Numbers 33:19 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּסְע֖וּ מֵרִתְמָ֑ה וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּרִמֹּ֥ן פָּֽרֶץ׃
BSAThey set outnâçaʻ▸ [journeyed, departed] from RithmahRithmâh [a place in the desert] and campedchânâh▸ [encamped, pitched their tents] at Rimmon-perezRimmôn Perets [a place of pomegranates, Rimmon Parez]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּסְע֖וּ | and they set out | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| מֵרִתְמָ֑ה | from Rithmah | Preposition, noun proper |
| וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ | and they encamped | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| בְּרִמֹּ֥ן | at Rimmon- | Preposition, noun proper |
| פָּֽרֶץ׃ | perez | Noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | They set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. |
| KJV | And they departed from Rithmah, and pitched at Rimmon-parez. |
| ASV | And they journeyed from Rithmah, and encamped in Rimmon-perez. |
| YLT | And they journey from Rithmah, and encamp in Rimmon-Parez; |
| WEB | They traveled from Rithmah, and encamped in Rimmon Perez. |
| BBE | And they went on from Rithmah, and put up their tents in Rimmon-perez. |
Where they part company is וַיִּסְע֖וּ — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has two main actions, each 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 33:19
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 33:19 describes a segment of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness, detailing their departure from Rithmah and their encampment at Rimmon-perez. This passage is part of a larger narrative that records the various stops the Israelites made as they traveled to the Promised Land, illustrating their experiences and challenges along the way.
Cross References
The Key Word — נָסַע, vai.yis.'Ugenerated
The verb נָסַע (nasá') is a Qal sequential imperfect form, indicating an action of setting out or departing. It reflects the physical movement of the Israelites as they journeyed through the desert.
The root meaning encompasses actions related to pulling up or removing, which fits the context of the Israelites leaving one location for another. This word is often used in the context of travel or migration.
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 main verb וַיִּסְע֖וּ governs the sentence, indicating the action of setting out. The structure includes a prepositional phrase indicating the starting point, מֵרִתְמָ֑ה, and another clause that describes the action of encamping.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the actions of the Israelites, with the verbs leading the sentence to highlight their movement.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נָסַע with ἀπῆραν (apēran), which means 'they departed.' This choice aligns closely with the original meaning of setting out on a journey.
The translation reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew, maintaining the focus on the act of departure.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 33:19 tells us that the Israelites set out from a place called Rithmah and camped at another place called Rimmon-perez. This is part of their journey through the desert as they traveled toward the Promised Land.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that the Israelites left Rithmah, which was a stopping point during their journey through the wilderness.
Rimmon-perez is significant as it served as a location where the Israelites camped during their travels, and its name suggests a connection to pomegranates.
This verse is part of a list that details the various locations where the Israelites camped as they moved through the wilderness toward the Promised Land.
The Israelites' journey illustrates themes of faith, obedience, and the challenges of wandering in the wilderness.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does setting out from Rithmah symbolize in terms of spiritual journeys?
- How can we relate the Israelites' encampments to our own experiences of rest and movement?
- What does the name Rimmon-perez teach us about the significance of places in our journeys?
- In what ways can we reflect on our own journeys and the places we have been?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 33:19 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleVer. 19-29. And they departed from Rithmah, and pitched at Rimmonparez.
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. XV. Verse 19. RIMMON-PAREZ.] 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 Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.
They traveled from Rithmah, and encamped in Rimmon Perez.
They set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.
They traveled from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.
Tyndale line
And they departed from Rithmah, and pitched at Rimmon-parez.
And they journeyed from Rithmah, and encamped in Rimmon-perez.
And they journeyed from Rithmah, and pitched in Rimmon-perez.
And they departed from Rithmah, and encamped at Rimmon-parez.
And they departed from Rithmah, and pitched at Rimmon Parez.
Strictly literal
And they removed from Rithmah, and encamped at Rimmon-perez.
And they journey from Rithmah, and encamp in Rimmon-Parez;
And they journey from Rithmah and encamp in Rimmon-Parez.
And they removed from Rithmah, and encamped in Rimmon-perez.
They set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez.
