The Meaning of Deuteronomy 1:28 Explained

Deuteronomy 1:28

KJV: Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.

YLT: whither are we going up? our brethren have melted our heart, saying, A people greater and taller than we, cities great and fenced to heaven, and also sons of Anakim -- we have seen there.

Darby: Whither shall we go up? Our brethren have made our hearts melt, saying, They are a people greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.

ASV: Whither are we going up? our brethren have made our heart to melt, saying, The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Whither shall we go up?  our brethren  have discouraged  our heart,  saying,  The people  [is] greater  and taller  than we; the cities  [are] great  and walled up  to heaven;  and moreover we have seen  the sons  of the Anakims  there. 

What does Deuteronomy 1:28 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 1:19-40 - The Penalty Of Unbelief
There is little to distinguish Kadesh-barnea among the sand-dunes of the desert. It was situated on the frontier, where Canaan fades into the southern desert. But it is a notable place in the spiritual chart, and few are they that have not passed through some notable experience there. It was there that Israel thought more of their enemies and difficulties than of the right hand of the Most High. When we look at circumstances apart from God; when we account our temptations and inbred corruptions too masterful to be subdued; when giants bulk bigger than the ascended Christ, we also turn back from the Rest of God to the barren wanderings of the waste. God allows these difficulties as a foil to His power and grace and to train us to high attainments. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 1

1  Moses' speech in the end of the fortieth year
6  briefly rehearsing the history of God's sending them from Horeb
14  of giving them officers
19  of sending the spies to search the land
34  of his anger for their incredulity
41  and disobedience

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 1:28 mean?

Where [can] we go up Our brothers have discouraged - our hearts saying the people [are] greater and taller than we the cities [are] great and fortified up to heaven and moreover the sons of Anak we have seen there
אָנָ֣ה ׀ אֲנַ֣חְנוּ ؟ עֹלִ֗ים אַחֵינוּ֩ הֵמַ֨סּוּ אֶת־ לְבָבֵ֜נוּ לֵאמֹ֗ר עַ֣ם גָּד֤וֹל וָרָם֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ עָרִ֛ים גְּדֹלֹ֥ת וּבְצוּרֹ֖ת בַּשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְגַם־ בְּנֵ֥י עֲנָקִ֖ים רָאִ֥ינוּ שָֽׁם

אָנָ֣ה ׀  Where 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: אָן  
Sense: where?, whither? (of place).
אֲנַ֣חְנוּ  [can]  we 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common plural
Root: אֲנַחְנוּ  
Sense: we (first pers.
؟ עֹלִ֗ים  go  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
אַחֵינוּ֩  Our  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
הֵמַ֨סּוּ  have  discouraged 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מָסַס  
Sense: to dissolve, melt.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
לְבָבֵ֜נוּ  our  hearts 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
לֵאמֹ֗ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
עַ֣ם  the  people  [are] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
גָּד֤וֹל  greater 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וָרָם֙  and  taller 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
מִמֶּ֔נּוּ  than  we 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
עָרִ֛ים  the  cities  [are] 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
גְּדֹלֹ֥ת  great 
Parse: Adjective, feminine plural
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וּבְצוּרֹ֖ת  and  fortified 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, feminine plural
Root: בָּצַר 
Sense: to gather, restrain, fence, fortify, make inaccessible, enclose.
בַּשָּׁמָ֑יִם  up  to  heaven 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וְגַם־  and  moreover 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
בְּנֵ֥י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עֲנָקִ֖ים  of  Anak 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֲנָק  
Sense: a race of giants, descendants of Anak, which dwelled in southern Canaan.
רָאִ֥ינוּ  we  have  seen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.