Numbers 33:18 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּסְע֖וּ מֵחֲצֵרֹ֑ת וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּרִתְמָֽה׃
BSAThey set outnâçaʻ▸ [journeyed, departed] from HazerothChătsêrôwth [a settlement, an Israelite camp] and campedchânâh▸ [pitched, encamped, set up their tents] at RithmahRithmâh [in the desert, a stopping place]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּסְע֖וּ | and they set out | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| מֵחֲצֵרֹ֑ת | from Hazeroth | Preposition, noun proper |
| וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ | and they encamped | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| בְּרִתְמָֽה׃ | at Rithmah | 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 Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. |
| KJV | And they departed from Hazeroth, and pitched in Rithmah. |
| ASV | And they journeyed from Hazeroth, and encamped in Rithmah. |
| YLT | and they journey from Hazeroth, and encamp in Rithmah. |
| WEB | They traveled from Hazeroth, and encamped in Rithmah. |
| BBE | And they went on from Hazeroth, and put up their tents in Rithmah. |
There are no notable differences among the translations on this verse.
The sentence contains two main clauses connected by 'and,' with each clause detailing the actions of setting out and camping.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, AdamClarke & 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 33:18
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 33:18 describes the Israelites setting out from Hazeroth and camping at Rithmah. This verse is part of a larger narrative detailing the various stops the Israelites made during their journey through the wilderness, emphasizing their movement and the places they occupied along the way.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers 12:16 | After that, the people set out from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — וַיִּסְע֖וּ, vai.yis.'Ugenerated
The verb נָסַע (naca`) means to set out or start a journey. It can refer to the act of departing, as seen when the Israelites left Egypt, or to the physical act of removing something, like pulling up tent pegs.
In this verse, the parsing indicates it is a sequential imperfect form, which shows an ongoing action in the past — the Israelites were actively setting out on their journey. The verb emphasizes the movement and progression of the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In this study, the verse is read in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses set out for וַיִּסְע֖וּ and camped for וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs וַיִּסְע֖וּ and וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ govern the sentence, indicating the actions of setting out and camping. The structure shows a clear sequence of actions taken by the Israelites during their journey.
The sentence is straightforward, with the actions described in a sequential manner, highlighting the movement from one location to another.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates וַיִּסְע֖וּ as ἀπῆραν, which also means 'they set out.' This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing the act of departing.
The Greek word used for וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ is παρενέβαλον, which conveys a similar sense of encamping or establishing a temporary dwelling.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 33:18 tells us that the Israelites set out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. This verse is part of a larger account of their journey through the wilderness, showing their movements and the places they stopped along the way.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It indicates the Israelites were leaving one camp, Hazeroth, to continue their journey in the wilderness.
Rithmah is noted as a stopping place for the Israelites during their travels, marking another point in their journey.
This verse is part of a sequence that details the various locations the Israelites camped at during their wilderness wanderings, showing their movement and progression.
The term 'camped' refers to the act of setting up tents and establishing a temporary dwelling place for the Israelites during their journey.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn about the importance of movement and progress in our own lives from the Israelites' journey?
- How does the act of camping relate to the idea of rest and preparation for the next journey?
- In what ways can we reflect on our own journeys and the places we have stopped along the way?
- How does understanding the context of the Israelites' travels enhance our reading of this passage?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 33:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd they departed from Hazeroth, and pitched at Rithmah. Eight miles from Hazeroth: Rethem, from whence this place seems to have had its name, is generally rendered by "juniper", 1 Kings 19:4 and the
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 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleRitmah; a place in the wilderness of Paran, near Kadesh-barnea.
Read Matthew Poole on Numbers 33 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleSTAT. XIV. Verse 18. RITHMAH.] This place lay somewhere in the wilderness of Paran, through which the Israelites were now passing. See Numbers 13:1; Numbers 13:3. The name signifies the juniper tree; and the place probably had its name from the great number of those trees growing in that district.
Read AdamClarke on Numbers 33 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible18. Rithmah has not been identified. The name is kindred to the word rendered “juniper,” but more correctly “broom.” “It may therefore signify the valley of the broom-bushes.” — Edersheim.
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 Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.
They traveled from Hazeroth, and encamped in Rithmah.
They set out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.
They traveled from Hazeroth and camped in Rithmah.
