Numbers 33:16 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּסְע֖וּ מִמִּדְבַּ֣ר סִינָ֑י וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּקִבְרֹ֥ת הַֽתַּאֲוָֽה׃
BSAThey set outnâçaʻ▸ [journeyed, traveled, departed] from the Wildernessmidbâr [desert, open field] of SinaiÇîynay [the mountain where God gave the Law] and campedchânâh▸ [encamped, pitched their tents, settled] at Kibroth-hattaavahQibrôwth hat-Taʼă-vâh [the graves of lust, a place of craving]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּסְע֖וּ | and they set out | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| מִמִּדְבַּ֣ר | from [the] wilderness of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| סִינָ֑י | Sinai | Noun proper |
| וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ | and they encamped | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| בְּקִבְרֹ֥ת | at Kibroth | Preposition, noun proper |
| הַֽתַּאֲוָֽה׃ | Hattaavah | Noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | They set out from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah. |
| KJV | And they removed from the desert of Sinai, and pitched at Kibroth-hattaavah. |
| ASV | And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sinai, and encamped in Kibroth-hattaavah. |
| YLT | and they journey from the wilderness of Sinai, and encamp in Kibroth-Hattaavah. |
| WEB | They traveled from the wilderness of Sinai, and encamped in Kibroth Hattaavah. |
| BBE | And they went on from the waste land of Sinai and put up their tents in Kibroth-hattaavah. |
Where they part company is not applicable here as the translations agree.
The sentence consists of two main clauses connected by 'and,' with prepositional phrases providing context for each action.
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 33:16
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 33:16 describes the Israelites setting out from the Wilderness of Sinai and camping at Kibroth-hattaavah. This is part of their journey through the wilderness as they move toward the Promised Land, marking significant locations along the way. The narrative emphasizes their travels and the places they camped, reflecting their experiences and struggles during this period.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers 10:11–13 | On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud was lifted from above the tabernacle of the Testimony, |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 1:6 | The LORD our God said to us at Horeb: “You have stayed at this mountain long enough. |
| 3 | Numbers 11:4–34 | Meanwhile, the rabble among them had a strong craving for other food, and again the Israelites wept and said, “Who will feed us meat? |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נָסַע, vai.yis.'Ugenerated
The verb נָסַע (naṣaʿ) means to set out or start a journey. It conveys the action of departing, as seen in the context of the Israelites leaving Sinai. This verb appears in various forms throughout the Hebrew Bible, often associated with movement and transition.
The parsing as a sequential imperfect third person masculine plural indicates that this action is ongoing and involves a group — in this case, the Israelites. The word captures the essence of their journey and the physical act of moving from one location to another.
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 finite verbs וַיִּסְע֖וּ and וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ govern the sentence, indicating the actions of setting out and camping. The structure follows a straightforward narrative flow, typical of Hebrew prose, where the actions are presented sequentially.
The sentence emphasizes the movement of the Israelites, with the verbs leading the structure and the prepositional phrases providing context for their journey and destination.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נָסַע as ἀπῆραν (G522), which means 'to depart' or 'to set out.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing the act of leaving a place.
The translation reflects a consistent understanding of the journey motif present in the Hebrew text, maintaining the focus on the Israelites' movement.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 33:16 tells us that the Israelites set out from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah. This marks an important moment in their journey through the wilderness as they continue toward the Promised Land.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Kibroth-hattaavah translates to 'graves of lust,' indicating a place where the Israelites camped in the wilderness, reflecting their cravings and desires.
The Israelites camped at Kibroth-hattaavah as part of their journey through the wilderness, marking a significant location where they experienced challenges related to their desires.
The Wilderness of Sinai is significant as it is where the Israelites received the Law from God, making it a pivotal location in their journey.
This verse connects to the narrative by illustrating the continuous movement of the Israelites as they transition from one significant location to another, reflecting their journey toward the Promised Land.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can I learn from the Israelites' journey about trusting God during transitions?
- How can I reflect on my own desires and cravings in light of Kibroth-hattaavah?
- What does setting out from a familiar place mean for my own journey of faith?
- In what ways can I prepare for the next steps in my life, just as the Israelites had to prepare for their journey?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Origen of Alexandria references this verse in his homilies, discussing the significance of Kibroth-hattaavah as a place where desires are buried.
From there they come to the Tombs of Lust [Kibroth-hattavah]. What are the Tombs of Lust? Doubtless it is where lusts are buried and covered over, where all desire is quenched and the flesh no longer lusts against the spirit,Early Church Fathers on Numbers 33 →
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 33:16 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd they removed from the desert of Sinai, and pitched at Kibrothhattaavah.
Read John Gill on Numbers 33 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd they removed from the desert of Sinai, and pitched at Kibroth-hatta'avah. Kibroth-hattaavah - the graves of lust .
