The Meaning of Numbers 14:35 Explained

Numbers 14:35

KJV: I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

YLT: I am Jehovah, I have spoken; if I do not this to all this evil company who are meeting against me; -- in this wilderness they are consumed, and there they die.'

Darby: I Jehovah have spoken; I will surely do it unto all this evil assembly which have gathered together against me! in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

ASV: I, Jehovah, have spoken, surely this will I do unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I the LORD  have said,  I will surely  do  it  unto all this evil  congregation,  that are gathered together  against me: in this wilderness  they shall be consumed,  and there they shall die. 

What does Numbers 14:35 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 14:26-45 - The Penalty Of Unbelief And Rashness
The old translation in Numbers 14:34 was unfortunate. "Breach of promise" is rendered in r.v. "my alienation." It is still better to notice the marginal reading, "the revoking of my promise." But even this hardly gives us the true meaning of the words, which teach us that God's promises are conditional on our faith. He cannot do what we fail to trust Him to do.
The key of faith will unlock every drawer and cupboard in the divine treasury, but we must use it. If we will not trust God with our life we shall be left to perish in the wilderness of drought, of restlessness and of peril. Unbelief paralyzes God's arm. See Matthew 13:58, And let us learn from the closing paragraph that the might of our own right hand will never avail to accomplish what is forfeited by unbelief. "It shall not prosper." [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 14:35 mean?

I Yahweh have spoken surely surely not I will do so to all congregation evil this who are gathered together against Me in wilderness this they shall be consumed and there they shall die
אֲנִ֣י יְהוָה֮ דִּבַּרְתִּי֒ אִם־ לֹ֣א ׀ זֹ֣את אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֗ה לְכָל־ הָעֵדָ֤ה הָֽרָעָה֙ הַזֹּ֔את הַנּוֹעָדִ֖ים עָלָ֑י בַּמִּדְבָּ֥ר הַזֶּ֛ה יִתַּ֖מּוּ וְשָׁ֥ם יָמֻֽתוּ

יְהוָה֮  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
דִּבַּרְתִּי֒  have  spoken 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אִם־  surely 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
לֹ֣א ׀  surely 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֗ה  I  will  do  so 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לְכָל־  to  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָעֵדָ֤ה  congregation 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵדָה  
Sense: congregation, gathering.
הָֽרָעָה֙  evil 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
הַזֹּ֔את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
הַנּוֹעָדִ֖ים  who  are  gathered  together 
Parse: Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: יָעַד  
Sense: to fix, appoint, assemble, meet, set, betroth.
עָלָ֑י  against  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
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.
בַּמִּדְבָּ֥ר  in  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
הַזֶּ֛ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
יִתַּ֖מּוּ  they  shall  be  consumed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: תָּמַם  
Sense: to be complete, be finished, be at an end.
וְשָׁ֥ם  and  there 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
יָמֻֽתוּ  they  shall  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.