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Numbers 3:14 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־ מֹשֶׁ֔ה בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינַ֖י לֵאמֹֽר׃

BSAThen the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] spokedâbar [to communicate, to command] toʼêl MosesMôsheh [the Israelite leader, God's chosen servant] in the Wildernessmidbâr [a desert or open field, a place of testing] of SinaiÇîynay [a mountain where God's law was given] sayingʼâmar [to declare, to command, to promise]

Word
Listen & take awayNumbers 3
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 14 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (le.Mor) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Numbers 3:14quick helps
In a sentenceThe LORD communicates a command to Moses while they are in the wilderness.
Who is speakingYahweh, the covenant God of Israel, is addressing Moses.
Where we areIn the Wilderness of Sinai, a significant location for Israel's journey.
The hard wordוַיְדַבֵּר
Take awayGod speaks to Moses, establishing His authority and guidance.
4 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Cambridge, Whedon & more — read them › clause subjectיהוה verbדָבַר The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Numbers 3:14

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — God's Instructions to Mosesgenerated

13for all the firstborn are Mine. On the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They are Mine; I am the LORD.”
14Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying,
15“Number the Levites by their families and clans. You are to count every male a month old or more.”
16So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he had been commanded.

Numbers 3:14 records the moment when the LORD speaks to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, commanding him to take specific actions regarding the Levites. This passage highlights God's ongoing guidance and the establishment of order within the Israelite community as they journey towards the Promised Land. It reflects the importance of divine communication in the leadership of Israel, echoing themes seen throughout the Pentateuch.


Cross References


The Key Word וַיְדַבֵּר, vay.da.Bergenerated

The verb דָבַר (dabar) means 'to speak' and encompasses a variety of actions such as declaring, commanding, and conversing. This particular form, in the Piel stem, indicates an active engagement in communication, highlighting God's role as a speaker and Moses as the recipient of His commands.

The passive aspect of the communication emphasizes the authority of God as the source of the message. In this context, the command is not just a casual conversation; it is a directive from the covenant God, Yahweh, to His chosen leader, Moses, underscoring the gravity of the moment.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study references the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the term spoke to convey God's communication.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is וַיְדַבֵּר, He spoke, which governs the entire sentence. The structure includes a prepositional phrase indicating the recipient of the speech, a noun phrase identifying Moses, and another prepositional phrase describing the location of the communication.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the action of speaking first, followed by the subject and the context, illustrating the importance of God's command in this setting.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates וַיְדַבֵּר as ἐλάλησεν (elalēsen), which also means 'he spoke.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, preserving the directness of God's communication with Moses.

The use of κύριος for יְהוָה reflects the Greek tradition of substituting the divine name with a title of respect, indicating the reverence for God's name in translation.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Numbers 3:14 describes how the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai. This moment is significant as it marks a direct communication from God to His chosen leader, providing instructions for the people of Israel.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What is the significance of God speaking to Moses?

God's communication with Moses establishes His authority and provides direction for the Israelites, emphasizing the importance of divine guidance.

Why is the Wilderness of Sinai important?

The Wilderness of Sinai is where Moses received the Law from God, making it a pivotal location in the history of Israel and their covenant relationship with God.

What does the name Yahweh signify?

Yahweh signifies the self-existent nature of God and is closely associated with His covenant relationship with Israel.

How does this verse reflect God's leadership?

This verse shows God actively leading His people through communication, highlighting the role of Moses as a mediator between God and Israel.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I seek God's guidance in my own life?
  2. How can I be attentive to God's communication in my daily activities?
  3. What does it mean for me to follow the instructions God gives, as Moses did?
  4. How can I help others understand the importance of God's guidance in their lives?

Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Numbers 3:14 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai,.... At the same time he gave the order, and made the declaration before mentioned, and in the place where now the children of Israel were,

Read John Gill on Numbers 3 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, Number the children of Levi.

Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 3 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

14–20. Summary of the Levitical families.