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 33 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleSTAT. XII. Verse 16. KIBROTH-HATTAAVAH.] No city, village, &c., but a place in the open desert, which had its name from the plague that fell upon the Israelites, through their murmuring against God, and their inordinate desire of flesh. See Clarke on Numbers 6:1 &c. But it appears that the Israelites had travelled three days' journey in order to reach this place, Numbers 10:33, and commentators suppose there must have been other stations which are not laid down here, probably because the places were not remarkable.
Read AdamClarke on Numbers 33 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible16. Kibroth-hattaavah — Also called Taberah. Numbers 11:3; Numbers 11:34, notes.
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 the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.
They traveled from the wilderness of Sinai, and encamped in Kibroth Hattaavah.
They set out from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.
They traveled from the desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah.
Tyndale line
And they removed from the desert of Sinai, and pitched at Kibroth-hattaavah.
And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sinai, and encamped in Kibroth-hattaavah.
And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sinai, and pitched in Kibroth-hattaavah.
And they removed from the desert of Sinai, and encamped at Kibroth-hattaavah.
And they remoued from the desert of Sinai, and pitched in Kibroth Hattaauah.
Strictly literal
And they removed from the wilderness of Sinai, and encamped at Kibroth-hattaavah.
and they journey from the wilderness of Sinai, and encamp in Kibroth-Hattaavah.
And they journey from the wilderness of Sinai and encamp in Kibroth-Hattaavah.
And they removed from the wilderness of Sinai, and encamped in Kibroth-hattaavah.
They set out from the wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah.
From the Latin
But departing also from the desert of Sinai, they came to the graves of lust.
Simplified
They moved on from the Sinai Desert and set up camp at Kibroth-hattaavah.
And they went on from the waste land of Sinai and put up their tents in Kibroth-hattaavah.
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 Samaritan Pentateuch agree on the main elements of the verse, with the Samaritan Pentateuch using the term קברות התאוה for Kibroth-hattaavah. The Septuagint largely matches the Masoretic Text, with only minor variations in word order.
וַיִּסְע֖וּ מִמִּדְבַּ֣ר סִינָ֑י וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּקִבְרֹ֥ת הַֽתַּאֲוָֽה׃
5 of the 6 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 ממדבר סיני ויחנו בקברות התאוה
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: קברות התאוה (Kibroth Hattaavah)
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 33:16
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
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
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
קִבְרוֹת הַתַּאֲוָה refers to a location in the wilderness known as Kibroth-hattaavah, which translates to 'graves of desire' or 'graves of lust.' It is derived from the feminine plural of two Hebrew roots, indicating a place associated with longing. This site is mentioned as a station of the Israelites, located three campsites away from Sinai.
קִבְרוֹת הַתַּאֲוָה n.pr.loc. a station in wilderness (the graves of desire)
base
H6914 קִבְרוֹת הַתַּאֲוָה a station in wilderness (the graves of desire)
6914 Qibrowth hat-Ta'a-vah kib-roth' hat-tah-av-aw'
from the feminine plural of 6913 and 8378 with the article
interposed; graves of the longing; Kibroth-hat-Taavh, a place
in the Desert:--Kibroth-hattaavah.
see HEBREW for 06913
see HEBREW for 08378
קִבְרוֹת הַתַּאֲוָה (qiv.rot hat.ta.a.vah) — Kibroth-hattaavah.
§ Kibroth-hattaavah = "graves of lust"
a station of Israel in the wilderness 3 campsites away from Sinai near the gulf of Akabah
N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
קִבְרוֹת הַתַּאֲוָה refers to a location in the wilderness known as Kibroth-hattaavah, which translates to 'graves of desire' or 'graves of lust.' It is derived from the feminine plural of two Hebrew roots, indicating a place associated with longing. This site is mentioned as a station of the Israelites, located three campsites away from Sinai.
קִבְרוֹת הַתַּאֲוָה n.pr.loc. a station in wilderness (the graves of desire)
base
H6914 קִבְרוֹת הַתַּאֲוָה a station in wilderness (the graves of desire)
6914 Qibrowth hat-Ta'a-vah kib-roth' hat-tah-av-aw'
from the feminine plural of 6913 and 8378 with the article
interposed; graves of the longing; Kibroth-hat-Taavh, a place
in the Desert:--Kibroth-hattaavah.
see HEBREW for 06913
see HEBREW for 08378
קִבְרוֹת הַתַּאֲוָה (qiv.rot hat.ta.a.vah) — Kibroth-hattaavah.
§ Kibroth-hattaavah = "graves of lust"
a station of Israel in the wilderness 3 campsites away from Sinai near the gulf of Akabah
HNpl — Noun properHNpl