Tyndale line
And they departed from Hazeroth, and pitched in Rithmah.
And they journeyed from Hazeroth, and encamped in Rithmah.
And they journeyed from Hazeroth, and pitched in Rithmah.
And they departed from Hazeroth, and encamped in Rithmah.
And they departed from Hazeroth, and pitched in Rithmah.
Strictly literal
And they removed from Hazeroth, and encamped in Rithmah.
and they journey from Hazeroth, and encamp in Rithmah.
And they journey from Hazeroth and encamp in Rithmah.
And they removed from Chazeroth, and encamped in Rithmah.
They set out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.
From the Latin
And from Haseroth they came to Rethma.
Simplified
They moved on from Hazeroth and set up camp at Rithmah.
And they went on from Hazeroth, and put up their tents in Rithmah.
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 closely, with all four words matched in their translations. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs by using the word חצרות instead of חֲצֵרוֹת, but the overall meaning remains consistent across the witnesses.
וַיִּסְע֖וּ מֵחֲצֵרֹ֑ת וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּרִתְמָֽה׃
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 מחצרות ויחנו ברתמה
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: חצרות (Hazeroth)
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 33:18
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
חֲצֵרוֹת (Chatserowth) refers to a location in the wilderness where the Israelites camped, known as Hazeroth. It is a feminine plural form derived from another Hebrew word meaning 'yards.' The entries consistently identify it as a settlement or station in the wilderness, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
חֲצֵרוֹת, חֲצֵרֹת n.pr.loc. a station of Isr. in wilderness
base
H2698 חֲצֵרוֹת, חֲצֵרֹת a station of Isr. in wilderness
2698 Chatserowth khats-ay-roth'
feminine plural of 2691; yards; Chatseroth, a place in
Palestine:--Hazeroth.
see HEBREW for 02691
חֲצֵרוֹת (cha.tse.rot) — Hazeroth.
§ Hazeroth = "settlement"
an Israelite camp in the wilderness
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
Hazeroth
Fenced enclosures consisting of “a low wall of stones in which thick bundles of thorny acacia are inserted, the tangled branches and long needle-like spikes forming a perfectly impenetrable hedge around the encampment” of tents and cattle which they sheltered. Such like enclosures abound in the wilderness of Paran, which the Israelites entered after leaving Sinai (Num. 11:35; 12:16; 33:17, 18). This third encampment of the Israelites has been identified with the modern ‘Ain el-Hudhera, some 40 miles north-east of Sinai. Here Miriam (q.v.), being displeased that Moses had married a Cushite wife (Num. 12:1), induced Aaron to join with her in rebelling against Moses. God vindicated the authority of his “servant Moses,” and Miriam was smitten with leprosy. Moses interceded…
(villages), (Numbers 11:35; 12:16; 33:17; 1:1) a station of the Israelites in the desert, and perhaps recognizable in the Arabic Ain Hudhera , forty miles northeast of Sinai.
A station of the Israelites, about five days’ journey from mount Sinai, Nu 11:35. Here they remained a week or more, Nu 12:1- 16; and their next station recorded was near Kades-barnea, on the borders of Canaan, Nu 12:16 13:26 De 1:19-21.
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
רִתְמָה (Rithmah) refers to a location in the wilderness, identified as a station for the Israelites during their desert journey. It is derived from the root of another Hebrew word, and its meaning is associated with 'heath.' The entries consistently describe it as a geographical place without significant disagreement.
רִתְמָה n.pr.loc. station in wilderness
base
H7575 רִתְמָה
7575 Rithmah rith-maw'
feminine of 7574; Rithmah, a place in the Desert:--Rithmah.
see HEBREW for 07574
רִתְמָה (rit.mah) — Rithmah.
§ Rithmah = "heath"
station of Israel in the wilderness, probably northeast of Hazeroth
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
rith'-ma (rithmah, "broom"): A desert camp of the Israelites (Nu 33:18,19). The name refers to the white desert broom.
See WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.
Rithmah
Wild broom, a station in the wilderness (Num. 33:18, 19), the “broom valley,” or “valley of broombushes,” the place apparently of the original encampment of Israel, near Kadesh.
(heath), a march-station in the wilderness, (Numbers 33:18,19) Probably northeast of Hazeroth.
juniper; noise