Read Cambridge on Numbers 3 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

THE OF THE LEVITES, Numbers 3:14-39. 14. Unto Moses — To whom alone this order is given, probably because Aaron and his sons had a pecuniary interest in the result, inasmuch as the redemption money

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 3 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying,

NETBNew English Translation2006

Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai:

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And Jehovah spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

RVARevised Version, American1894

And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Moreouer, the Lord spake vnto Moses in the wildernesse of Sinai, saying,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And Jehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And YHWH speaks to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And the Lord spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Yahweh spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. He said,

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And the Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, saying:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert. He told him,

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And the Lord said to Moses in the waste land of Sinai,

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַandclauseverbיְדַבֵּ֤רhe.spokesubjectיְהוָה֙Yahwehprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֶלtoמֹשֶׁ֔הMosesprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּinnoun phraseמִדְבַּ֥רthe.wildernessסִינַ֖יof.Sinaiprepositional phrase · prepositionalלֵ(cmp)clauseverbאמֹֽרsaying

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text is supported by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word with the Hebrew text. The Septuagint also matches closely in content, though its word order differs. The Dead Sea Scrolls show one word on the leather and six supplied by an editor, indicating some damage to the text.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־ מֹשֶׁ֔ה בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינַ֖י לֵאמֹֽר׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיְדַבֵּ֤רἐλάλησενיְהוָה֙κύριοςאֶל־πρὸςמֹשֶׁ֔הμωυσῆνבְּמִדְבַּ֥רἐρήμῳסִינַ֖יσιναלֵאמֹֽר׃λέγων

7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

וידבר יהוה אל משׁה במדבר סיני לאמר

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q23a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[וידבר] [יהוה] [אל] [משה] [במדבר] [סיני] לאמר

1 word on the leather — 6 supplied entire by an editor.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Numbers 3:14דָבַרand he spokand he spokeדָבַריהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהאֶלtotoאֶלמֹשֶׁהMosesMosesמֹשֶׁהמִדְבָּרin [the] wiin [the] wilderמִדְבָּרסִינַיSinaiSinaiסִינַיאָמַרsayingsayingאָמַרהָיָהto beto beהָיָהמָשָׁהto drawto drawמָשָׁהדָבַרto speak: to speak: speakדָבַרמֹשֶׁהMosesMosesמֹשֶׁהלָשׁוֹןtonguetongueלָשׁוֹןנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫האַהֲרֹןAaronAaronאַהֲרֹןצָוָהto commandto commandצָוָהצִןZinZinצִןסִינַיSinaiSinaiסִינַימִדְבָּרmouthmouthמִדְבָּרהַרmountain: mountain: mountהַרכֹּהthusthusכֹּהיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/Godיהוה
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Numbers 3:14

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and he spoke Yahweh to Moses in [the] wilderness of Sinai saying
וַיְדַבֵּ֤רvay.da.Ber and he spoke H1696 Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
1,142× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To speak or communicate, like God speaking to Moses in Exodus or a king commanding his people. It can also mean to promise or warn someone.
Amplified meaning
to communicate, to command
Tyndale gloss
to speak: speak
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָבַר (dabar) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning 'to speak.' It encompasses a range of actions including declaring, commanding, and conversing. The root suggests a figurative use of words, with some entries noting a rare destructive sense of subduing. Various forms of the verb indicate different nuances, such as speaking with one another or making promises.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[דָבַר] 1142 vb. speak (original mng. dub.)

Qal speak

Niph. reciprocal sense, speak with one another, talk

Pi. speak

Pu. in the day when she may be spoken for

Hithp. speaking this word

Hiph. either leads subject, or puts to flight, fig. for subdues

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1696 דָבַר speak (original mng. dub.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1696 dabar daw-bar'

a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used

figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive

sense) to subdue:--answer, appoint, bid, command, commune,

declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse,

say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think,

use (entreaties), utter, X well, X work.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: speak.

: speak/tell/command

1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing

1a) (Qal) to speak

1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to speak

1c2) to promise

1d) (Pual) to be spoken

1e) (Hithpael) to speak

1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight

דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: subdue.

: subdue

1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing

1a) (Qal) to speak

1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to speak

1c2) to promise

1d) (Pual) to be spoken

1e) (Hithpael) to speak

1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight

דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: promise.

: promise/declare

1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing

1a) (Qal) to speak

1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to speak

1c2) to promise

1d) (Pual) to be spoken

1e) (Hithpael) to speak

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vpw3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

spok (1Ki 7:33).

