Numbers 33:13 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּסְע֖וּ מִדָּפְקָ֑ה וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּאָלֽוּשׁ׃
BSAThey set outnâçaʻ▸ [journeyed, departed, moved on] from DophkahDophqâh [a stopping place in the wilderness] and campedchânâh▸ [encamped, pitched their tents, lay] at AlushʼÂlûwsh [in the Desert, a place of temporary rest]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּסְע֖וּ | and they set out | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| מִדָּפְקָ֑ה | from Dophka | Preposition, noun proper |
| וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ | and they encamped | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| בְּאָלֽוּשׁ׃ | at Alush | Preposition, noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | They set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush. |
| KJV | And they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush. |
| ASV | And they journeyed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush. |
| YLT | And they journey from Dophkah, and encamp in Alush; |
| WEB | They traveled from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush. |
| BBE | And they went on from Dophkah, and put up their tents in Alush. |
The translations agree on the key actions of setting out and camping, with no significant differences noted.
The sentence consists of two main clauses connected by 'and', with prepositional phrases indicating both the starting point and the destination.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, AdamClarke, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָסַע
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
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 33:13
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 — The Journey of the Israelitesgenerated
Numbers 33:13 describes the movements of the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness after leaving Egypt. This verse specifically highlights their departure from Dophkah and their encampment at Alush, emphasizing the continuous journey of the Israelites as they sought the Promised Land. The surrounding verses provide a sequence of locations where they camped, illustrating their travels and experiences in the desert.
Cross References
The Key Word — נָסַע, vai.yis.'Ugenerated
The verb נָסַע (nāsaʿ) is a Qal imperfect form, indicating an action that is ongoing or repeated. It conveys the idea of setting out or starting a journey, which is central to the narrative of the Israelites' travels. This word captures both the physical act of moving and the broader theme of departure from one place to another.
In this context, it signifies the Israelites' continuous movement as they journeyed through the wilderness. The use of this verb underscores the dynamic nature of their experience, as they were constantly on the move, responding to God's guidance.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations of this verse generally agree, with all versions using terms like set out and camped to convey the actions of the Israelites.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is וַיִּסְע֖וּ (vai.yis.'U), and they set out, which governs the structure of the sentence. The sentence includes a prepositional phrase indicating the starting point, מִדָּפְקָ֑ה (from Dophkah), and another verb, וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ (and they encamped), followed by a prepositional phrase indicating the destination, בְּאָלֽוּשׁ (at Alush).
The structure emphasizes the sequential nature of the Israelites' journey, with the verbs indicating their actions and the prepositional phrases providing context for those actions.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נָסַע as ἀπῆραν (apēran), meaning 'they departed.' This choice reflects a straightforward rendering of the Hebrew verb, emphasizing the act of leaving a location.
The Greek word captures the essence of the journey, maintaining the focus on the movement of the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 33:13 tells us that the Israelites set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush during their journey in the wilderness. This verse is part of a larger narrative that describes their travels as they moved from one place to another, seeking the Promised Land.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Setting out from Dophkah indicates that the Israelites were moving from one temporary resting place to another as part of their journey through the wilderness.
Alush is significant as it represents another stop in the Israelites' journey, a place where they camped and rested before continuing on.
This verse is part of a sequence that details the various locations where the Israelites camped as they traveled through the wilderness, highlighting their experiences and movements.
The journey of the Israelites teaches us about faith, obedience, and the importance of following God's guidance as they moved toward the Promised Land.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the journey of the Israelites teach us about perseverance in our own lives?
- How can we apply the lessons from the Israelites' travels to our own journeys of faith?
- In what ways can we find rest and nourishment in our own 'Alush' moments?
- How do the movements of the Israelites reflect the importance of following God's direction in our lives?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Origen of Alexandria comments on the significance of Alush, interpreting it as a place of toil and rest in the journey of the Israelites.
Halus [Alush] means “toils.” Nor should you be surprised if toils follow health. For the soul acquires health from the Lord in order to accept toils with delight and not unwillingly.Early Church Fathers on Numbers 33 →
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 33:13 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush. The strong fort, as the Targum of Jonathan calls it; this was twelve miles from Dophkah: according to the Jewish chronology (d), this Alush is
Read John Gill on Numbers 33 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah. Dophkah ... Alush ... Rephidim.
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 33 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleSTAT. IX. Verse 13. ALUSH.] Neither is this mentioned in Exodus and its situation is equally unknown.
Read AdamClarke on Numbers 33 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleTHE OF THE , Numbers 33:1-49.Having reached the Land of Promise, and taken possession of its eastern portion, it is proper that the history of the desert wandering should close with a list of
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 33 →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
They set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush.
They traveled from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.
They set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush.
And they traveled from Dophkah, and camped in Alush.
Tyndale line
And they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.
And they journeyed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.
And they journeyed from Dophkah, and pitched in Alush.
And they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.
And they departed from Dophkah, and lay in Alush.
Strictly literal
And they removed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.
