The Meaning of Numbers 14:9 Explained

Numbers 14:9

KJV: Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

YLT: only, against Jehovah rebel not ye: and ye, fear not ye the people of the land, for our bread they are; their defence hath turned aside from off them, and Jehovah is with us; fear them not.'

Darby: only rebel not against Jehovah; and fear not the people of the land; for they shall be our food. Their defence is departed from them, and Jehovah is with us: fear them not.

ASV: Only rebel not against Jehovah, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is removed from over them, and Jehovah is with us: fear them not.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Only rebel  not ye against the LORD,  neither fear  ye the people  of the land;  for they [are] bread  for us: their defence  is departed  from them, and the LORD  [is] with us: fear  them not. 

What does Numbers 14:9 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 14:9 mean?

Only against Yahweh not do rebel you nor fear - the people of the land for our bread they [are] has departed their protection from them and Yahweh [is] with us do fear them
אַ֣ךְ בַּֽיהוָה֮ אַל־ תִּמְרֹדוּ֒ וְאַתֶּ֗ם אַל־ תִּֽירְאוּ֙ אֶת־ עַ֣ם הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֥י לַחְמֵ֖נוּ הֵ֑ם סָ֣ר צִלָּ֧ם מֵעֲלֵיהֶ֛ם וַֽיהוָ֥ה אִתָּ֖נוּ תִּירָאֻֽם

אַ֣ךְ  Only 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַךְ  
Sense: indeed, surely (emphatic).
בַּֽיהוָה֮  against  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
תִּמְרֹדוּ֒  do  rebel 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: מָרַד  
Sense: to rebel, revolt, be rebellious.
אַל־  nor 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תִּֽירְאוּ֙  fear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
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.
עַ֣ם  the  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
לַחְמֵ֖נוּ  our  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
הֵ֑ם  they  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
סָ֣ר  has  departed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
צִלָּ֧ם  their  protection 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: צֵל  
Sense: shadow, shade.
מֵעֲלֵיהֶ֛ם  from  them 
Parse: Preposition-m, 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.
וַֽיהוָ֥ה  and  Yahweh  [is] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אִתָּ֖נוּ  with  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
תִּירָאֻֽם  do  fear  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, third person masculine plural
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.