Numbers 33:15 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּסְע֖וּ מֵרְפִידִ֑ם וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי׃
BSAThey set outnâçaʻ▸ [journeyed, departed] from RephidimRᵉphîydîym [resting places, a stop in the wilderness] and campedchânâh▸ [pitched, encamped, set up their tents] in the Wildernessmidbâr [desert, open field, a place of testing] of SinaiÇîynay [a mountain where God's law was given, a sacred place]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּסְע֖וּ | and they set out | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| מֵרְפִידִ֑ם | from Rephidim | Preposition, noun proper |
| וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ | and they encamped | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר | in [the] wilderness of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| סִינָֽי׃ | Sinai | Noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | They set out from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai. |
| KJV | And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai. |
| ASV | And they journeyed from Rephidim, and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai. |
| YLT | And they journey from Rephidim, and encamp in the wilderness of Sinai; |
| WEB | They traveled from Rephidim, and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai. |
| BBE | And they went on from Rephidim, and put up their tents in the waste land of Sinai. |
Where they part company is נָסַע — see How Translations Differ.
Two main actions are presented: setting out and camping, with prepositional phrases clarifying their locations.
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 33:15
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 33:15 details the journey of the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness. After leaving Rephidim, they camped in the Wilderness of Sinai, a significant location where they would receive God's law. This journey is part of the larger narrative of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt and their quest for the Promised Land.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 16:1 | On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt, the whole congregation of Israel set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai. |
| 2 | Exodus 19:1–2 | In the third month, on the same day of the month that the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נָסַע, vai.yis.'Ugenerated
The verb נָסַע (naṣaʿ) is a Qal imperfect form, indicating a completed action of setting out or departing. It suggests movement and the beginning of a journey, which is essential in the context of the Israelites' travels.
This word can also imply the act of pulling up stakes, reflecting the physical movement of the Israelites as they left one location to travel to another. It captures the essence of their nomadic lifestyle during the exodus.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of this verse is straightforward, with two finite verbs governing the actions: נָסַע (set out) and חָנָה (encamped). The first verb introduces the action of departing from Rephidim, while the second indicates the subsequent action of camping in the Wilderness of Sinai.
The Hebrew word order emphasizes the actions taken by the Israelites, highlighting the sequential nature of their journey.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נָסַע as ἀπῆραν, which conveys the idea of departure. This choice reflects a similar meaning in Greek, emphasizing the act of leaving a place.
The translation of חָנָה is less direct, but the overall context remains consistent with the Hebrew meaning of encamping.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 33:15 tells us that the Israelites traveled from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai. This location is significant as it is where they would receive God's law. The journey reflects their movement through the wilderness as they sought the Promised Land.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Rephidim served as a resting place for the Israelites during their journey, highlighting the challenges they faced in the wilderness.
Sinai is where Moses received the Law from God, making it a central location in the narrative of the Israelites' covenant with God.
Camping in the wilderness represents a temporary dwelling as the Israelites moved towards their ultimate destination, the Promised Land.
This verse is part of the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, illustrating their dependence on God during their travels.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the journey from Rephidim to Sinai teach us about preparation and waiting on God?
- How can we apply the concept of setting out on a journey in our own lives?
- What significance do you find in the places where you have camped or rested during your own life journey?
- How does understanding the wilderness experience of the Israelites help you in your own spiritual journey?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early church fathers often referenced the significance of Sinai as a place of divine revelation. Here, Origen discusses the importance of Sinai in the context of the wilderness journey.
Sina itself is a place in the wilderness that was earlier mentioned as Sin. But this place is, rather, the name of the mountain that is in that wilderness; it is called Sina after the name of the wilderness.Early Church Fathers on Numbers 33 →
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 33:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai.
Read John Gill on Numbers 33 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai. Wilderness of Sinai - the Wady Er Raheh.
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 33 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleSTAT. XI. Verse 15. The WILDERNESS of SINAI.] Somewhere northward of Mount Sinai, on the straight road to the promised land, to which they now directed their course.
Read AdamClarke on Numbers 33 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible15. The wilderness of Sinai — Numbers 1:1, note.
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 Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai.
They traveled from Rephidim, and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai.
They set out from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai.
They traveled from Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai.
Tyndale line
And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai.
And they journeyed from Rephidim, and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai.
And they journeyed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai.
And they departed from Rephidim, and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai.
And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wildernesse of Sinai.
Strictly literal
And they removed from Rephidim, and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai.
And they journey from Rephidim, and encamp in the wilderness of Sinai;
And they journey from Rephidim and encamp in the wilderness of Sinai.
And they removed from Rephidim, and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai.
They set out from Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai.
From the Latin
And departing from Raphidim, they camped in the desert of Sinai.
Simplified
They moved on from Rephidim and set up camp in the Sinai Desert.
