Numbers 33:21 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּסְע֖וּ מִלִּבְנָ֑ה וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּרִסָּֽה׃
BSAThey set outnâçaʻ▸ [journeyed, traveled, departed] from LibnahLibnâh [a city in Palestine, originally a Canaanite royal city] and campedchânâh▸ [pitched, encamped, set up their tents] at RissahRiççâh [a place in the desert, a wilderness stop]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּסְע֖וּ | and they set out | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| מִלִּבְנָ֑ה | from Libnah | Preposition, noun proper |
| וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ | and they encamped | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| בְּרִסָּֽה׃ | at Rissah | 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 Libnah and camped at Rissah. |
| KJV | And they removed from Libnah, and pitched at Rissah. |
| ASV | And they journeyed from Libnah, and encamped in Rissah. |
| YLT | And they journey from Libnah, and encamp in Rissah; |
| WEB | They traveled from Libnah, and encamped in Rissah. |
| BBE | And they went on from Libnah, and put up their tents in Rissah. |
The translations agree on the wording for נָסַע — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence structure features two main actions connected by 'and,' indicating a sequence of movement.
3 commentators on this verse
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 33:21
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 33:21 is part of a larger narrative that details the travels of the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness. This section lists their encampments and movements, illustrating their progress toward the Promised Land. Each location marks a significant point in their journey, reflecting both physical movement and spiritual lessons learned along the way.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deuteronomy 1:1 | These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan—in the Arabah opposite Suph—between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נָסַע, vai.yis.'Ugenerated
The verb נָסַע (nas'a) is a Qal imperfect form meaning 'to set out' or 'to journey.' It emphasizes the act of departing from one place to another, which is a key theme in the Israelites' wilderness experience. This word captures the essence of movement and transition, as the Israelites leave Libnah behind.
The parsing indicates that it is in the third person masculine plural, which aligns with the collective action of the Israelite community as they journey together. The word conveys not just physical movement but also the spiritual journey of the people as they follow God's guidance.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the word set out is used, which aligns with the KJV and ASV, both of which also use set out to convey the action of departing.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse contains two main verbs: נָסַע (they set out) and חָנָה (they encamped), which govern the actions of the Israelites. The structure shows a clear sequence of movement followed by a pause to camp.
The Hebrew word order emphasizes the actions taken by the Israelites, with the verbs leading the sentence, highlighting the journey's progression.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נָסַע with ἀπῆραν, meaning 'they departed.' This choice reflects a straightforward rendering of the Hebrew verb, maintaining the emphasis on leaving one place for another.
The translation aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, focusing on the act of departure as a significant moment in the narrative.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 33:21 describes how the Israelites left Libnah and set up camp at Rissah. This verse is part of a list of places where they stopped during their journey through the wilderness, showing their movement toward the Promised Land.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Setting out from Libnah indicates the Israelites' continued journey through the wilderness, moving from one encampment to the next as they followed God's guidance.
Rissah is significant as one of the stops for the Israelites during their wilderness journey, marking a moment of rest and reflection before continuing their travels.
The journey of the Israelites teaches us about perseverance, faith, and the importance of following God's direction as they moved toward the Promised Land.
This verse connects to the overall narrative by illustrating the Israelites' physical movements and their spiritual journey as they navigate through the wilderness.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I apply the lessons of journeying and encamping in my own life?
- What are some 'Rissahs' in my life where I need to pause and reflect?
- In what ways can I support others on their journey, just as the Israelites traveled together?
- How does understanding the Israelites' journey help me in my spiritual walk?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentary on this verse highlights the significance of the Israelites' journey and the lessons learned along the way.
The next stage takes place in Ressa [Rissah], which could be put into our words as “visible or praiseworthy temptation.” Why is it that however great the progress made by the soul nonetheless temptations are not taken away from it? Here it…Early Church Fathers on Numbers 33 →
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 33:21 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
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. XVII. Verse 21. RISSAH.] A place mentioned nowhere else in the sacred writings. Its situation utterly uncertain.
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 Libnah and camped at Rissah.
They traveled from Libnah, and encamped in Rissah.
They set out from Libnah and camped at Rissah.
They traveled from Libnah and camped at Rissah.
Tyndale line
And they removed from Libnah, and pitched at Rissah.
And they journeyed from Libnah, and encamped in Rissah.
And they journeyed from Libnah, and pitched in Rissah.
And they removed from Libnah, and encamped at Rissah.
And they remoued from Libnah, and pitched in Rissah.
Strictly literal
And they removed from Libnah, and encamped at Rissah.
And they journey from Libnah, and encamp in Rissah;
And they journey from Libnah and encamp in Rissah.