From the Latin
And departing from Rethma, they camped in Remmomphares.
Simplified
They moved on from Rithmah and set up camp at Rimmon-perez.
And they went on from Rithmah, and put up their tents in Rimmon-perez.
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 structure of the verse, though the Samaritan Pentateuch uses the variant spelling רמונ פרץ (Rimmon Perez) instead of רִמֹּן פָּ֑רֶץ.
וַיִּסְע֖וּ מֵרִתְמָ֑ה וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּרִמֹּ֥ן פָּֽרֶץ׃
4 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 מרתמה ויחנו ברמונ פרץ
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: רמונ פרץ (Rimmon Perez)
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 33:19
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
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
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
רִמֹּן פָּ֑רֶץ (rimmon-perets) means "pomegranate of the breach" and refers to a location, Rimmon-Perets, which was a station for the Israelites in the wilderness. The name is derived from two Hebrew roots, with the first relating to 'pomegranate' and the second to 'breach.'
רִמֹּן פָּ֑רֶץ n.pr.loc. station of Israel in wilderness
base
H7428 רִמֹּן פָּ֑רֶץ, רִמֹּן פֶּרֶץ
7428 Rimmon Perets rim-mone' peh'-rets
from 7416 and 6556; pomegranate of the breach; Rimmon-Perets,
a place in the Desert:--Rimmon-parez.
see HEBREW for 07416
see HEBREW for 06556
רִמֹּן פָּ֑רֶץ (rim.mon pe.rets) — Rimmon-perez.
§ Rimmon-parez = "pomegranate of the breach"
a station of Israel in the wilderness
N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
Rimmon
Pomegranate. (1.) A man of Beeroth (2 Sam. 4:2), one of the four Gibeonite cities. (See Josh. 9:17.)
(2.) A Syrian idol, mentioned only in 2 Kings 5:18.
(3.) One of the “uttermost cities” of Judah, afterwards given to Simeon (Josh. 15:21, 32; 19:7; 1 Chr. 4:32). In Josh. 15:32 Ain and Rimmon are mentioned separately, but in 19:7 and 1 Chr. 4:32 (comp. Neh. 11:29) the two words are probably to be combined, as forming together the name of one place…
a deity worshipped by the Syrians of Damascus, where there was a temple or house of Rimmon. (2 Kings 5:18) Rimmon is perhaps the abbreviated form of Hadad-rimmon, Hadad being the sun-god of the Syrians. Combining this with the pomegranate which was his symbol, Hadad-rimmon would then he the sun-god of the late summer, who ripens the pomegranate and other fruits.
exalted; pomegranate
רִמֹּן פָּ֑רֶץ (rimmon-perets) means "pomegranate of the breach" and refers to a location, Rimmon-Perets, which was a station for the Israelites in the wilderness. The name is derived from two Hebrew roots, with the first relating to 'pomegranate' and the second to 'breach.'
רִמֹּן פָּ֑רֶץ n.pr.loc. station of Israel in wilderness
base
H7428 רִמֹּן פָּ֑רֶץ, רִמֹּן פֶּרֶץ
7428 Rimmon Perets rim-mone' peh'-rets
from 7416 and 6556; pomegranate of the breach; Rimmon-Perets,
a place in the Desert:--Rimmon-parez.
see HEBREW for 07416
see HEBREW for 06556
רִמֹּן פָּ֑רֶץ (rim.mon pe.rets) — Rimmon-perez.
§ Rimmon-parez = "pomegranate of the breach"
a station of Israel in the wilderness
HNpl — Noun properHNpl
Perez
=Pharez, (q.v.), breach, the son of Judah (Neh. 11:4). “The chief of all the captains of the host for the first month” in the reign of David was taken from his family (1 Chr. 27:3). Four hundred and sixty-eight of his “sons” came back from captivity with Zerubbabel, who himself was one of them (1 Chr. 9:4; Neh. 11:6).
(breach). The "children of Perez," or Pharez, the son of Judah, appear to have been a family of importance for many centuries. (1 Chronicles 27:3; Nehemiah 11:4,6)
divided
Perez-Uzza
division of Uzza, or of strength
→ See PHAREZ