See SEA, THE MOLTEN.

and he spoke Yahweh to Moses in [the] wilderness of Sinai saying
יְהוָה֙Yah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, The covenant Name of God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he spoke Yahweh to Moses in [the] wilderness of Sinai saying
אֶל־'el- to H413 Preposition
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
and he spoke Yahweh to Moses in [the] wilderness of Sinai saying
מֹשֶׁ֔הmo.Sheh Moses H4872 Noun proper masculine
766× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Moses, the Israelite leader, was born to Amram and Jochebed and led the Exodus from Egypt. He received the law from God and is considered a key figure in the Bible. Moses means 'drawn' in Hebrew.
Amplified meaning
the Israelite leader, God's chosen servant
Tyndale gloss
Moses
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh) refers to Moses, the prominent Hebrew leader, prophet, and lawgiver. The name is derived from the root meaning 'drawing out,' indicating his rescue from water. He is a key figure in the Old Testament, first mentioned in Exodus 2:10, and is known for leading the Israelites during the Exodus.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֹשֶׁה 767 n.pr.m. Moses, the great Hebrew leader, prophet and lawgiver

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4872 מֹשֶׁה Moses, the great Hebrew leader, prophet and lawgiver

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4872 Mosheh mo-sheh'

from 4871; drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh,

the Israelite lawgiver:--Moses.

see HEBREW for 04871

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֹשֶׁה (mo.sheh) — Moses.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.2.10;

son of: Amram (H6019) and Jochebed (H3115);

brother of: Aaron (H0175) and Miriam (H4813); married to Zipporah (H6855);

father of: Gershom (H1647) and Eliezer (H0461H); also called Manasseh at Jdg.18.30(?)

§ Moses = "drawn"

the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

mo'-zez, mo'-ziz (mosheh; Egyptian mes, "drawn out," "born"; Septuagint Mouse(s)). The great Hebrew national hero, leader, author, law-giver and prophet.

I. LIFE

1. Son of Levi

2. Foundling Prince

3. Friend of the People

4. Refuge in Midian

5. Leader of Israel

II. WORK AND CHARACTER

1. The Author

2. The Lawgiver

3. The Prophet

LITERATURE

The traditional view of the Jewish church and of the Christian church, that Moses was a person and that the narrative with which his life-story is interwoven is real history, is in the main sustained by commentators and critics of all classes.

It is needless to mention the old writers among whom these questions were hardly under discussion. Among the advocates of the current radical criticism may be mentioned Stade and Renan, who minimize the historicity of the Bible narrative at this point. Renan thinks the narrative "may be very probable." Ewald, Wellhausen…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Moses

Drawn (or Egypt. mesu, “son;” hence Rameses, royal son). On the invitation of Pharaoh (Gen. 45:17-25), Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt. This immigration took place probably about 350 years before the birth of Moses. Some centuries before Joseph, Egypt had been conquered by a pastoral Semitic race from Asia, the Hyksos, who brought into cruel subjection the native Egyptians, who were an African race. Jacob and his retinue were accustomed to a shepherd’s life, and on their arrival in Egypt were received with favour by the king, who assigned them the “best of the land”, the land of Goshen, to dwell in. The Hyksos or “shepherd” king who thus showed favour to Joseph and his family was in all probability the Pharaoh Apopi (or Apopis).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(Heb. Mosheh , "drawn," i.e. from the water; in the Coptic it means "saved from the water"), the legislator of the Jewish people, and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion. The immediate pedigree of Moses is as follows: Levi was the father of: Gershon -- Kohath -- Merari Kohath was the father of: Amram = Jochebed Amram = Jochebed was the father of: Hur = Miriam -- Aaron = Elisheba -- Moses = Zipporah Aaron = Elisheba was the father of: Nadab -- Abihu -- Eleazar -- Ithamar Eleazar was the father of: Phineas Moses = Zipporah was the father of: Gershom -- Eliezer Gershom was the father of: Jonathan The history of Moses naturally divides itself into three periods of 40 years each. Moses was born at Goshen, In Egypt, B.C. 1571. The story of his birth is thoroughly Egyptian in its scene. His mother made extraordinary efforts for his preservation from the general destruction of…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The name of the illustrious prophet and legislator of the Hebrews, who led them from Egypt to the Promised Land. Having been originally imposed by a native Egyptian princess, the word is no doubt Egyptian in its origin, and Josephus gives its true derivation—from the two Egyptian words, MO, water, and USE, saved. With this accords the Septuagint form, MOUSES. The Hebrews by a slight change accommodated it to their own language, as they did also in the case of some other foreign words; calling it MOSHIE, from the verb MASHA, to draw. See Ex 2:10. Moses was born about 15.71 B. C., the son of Amram and Jochebed, of the tribe of Levi, and the younger brother of Miriam and Aaron. His history is too extensive to permit insertion here, and in general too well known to need it. It is enough simply to remark, that it is divided into three…

