Numbers 33:23 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּסְע֖וּ מִקְּהֵלָ֑תָה וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּהַר־ שָֽׁפֶר׃
BSAThey set outnâçaʻ▸ [journeyed, departed] from KehelathahQᵉhêlâthâh [a place in the desert] and campedchânâh▸ [encamped, pitched their tents] at Mounthar [a mountain or hill] ShepherShepher [a place of spiritual refuge]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּסְע֖וּ | and they set out | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| מִקְּהֵלָ֑תָה | from Kehelathah | Preposition, noun proper |
| וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ | and they encamped | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| בְּהַר־ | at [the] mountain of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| שָֽׁפֶר׃ | Shapher | Noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | They set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. |
| KJV | And they went from Kehelathah, and pitched in mount Shapher. |
| ASV | And they journeyed from Kehelathah, and encamped in mount Shepher. |
| YLT | And they journey from Kehelathah, and encamp in mount Shapher; |
| WEB | They traveled from Kehelathah, and encamped in Mount Shepher. |
| BBE | And they went on from Kehelathah, and put up their tents in Mount Shepher. |
Where they part company is in the use of the terms for 'set out' and 'camped' — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence consists of a main clause followed by a prepositional phrase indicating the starting point and another main clause with its own prepositional phrase indicating the destination.
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 33:23
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 33:23 describes the Israelites' travels as they journeyed through the desert, moving from one campsite to another. This verse specifically notes their departure from Kehelathah and their encampment at Mount Shepher, a location significant to their wilderness experience. The surrounding verses provide a sequence of their travels, illustrating the movement and transitions of the Israelites as they followed God's guidance.
Cross References
The Key Word — נָסַע, vai.yis.'Ugenerated
The verb נָסַע (naṣaʿ) means to set out or start a journey. It is used in the context of the Israelites departing from one location to another, indicating physical movement and the act of beginning a journey. The parsing shows it as a sequential imperfect verb, meaning it describes an action that is ongoing or in progress.
This word carries the idea of pulling up stakes, as in removing tent pegs, which aligns with the nomadic lifestyle of the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings. The use of this verb emphasizes the continuous movement of the people as they follow God's command.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the verse uses set out and camped, which are consistent with the actions described in the Hebrew.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb וַיִּסְע֖וּ (vai.yis.'U) governs the sentence, indicating the action of setting out. This is followed by a prepositional phrase indicating the starting point, מִקְּהֵלָ֑תָה, and another clause describing the action of encamping, וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ, with a prepositional phrase indicating the location of the encampment.
The structure emphasizes the sequential nature of the journey, with the verbs clearly marking the actions taken by the Israelites as they transition from one location to another.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נָסַע as ἀπῆραν (apēran), which means 'they departed.' This choice reflects a straightforward rendering of the Hebrew meaning, focusing on the act of leaving.
The Greek translation captures the essence of the journey, emphasizing the departure aspect of the Israelites' travels.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 33:23 tells us that the Israelites set out from a place called Kehelathah and camped at a mountain named Shepher. This verse is part of a larger account of their travels in the desert, showing how they moved from one location to another during their journey.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Kehelathah refers to a location associated with an assembly of the Israelites during their time in the wilderness.
Mount Shepher is noted as a place of spiritual refuge and beauty, marking an important stop in the Israelites' journey.
The Israelites camped at different locations as they traveled through the desert, following God's guidance and provisions.
To 'set out' means to begin a journey or depart from a location, which is a recurring theme in the narrative of the Israelites' travels.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does the journey of the Israelites reflect the importance of following God's guidance in our own lives?
- What can we learn from the places where the Israelites camped during their journey?
- In what ways does the act of setting out resonate with our personal journeys and transitions?
- How can we find spiritual refuge in our own 'Mount Shepher' moments?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 33:23 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. XIX. Verse 23. SHAPHER.] Where this mountain lay cannot be determined.
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 Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.
They traveled from Kehelathah, and encamped in Mount Shepher.
They set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.
They traveled from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.
Tyndale line
And they went from Kehelathah, and pitched in mount Shapher.
And they journeyed from Kehelathah, and encamped in mount Shepher.
