The Meaning of Numbers 14:11 Explained

Numbers 14:11

KJV: And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

YLT: And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Until when doth this people despise Me? and until when do they not believe in Me, for all the signs which I have done in its midst?

Darby: And Jehovah said to Moses, How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe me, for all the signs which I have done among them?

ASV: And Jehovah said unto Moses, How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  said  unto Moses,  How long will this people  provoke  me? and how long will it be ere  they believe  me, for all the signs  which I have shewed  among  them? 

What does Numbers 14:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 14:1-12 - An Unbelieving And Rebellious People
What in any other nation would have been described as a panic of fear, was, in the case of Israel, a panic of unbelief, which deserved the reproachful expostulation of Jehovah in Numbers 14:11. The transition is easy from unbelief to open rebellion against God, as expressed in the words, "Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt." The connection between the fearful and unbelieving is very close, Revelation 21:8. On the other hand, we have the exhortation of 2 Peter 1:5 (A.V.), "Add to your faith virtue (or courage)," as exemplified in the language of Joshua and Caleb. But their words of faith and encouragement only elicited hatred and murder.
Compare Numbers 14:10 with Genesis 4:4 and Hebrews 11:4. God's two stalwart witnesses did not minimize the strength or the numbers of the foe, but magnified the mighty power pledged to fulfill the ancient covenant with Abraham: "The Lord is with us; fear them not." He cannot fail the trustful soul! [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Numbers 14:11 mean?

And said Yahweh to Moses how long will reject Me people this and how long not will they believe Me with all the signs which I have performed among them
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־ מֹשֶׁ֔ה עַד־ אָ֥נָה יְנַאֲצֻ֖נִי הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה וְעַד־ אָ֙נָה֙ לֹא־ יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ בִ֔י בְּכֹל֙ הָֽאֹת֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֖יתִי בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מֹשֶׁ֔ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
עַד־  how 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
אָ֥נָה  long 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אָנָה  
Sense: to meet, encounter, approach, be opportune.
יְנַאֲצֻ֖נִי  will  reject  Me 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, first person common singular
Root: נָאַץ  
Sense: to spurn, contemn, despise, abhor.
הָעָ֣ם  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הַזֶּ֑ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וְעַד־  and  how 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
אָ֙נָה֙  long 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אָנָה  
Sense: to meet, encounter, approach, be opportune.
יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ  will  they  believe 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַן 
Sense: to support, confirm, be faithful.
בִ֔י  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
בְּכֹל֙  with  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָֽאֹת֔וֹת  the  signs 
Parse: Article, Noun, common plural
Root: אֹות  
Sense: sign, signal.
עָשִׂ֖יתִי  I  have  performed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ  among  them 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֶרֶב  
Sense: midst, among, inner part, middle.