The Meaning of Numbers 20:3 Explained

Numbers 20:3

KJV: And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

YLT: and the people strive with Moses, and speak, saying, 'And oh that we had expired when our brethren expired before Jehovah!

Darby: And the people contended with Moses, and spoke, saying, Would that we had died when our brethren died before Jehovah!

ASV: And the people strove with Moses, and spake, saying, Would that we had died when our brethren died before Jehovah!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the people  chode  with Moses,  and spake,  saying,  Would God that  we had died  when our brethren  died  before  the LORD! 

What does Numbers 20:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 20:1-13 - The Sin Of Moses And Aaron
Again the people, as the long years of their Wilderness life drew to an end, gathered around the Tabernacle at Kadesh. Again the murmuring spirit broke out, as it had done forty years before. To the end we shall be liable to the outbreak of the old sins; and can never relax our vigilance or sheathe the sword.
Moses was to speak to the rock, not smite it. See Exodus 17:6. The Rock of Ages was smitten only once. "It is appointed unto men once to die," and "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many." It is now only needful for the soul to speak to Him, though in the lowest and most faltering accents, to elicit streams of help and salvation.
It was lack of faith that led Moses to smite the rock twice. Speaking seemed too slight an effort for the production of such a marvel! He forgot that neither rod nor speech effected the result, but the power of God that wrought through and with him. See 1 Corinthians 3:4. "She only touched the hem of His garment!" Matthew 9:20. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 20

1  The children of Israel come to Zin, where Miriam dies
2  They murmur for want of water
7  Moses smiting the rock, brings forth water at Meribah
14  Moses at Kadesh desires passage through Edom, which is denied him
22  At Mount Hor Aaron resigns his place to Eleazar, and dies

What do the individual words in Numbers 20:3 mean?

And contended the people with Moses and spoke saying and if only we had died when died our brothers before Yahweh!
וַיָּ֥רֶב הָעָ֖ם עִם־ מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֵאמֹ֔ר וְל֥וּ גָוַ֛עְנוּ בִּגְוַ֥ע אַחֵ֖ינוּ לִפְנֵ֥י ! יְהוָֽה

וַיָּ֥רֶב  And  contended 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רִיב  
Sense: to strive, contend.
הָעָ֖ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
מֹשֶׁ֑ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ  and  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
גָוַ֛עְנוּ  if  only  we  had  died 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: גָּוַע  
Sense: to expire, die, perish, give up the ghost, yield up the ghost, be dead, be ready to die.
בִּגְוַ֥ע  when  died 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: גָּוַע  
Sense: to expire, die, perish, give up the ghost, yield up the ghost, be dead, be ready to die.
אַחֵ֖ינוּ  our  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
לִפְנֵ֥י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
! יְהוָֽה  Yahweh! 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.