The Meaning of Numbers 14:8 Explained

Numbers 14:8

KJV: If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

YLT: if Jehovah hath delighted in us, then He hath brought us in unto this land, and hath given it to us, a land which is flowing with milk and honey;

Darby: If Jehovah delight in us, he will bring us into this land, and give it us, a land that flows with milk and honey;

ASV: If Jehovah delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it unto us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

If the LORD  delight  in us, then he will bring  us into this land,  and give  it us; a land  which floweth  with milk  and honey. 

What does Numbers 14:8 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 14:8 mean?

If delights in us Yahweh then He will bring us into land this and give it to us a land which it flows with milk and honey
אִם־ חָפֵ֥ץ בָּ֙נוּ֙ יְהוָ֔ה וְהֵבִ֤יא אֹתָ֙נוּ֙ אֶל־ הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את וּנְתָנָ֖הּ לָ֑נוּ אֶ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־ הִ֛וא זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ

חָפֵ֥ץ  delights 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָפֵץ 
Sense: to delight in, take pleasure in, desire, be pleased with.
בָּ֙נוּ֙  in  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְהֵבִ֤יא  then  He  will  bring 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֹתָ֙נוּ֙  us 
Parse: Direct object marker, first person common plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הָאָ֣רֶץ  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
הַזֹּ֔את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
וּנְתָנָ֖הּ  and  give  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לָ֑נוּ  to  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
אֶ֕רֶץ  a  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
זָבַ֥ת  flows 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular construct
Root: זוּב  
Sense: to flow, gush, issue, discharge.
חָלָ֖ב  with  milk 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָלָב  
Sense: milk, sour milk, cheese.
וּדְבָֽשׁ  and  honey 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דְּבַשׁ  
Sense: honey.