company Congregation Evil Explore Report Search Slander Spreading Spy Turn Whole
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Account Assembly Bad Cause Community Company Congregation Evil Explore Report Search Slander Spreading Spy Turn Whole
Numbers 14
1. The people murmur at the news
6. Joshua and Caleb labor to still them
11. God threatens them
13. Moses intercedes with God, and obtains pardon
26. The Murmurers are debarred from entering into the land
36. The men who raised the evil report die by a plague
40. The people that would invade the land against the will of God are smitten














So the men Moses had sent
This phrase refers to the twelve spies chosen from each tribe of Israel, as described earlier in Numbers 13. The Hebrew root for "sent" is שָׁלַח (shalach), which means to send or dispatch. This action by Moses was a directive from God, indicating a divine mission. The selection of these men was significant, as they were leaders among their tribes, entrusted with the responsibility of assessing the Promised Land. Their role was not just exploratory but also spiritual, as they were to bring back a report that would encourage faith in God's promise.

to spy out the land
The Hebrew word for "spy" is תּוּר (tur), which means to explore or scout. This was a common practice in ancient times, as understanding the land's resources and defenses was crucial for any potential conquest. The land in question was Canaan, a land promised by God to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This mission was not merely a military reconnaissance but a test of faith and obedience to God's promise.

who had returned
The return of the spies marks a pivotal moment in Israel's journey. Their return was anticipated with hope and expectation. However, the outcome of their mission would significantly impact the morale and faith of the Israelites. The act of returning also signifies accountability, as they were to report back to Moses and the congregation.

and made the whole congregation grumble
The Hebrew root for "grumble" is לוּן (lun), which means to murmur or complain. This reaction from the congregation highlights a recurring theme in the wilderness journey: the Israelites' struggle with faith and trust in God's provision. The grumbling was not just a minor complaint but a collective rebellion against God's plan, reflecting a deeper spiritual crisis.

against him
The "him" in this context refers to Moses, God's appointed leader. The grumbling against Moses was, in essence, a grumbling against God, as Moses was acting under divine instruction. This rebellion against leadership is a recurring theme in the wilderness narrative, illustrating the challenges of leading a people prone to doubt and fear.

by bringing out a bad report about the land
The "bad report" was a negative assessment of the land's inhabitants and fortifications, emphasizing the impossibility of conquest. The Hebrew word for "bad" is רָע (ra), which means evil or harmful. This report was not just factually negative but spiritually damaging, as it sowed seeds of doubt and fear among the Israelites. The spies' failure was not in their observation but in their lack of faith in God's promise and power. This moment serves as a cautionary tale about the power of words and the importance of faith in God's promises.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So the men
וְהָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔ים (wə·hā·’ă·nā·šîm)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

Moses
מֹשֶׁ֖ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

had sent
שָׁלַ֥ח (šā·laḥ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

to spy
לָת֣וּר (lā·ṯūr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8446: To meander, about, for, trade, reconnoitring

out the land,
הָאָ֑רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

and who
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

had returned
וַיָּשֻׁ֗בוּ (way·yā·šu·ḇū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

and made all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the congregation
הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה (hā·‘ê·ḏāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5712: A stated assemblage

grumble
וַיַּלִּ֤ינוּ (way·yal·lî·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3885: To stop, to stay permanently, to be obstinate

against him
עָלָיו֙ (‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

by bringing
לְהוֹצִ֥יא (lə·hō·w·ṣî)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

a bad report
דִבָּ֖ה (ḏib·bāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1681: Whispering, defamation, evil report

about
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the land—
הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land


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OT Law: Numbers 14:36 The men whom Moses sent to spy (Nu Num.)
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