And they removed from Libnah, and encamped in Rissah.
They set out from Libnah and camped at Rissah.
From the Latin
Removing from Lebna they camped in Ressa.
Simplified
They moved on from Libnah and set up camp at Rissah.
And they went on from Libnah, and put up their tents in Rissah.
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 is supported by the Septuagint, which matches all four words in this verse. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs slightly by using the form לבונה for Libnah, indicating a variation in the name but not in the overall meaning of the verse.
וַיִּסְע֖וּ מִלִּבְנָ֑ה וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּרִסָּֽה׃
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 מלבונה ויחנו ברסה
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: לבונה (Libnah)
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 33:21
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
לִבְנָה (Libnah) refers to a location in southwest Judah, noted for being captured by Joshua. It is also identified as a station for the Israelites during their wilderness journey. The name is associated with the meaning 'pavement.' The exact site remains unknown.
לִבְנָה n.pr.loc.
city in SW. Judah, exact site unknown, captured by Joshua
station of Isr. in wilderness
base
H3841 לִבְנָה . city in SW. Judah, exact site unknown, captured by Joshua
. station of Isr. in wilderness
3841 Libnah lib-naw'
the same as 3839; Libnah, a place in the Desert and one in
Palestine:--Libnah.
see HEBREW for 03839
לִבְנָה (liv.nah) — Libnah.
§ Libnah = "pavement"
a station between Sinai and Kadesh of Israel during their wilderness wanderings
לִבְנָה (liv.nah) — Libnah.
§ Libnah = "pavement"
a royal city of the Canaanites in the southwest captured by Joshua; allocated to Judah and made a Levitical city
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
lib'-na (libhnah "whiteness," "transparency," "pavement" (compare Ex 24:10 where libhnath, is translated "paved work" or a "compact foundation"); Lebna):
(1) A desert camp of the Israelites between Rimmon-perez and Rissah (Nu 33:20,21). Probably the same as Laban (De 1:1).
See WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.
(2) A town in the Shephelah of Judah (Jos 15:42). "Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah: and Yahweh delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel. .... And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it" (
Libnah
Transparency; whiteness. (1.) One of the stations of the Israelites in the wilderness (Num. 33:20, 21).
(2.) One of the royal cities of the Canaanites taken by Joshua (Josh. 10:29-32; 12:15). It became one of the Levitical towns in the tribe of Judah (21:13), and was strongly fortified. Sennacherib laid siege to it (2 Kings 19:8; Isa. 37:8). It was the native place of Hamutal, the queen of Josiah (2 Kings 23:31). It stood near Lachish, and has been identified with the modern Arak el-Menshiyeh.
(whiteness). A royal city of the Canaanites which lay in the southwest part of the Holy Land, taken by Joshua immediately after the rout of Beth-horon. It was near Lachish, west of Makkedah. It was appropriated with its "suburbs" to the priests. (Joshua 21:13; 1 Chronicles 6:57) In the reign of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat it "revolted" form Judah at the same time with Edom. (2 Kings 8:22; 2 Chronicles 21:10) Probably the modern Ayak el-Menshiyeh . One of the stations at which the Israelites encamped on their journey between the wilderness of Sinai and Kadesh. (Numbers 33:20,21)
A city in the western part of Judah, not far from Lachish, conquered by Joshua from the Canaanites, and assigned to the priests, Jos 10:29,30 15:42 21:13 1Ch 6:57. Its inhabitants revolted against the idolatrous and cruel Jehoram, 2Ch 21:10. It was a strongly fortified place, and under its walls the Assyrian army was miraculously cut off, 2Ki 19:8,9,35.
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
רִסָּה (Riccah) refers to a place name meaning 'ruin,' specifically a station of the Israelites in the wilderness. The word is derived from a root meaning to drip or fall apart, suggesting a sense of decay. It appears in the context of the Israelites' journey through the desert.
רִסָּה n.pr.loc. station in wilderness
base
H7446 רִסָּה
7446 Riccah ris-saw'
from 7450; a ruin (as dripping to pieces); Rissah, a place in
the Desert:--Rissah.
see HEBREW for 07450
רִסָּה (ris.sah) — Rissah.
§ Rissah = "ruin"
a station of Israel in the wilderness
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
ris'-a (riccah, "dew"): A camp of the Israelites in the wilderness wanderings between Libnah and Kehelathah (Nu 33:21 f).
See WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.
Rissah
Heap of ruins; dew, a station of the Israelites in the wilderness (Num. 33:21, 22).
watering; distillation; dew
→ A camping place of the Israelites Nu 33:21,22