and he spoke Yahweh to Moses in [the] wilderness of Sinai saying
בְּמִדְבַּ֥רbe.mid.Bar in [the] wilderness of H4057 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
271× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The wilderness refers to a desert or open field, like the one the Israelites wandered in after leaving Egypt. It can also mean a place of solitude or a region without many people. In the Bible, it is often associated with the journey to the Promised Land.
Amplified meaning
a desert or open field, a place of testing
Tyndale gloss
mouth
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִדְבָּר (midbar) primarily means 'mouth' in the sense of an organ of speech, but it also refers to 'wilderness' or 'desert.' The word is derived from a root meaning to drive, suggesting open fields for pasturing cattle. It encompasses various forms of uninhabited land and is notably used in contexts related to the wilderness, such as the Wilderness of Sinai.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מִדְבָּר] n.m. mouth, as organ of speech, Ct 4:3

ref

מִדְבָר 270 n.m. wilderness

tracts of land, used for the pasturage of flocks and herds

uninhabited land

large tracts of such land bearing various names, in certain districts of which there might be towns and cities

fig.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4057a מִדְבָּר mouth, as organ of speech H4057b מִדְבָר wilderness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4057 midbar mid-bawr'

from 1696 in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open

field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert;

also speech (including its organs):--desert, south, speech,

wilderness.

see HEBREW for 01696

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — mouth.

1) mouth

1a) mouth (as organ of speech)

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — wilderness.

1) wilderness

1a) pasture

1b) uninhabited land, wilderness

1c) large tracts of wilderness (around cities)

1d) wilderness (fig.)

מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — Wilderness (of Sinai).

This name means wilderness, uninhabited land

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and he spoke Yahweh to Moses in [the] wilderness of Sinai saying
סִינַ֖יsi.Nai Sinai H5514 Noun proper
35× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Sinai refers to a mountain where Moses received the Law from God, located at the southern end of the Sinai peninsula. It is also known as the mountain of Arabia. This site is significant in the Bible as a place of revelation and covenant.
Amplified meaning
a mountain where God's law was given
Tyndale gloss
Sinai
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סִינַי (Siynay) refers to the mountain where Moses received the Law from God, located in Arabia at the southern end of the Sinai peninsula. The name is associated with the meaning "thorny." The entries indicate its significance in the context of the Old Testament, particularly in the books of Exodus and Leviticus.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סִינַי n.pr.mont. Sinai;—name of mt. of law-giving in J and esp. P

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5514 סִינַי Sinai;—name of mt. of law-giving in J and esp. P

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5514 Ciynay see-nah'-ee

of uncertain derivation; Sinai, mountain of Arabia:--Sinai.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סִינַי (si.nay) — Sinai.

§ Sinai = "thorny"

the mountain where Moses received the Law from Jehovah; located at the southern end of the Sinai peninsula between the horns of the Red Sea; exact

סִינַי (si.nay) — (Wilderness of) Sinai.

Combined with mid.bar (מִדְבָּר "wilderness" H4057)

§ Sinai = "thorny"

the mountain where Moses received the Law from Jehovah; located at the southern end of the Sinai peninsula between the horns of the Red Sea; exact

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

si'-ni, si'-na-i (cinay; Codex Alexandrinus Sina, Codex Vaticanus Seina):

1. The Name:

The name comes probably from a root meaning "to shine," which occurs in Syriac, and which in Babylonian is found in the name sinu for "the moon." The old explanation, "clayey," is inappropriate to any place in the Sinaitic desert, though it might apply to Sin (Eze 30:15,16) or Pelusium; even there, however, the applicability is doubtful. The desert of Sin (Ex 16:1; 17:1; Nu 33:11 f) lay between Sinai and the Gulf of Suez, and may have been named from the "glare" of its white chalk. But at Sinai "the glory of Yahweh was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel" (

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A mountain, or mountain range, in Arabia Petraea, in the peninsula formed by the two arms of the Red Sea, and rendered memorable as the spot where the law was given to Israel through Moses, Ex 19:1-Nu 10:33. As this mountain has been almost unknown in modern times, until recently, and is of such importance in Scripture history, we shall enter into some details respecting it.

The upper region of Sinai forms an irregular circle of thirty or forty miles in diameter, possessing numerous sources of water, a temperate climate, and a soil capable of supporting animal and vegetable life; for which reason it is the refuge of all the Bedaweens when the low country is parched up. This, therefore, was the part of the peninsula best adapted to the residence of nearly a year, during which the…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

a bush; enmity

and he spoke Yahweh to Moses in [the] wilderness of Sinai saying
לֵאמֹֽר׃le.Mor saying H559 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Amplified meaning
to declare, to command, to promise
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
HR/Vqcc
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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