And they went on from Rephidim, and put up their tents 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.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, with all five Hebrew words matched in the Greek translation. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs slightly in the spelling of Rephidim, using רפידים, but the overall message remains consistent.
וַיִּסְע֖וּ מֵרְפִידִ֑ם וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי׃
5 of the 5 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 מרפידים ויחנו במדבר סיני
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: רפידים (Rephidim)
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 33:15
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
רְפִידִים (Rphiydiym) refers to Rephidim, a location mentioned in the Exodus narrative. It is described as a station where the Israelites rested during their journey in the wilderness. The name is derived from a root meaning 'rests' or 'stays,' indicating its function as a resting place.
רְפִידִים n.pr.loc. station of Isr. at Exodus (in P)
base
H7508 רְפִידִים station of Isr. at Exodus
7508 Rphiydiym ref-ee-deem'
plural of the masculine of the same as 7507; ballusters;
Rephidim, a place in the Desert:--Rephidim.
see HEBREW for 07507
רְפִידִים (re.phi.dim) — Rephidim.
§ Rephidim = "rests" or "stays" or "resting places"
a station of Israel in the wilderness between Egypt and Sinai
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
ref'-i-dim (rephidhim, "rests"; Rhaphidin): A station in the Wanderings, between the wilderness of Sin and the wilderness of Sinai (Ex 17:1,8; 19:2; Nu 33:14). The host expected to find water here; to their distress the streams were dry, and water was miraculously provided. Palmer (Desert of the Exodus, 158 ff) states cogent reasons for identifying Rephidim with Wady Feiran. It is the most fertile part of the peninsula, well watered, with a palm grove stretching for miles along the valley. Palmer speaks of passing through the palm grove as a "most delightful" walk; "the tall, graceful trees afforded a delicious shade, fresh water ran at our feet, and, above all, bulbuls flitted from branch to branch uttering their sweet notes." His camp was pitched at "the mouth of Wady `Aleyat…
Rephidim
Supports, one of the stations of the Israelites, situated in the Wady Feiran, near its junction with the Wady esh-Sheikh. Here no water could be found for the people to drink, and in their impatience they were ready to stone Moses, as if he were the cause of their distress. At the command of God Moses smote “the rock in Horeb,” and a copious stream flowed forth, enough for all the people. After this the Amalekites attacked the Israelites while they were here encamped, but they were utterly defeated (Ex. 17:1, 8-16). They were the “first of the nations” to make war against Israel (Num. 24:20).
Leaving Rephidim, the Israelites advanced into the wilderness of Sinai (Ex. 19:1, 2;
(Exodus 17:1,8; 19:2) The name means rests or stays , i.e. resting places. The place lies in the march of the Israelites from Egypt to Sinai. Its site is not certain, but it is perhaps Wady Feiran , a rather broad valley about 25 miles from Jebel Musa (Mount Sinai). Others place it in Wady es Sheikh , an eastern continuation of Feiran, and about 12 miles from Sinai. Here the Israelites fought their first battle and gained their first victory after leaving Egypt, the Amalekites having attacked them; here also the people murmured from thirst, and Moses brought water for them out of the rock. From this murmuring the place was called "Massah" and "Meribah."
An encampment of the Israelites between the wilderness of Sin and mount Sinai, where the people murmured, and God gave them water from the rock. Here also the Amalekites attacked them, and were defeated, Ex 17:1-16. It is thought to have been in the valley now called esh-Sheikh, a day’s march northwest of Sinai, and near the western border of the Horeb group of mountains. SEE SINAI.
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
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.
[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
H4057a מִדְבָּר mouth, as organ of speech H4057b מִדְבָר wilderness
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
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
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
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.
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…
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.
סִינַי n.pr.mont. Sinai;—name of mt. of law-giving in J and esp. P
base
H5514 סִינַי Sinai;—name of mt. of law-giving in J and esp. P
5514 Ciynay see-nah'-ee
of uncertain derivation; Sinai, mountain of Arabia:--Sinai.
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
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
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" (
Sinai
Of Sin (the moon god), called also Horeb, the name of the mountain district which was reached by the Hebrews in the third month after the Exodus. Here they remained encamped for about a whole year. Their journey from the Red Sea to this encampment, including all the windings of the route, was about 150 miles. The last twenty-two chapters of Exodus, together with the whole of Leviticus and Num. ch. 1-11, contain a record of all the transactions which occurred while they were here. From Rephidim (Ex. 17:8-13) the Israelites journeyed forward through the Wady Solaf and Wady esh-Sheikh into the plain of er-Rahah, “the desert of Sinai,” about 2 miles long and half a mile broad, and encamped there “before the mountain.” The part of the mountain range, a protruding lower bluff, known as the Ras Sasafeh (Sufsafeh), rises almost…
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…
a bush; enmity