Numbers 32:10-15

32:10 So the anger of the Lord was kindled that day, and he swore, 32:11 ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, 1  not 2  one of the men twenty years old and upward 3  who came from Egypt will see the land that I swore to give 4  to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 32:12 except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.’ 32:13 So the Lord’s anger was kindled against the Israelites, and he made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until all that generation that had done wickedly before 5  the Lord was finished. 6  32:14 Now look, you are standing in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinners, to increase still further the fierce wrath of the Lord against the Israelites. 32:15 For if you turn away from following him, he will once again abandon 7  them in the wilderness, and you will be the reason for their destruction.” 8 

1 tn The clause is difficult; it means essentially that “they have not made full [their coming] after” the Lord.

2 tn The sentence begins with “if they see….” This is the normal way for Hebrew to express a negative oath – “they will by no means see….” The sentence is elliptical; it is saying something like “[May God do so to me] if they see,” meaning they won’t see. Of course here God is taking the oath, which is an anthropomorphic act. He does not need to take an oath, and certainly could not swear by anyone greater, but it communicates to people his resolve.

3 tc The LXX adds “those knowing bad and good.”

4 tn The words “to give” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

5 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

6 tn The verb is difficult to translate, since it has the idea of “complete, finish” (תָּמָם, tamam). It could be translated “consumed” in this passage (so KJV, ASV); NASB “was destroyed.”

7 tn The construction uses a verbal hendiadys with the verb “to add” serving to modify the main verb.

8 tn Heb “and you will destroy all this people.”