And they journey from Dophkah, and encamp in Alush;
And they journey from Dophkah and encamp in Alush.
And they removed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.
They set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush.
From the Latin
And departing from Daphca, they camped in Alus.
Simplified
They moved on from Dophkah and set up camp at Alush.
And they went on from Dophkah, and put up their tents in Alush.
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.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Samaritan Pentateuch generally agree on the wording of this verse. However, the Samaritan Pentateuch differs in the spelling of אָלוּשׁ, rendering it as אֵלִישׁ. This variation does not significantly alter the meaning of the text.
וַיִּסְע֖וּ מִדָּפְקָ֑ה וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּאָלֽוּשׁ׃
4 of the 4 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.
ויסעו מדפקה ויחנו באלישׁ
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: אלישׁ (Alush)
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.
Lexicons — every word in Numbers 33:13
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.
נָסַע (naca`) means to pull out or up, particularly in the context of setting out on a journey. It encompasses actions like departing, marching, and removing, with nuances related to both physical movement and the wind. The word can also imply causing someone or something to set out or be led away.
נָסַע 147 vb. pull out or up, set out, journey
Qal 137
pull out or up
hence (from pulling up tent-pegs),
set out
depart
journey, march (by stages)
of wind
Niph. be pulled up, removed
Hiph.
cause to set out, lead out
remove
base
H5265 נָסַע pull out or up, set out, journey .. pull out or up
. hence (from pulling up tent-pegs), . set out
. depart
. journey, march (by stages)
. of wind
. be pulled up, removed
. . cause to set out, lead out
. remove
5265 naca` naw-sah'
a primitive root; properly, to pull up, especially the
tent-pins, i.e. start on a journey:--cause to blow, bring,
get, (make to) go (away, forth, forward, onward, out), (take)
journey, march, remove, set aside (forward), X still, be on
his (go their) way.
נָסַע (na.sa) — to set out.
1) to pull out, pull up, set out, journey, remove, set forward, depart
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to pull out or up
1a2) to set out, depart
1a3) to journey, march
1a4) to set forth (of wind)
1b) (Niphal) to be pulled up, be removed, be plucked up
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to set out, lead out, cause to spring up
1c2) to remove, quarry
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine pluralHc/Vqw3mp
דָּפְקָה (dophqah) refers to a location called Dophkah, which is noted as a stopping place for the Israelites during their wilderness journey. The term is derived from the root meaning 'a knock.' It appears in the context of the Israelites' travels after leaving the Desert of Sin.
דָּפְקָה n.pr.loc. first station of Isr. after מדבר סין
base
H1850 דָּפְקָה
1850 Dophqah dof-kaw'
from 1849; a knock; Dophkah, a place in the Desert:--Dophkah.
see HEBREW for 01849
דׇּפְקָה (doph.qah) — Dophkah.
§ Dophkah = "knocking"
a stopping place during Israel's wilderness wandering
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
חָנָה (chanah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to decline, bend down, or encamp. It conveys the idea of inclining or settling, particularly in the context of pitching a tent or establishing a temporary dwelling. The word appears in various forms, including the act of encamping or laying siege. It is associated with the imagery of the evening's slanting rays and the conclusion of a day's journey.
חָנָה 143 vb. decline, bend down, encamp
Qal
decline, of day drawing to its close
encamp (prop. verge toward, incline to, settle at, of goal of day’s march)
base
H2583 חָנָה decline, bend down, encamp
2583 chanah khaw-naw'
a primitive root (compare 2603); properly, to incline; by
implication, to decline (of the slanting rays of evening);
specifically, to pitch a tent; gen. to encamp (for abode or
siege):--abide (in tents), camp, dwell, encamp, grow to an
end, lie, pitch (tent), rest in tent.
see HEBREW for 02603
חָנָה (cha.nah) — to camp.
1) to decline, incline, encamp, bend down, lay siege against
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to decline
1a2) to encamp
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine pluralHc/Vqw3mp
אָלוּשׁ (Aluwsh) refers to a location, specifically a station of Israel in the wilderness mentioned in Numbers 33:13-14. The name is associated with the idea of kneading bread, though its exact derivation is uncertain. It is noted as a place where the Israelites camped during their journey after the Exodus.
אָלוּשׁ n.pr.loc. a station of Israel in the wilderness Nu 33:13, 14.
done
H442 אָלוּשׁ
442 'Aluwsh aw-loosh'
of uncertain derivation; Alush, a place in the
Desert:--Alush.
אָלוּשׁ (a.lush) — Alush.
§ Alush = "I will knead (bread)"
a wilderness encampment following the Exodus
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
a'-lush ('alush): A desert camp of the Israelites between Dophkah and Rephidim (Nu 33:13,14). The situation is not certainly known. See WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.
Alush
One of the places, the last before Rephidim, at which the Hebrews rested on their way to Sinai (Num. 33:13, 14). It was probably situated on the shore of the Red Sea.
(a crowd of men) one of the stations of the Israelites on their journey to Sinai, the last before Rephidim. (Numbers 33:13,14)
mingling together