The Meaning of Numbers 11:29 Explained

Numbers 11:29

KJV: And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

YLT: And Moses saith to him, 'Art thou zealous for me? O that all Jehovah's people were prophets! that Jehovah would put His Spirit upon them!'

Darby: But Moses said to him, Enviest thou for my sake? would that all Jehovah's people were prophets, and that Jehovah would put his Spirit upon them!

ASV: And Moses said unto him, Art thou jealous for my sake? would that all Jehovah's people were prophets, that Jehovah would put his Spirit upon them!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Moses  said  unto him, Enviest  thou for my sake? would God that all the  LORD'S  people  were prophets,  [and] that the LORD  would put  his spirit  upon them! 

What does Numbers 11:29 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 11:26-35 - "the Graves Of Lust"
It is delightful to note the proof of the nobility of Moses' nature in the answer he gave to the tidings concerning Eldad and Medad. They might not be of the designated group of elders, and might not have gone out to the Tabernacle, as in Numbers 11:16. They remind us of the unordained and simple disciples of Acts 11:19, etc. But there was no envy in Moses' nature. He would have been only thankful if all had reached a degree of grace even beyond his own attainment.
The quails came. They flew in prodigious flocks, which darkened the air. Exhausted by their long flight, they hovered within three feet of the ground, and so were easily captured. But the passionate haste in eating brought its own terrible nemesis to the Israelites. The story became engraved in the very name given to their halting place, Psalms 106:15. My soul, beware lest thou also be precipitated by thy passionate desires into that gravel Galatians 5:17. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 11

1  The burning at Taberah quenched by Moses' prayer
4  The people crave meat, and loathe manna
10  Moses complains of his charge
16  God promises to divide his burden unto seventy elders,
18  and to give the people meat for a month
21  Moses' faith is staggered
31  Quails are given in wrath at Kibroth Hattaavah

What do the individual words in Numbers 11:29 mean?

And said to him Moses Are zealous you - for my sake Oh that all people of Yahweh were prophets [and] that would put Yahweh - His Spirit upon them
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה הַֽמְקַנֵּ֥א אַתָּ֖ה לִ֑י ؟ וּמִ֨י יִתֵּ֜ן כָּל־ עַ֤ם יְהוָה֙ נְבִיאִ֔ים כִּי־ יִתֵּ֧ן יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־ רוּח֖וֹ עֲלֵיהֶֽם

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לוֹ֙  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
מֹשֶׁ֔ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
הַֽמְקַנֵּ֥א  Are  zealous 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: קָנָא  
Sense: to envy, be jealous, be envious, be zealous.
לִ֑י  - 
Parse: Preposition
؟ וּמִ֨י  for  my  sake 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
יִתֵּ֜ן  Oh  that 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
עַ֤ם  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יְהוָה֙  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
נְבִיאִ֔ים  were  prophets 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
כִּי־  [and]  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יִתֵּ֧ן  would  put 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
יְהוָ֛ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
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.
רוּח֖וֹ  His  Spirit 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
עֲלֵיהֶֽם  upon  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.