And they journeyed from Kehelathah, and pitched in mount Shepher.
And they went from Kehelathah, and encamped in mount Shapher.
And they went from Kehelathah, and pitched in mount Shapher.
Strictly literal
And they removed from Kehelathah, and encamped in mount Shapher.
And they journey from Kehelathah, and encamp in mount Shapher;
And they journey from Kehelathah and encamp in Mount Shapher.
And they removed from Kehelathah, and encamped in mount Shapher.
They set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.
From the Latin
And they removed from thence and camped in the mountain Sepher.
Simplified
They moved on from Kehelathah and set up camp at Mount Shepher.
And they went on from Kehelathah, and put up their tents in Mount Shepher.
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 and the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agree word for word. The Dead Sea Scrolls show no variation in the wording of this verse, indicating a consistent transmission of the text across these ancient witnesses.
וַיִּסְע֖וּ מִקְּהֵלָ֑תָה וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּהַר־ שָֽׁפֶר׃
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 מקהלתה ויחנו בהר שׁפר
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
[ויסעו] [מקהלתה] [ויחנו] [בהר] [שפר]
nothing on the leather here — 5 supplied entire by an editor.
[ויסעו] [מקהלתה] [ויחנו] [בהר] [שפר]
nothing on the leather here — 5 supplied entire by an editor.
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 33:23
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
קְהֵלָ֫תָה (Qhelathah) refers to a location associated with an assembly of the Israelites during their time in the wilderness. It is derived from the root word for 'convocation' and is noted as a specific station in the desert.
קְהֵלָ֫תָה n.pr. (assembly) station of Isr. in wilderness
base
H6954 קְהֵלָ֫תָה
6954 Qhelathah keh-hay-law'-thaw
from 6950; convocation; Kehelathah, a place in the
Desert:--Kehelathah.
see HEBREW for 06950
קְהֵלָ֫תָה (qe.he.la.tah) — Kehelathah.
§ Kehelathah = "assembly"
a station of the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
ke-he-la'-tha, ke-hel'-a-tha (qehlathah, "gathering," "assembly"): A desert camp of the Israelites between Rissah and Mt. Shepher (Nu 33:22,23). Situation is unknown.
See WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.
Kehelathah
Assembly, one of the stations of the Israelites in the desert (Num. 33:22, 23).
(assembly), a desert encampment of the Israelites, (Numbers 33:22) of which nothing is known.
→ An encampment of Israel Nu 33:22,23
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
הַר (har) means 'mountain' or 'hill,' and can refer to a range of hills or hill-country. It is derived from a root that suggests elevation and can be used figuratively. The entries consistently highlight its geographical connotations without significant disagreement.
הַר 568 n.m. mountain, hill, hill-country
mountain, hill
hill-country, mountain-region
base
H2022 הַר mountain, hill, hill-country
2022 har har
a shortened form of 2042; a mountain or range of hills
(sometimes used figuratively):--hill (country), mount(-ain), X
promotion.
see HEBREW for 02042
הַר (har) — mountain: mount.
: mount/hill
hill, mountain, hill country, mount
הַר (har) — mountain: hill country.
: hill_country
hill, mountain, hill country, mount
A sub-meaning of har (הַר ": mount" H2022)
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…
שֶׁ֫פֶר (Shepher) refers to a location, specifically a mountain or station in the wilderness. It is linked to the concept of beauty and is associated with a place mentioned in the context of Israel's journey through the desert.
[שֶׁ֫פֶר] n.pr.mont. as a station in wilderness
base
H8234 שֶׁ֫פֶר
8234 Shepher sheh'-fer
the same as 8233; Shepher, a place in the Desert:--Shapper.
see HEBREW for 08233
שֶׁ֫פֶר (she.pher) — (Mount) Shepher.
§ Shapher = "beauty"
a station of Israel in the wilderness
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
sha'-fer.
See SHEPHER.
Shapher
Brightness, one of the stations where Israel encamped in the wilderness (Num. 33:23, 24).
(brightness), Mount, (Numbers 33:23) the name of a desert station where the Israelites encamped during the wanderings in the wilderness.
→ A mountain, a camping place of the Israelites in the desert Nu 33:23,24