Numbers 33:35 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּסְע֖וּ מֵֽעַבְרֹנָ֑ה וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּעֶצְי֥וֹן גָּֽבֶר׃
BSAThey set outnâçaʻ▸ [journeyed, departed] from AbronahʻEbrônâh [Ebronah] and campedchânâh▸ [encamped, put up their tents] at Ezion-geberʻEtsyôwn Geber [Ezion-gaber, backbone of a mountain]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּסְע֖וּ | and they set out | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| מֵֽעַבְרֹנָ֑ה | from Abronah | Preposition, noun proper |
| וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ | and they encamped | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| בְּעֶצְי֥וֹן | at Ezion | Preposition, noun proper |
| גָּֽבֶר׃ | Geber | Noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | They set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber. |
| KJV | And they departed from Ebronah, and encamped at Ezion-gaber. |
| ASV | And they journeyed from Abronah, and encamped in Ezion-geber. |
| YLT | And they journey from Ebronah, and encamp in Ezion-Gaber; |
| WEB | They traveled from Abronah, and encamped in Ezion Geber. |
| BBE | And they went on from Abronah, and put up their tents in Ezion-geber. |
Translations agree on the actions of setting out and camping, with no significant variations.
Two main clauses connected by 'and', each with its own prepositional phrase indicating the locations.
4 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Poole, 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 33:35
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 33:35 recounts the Israelites' travels as they journey through the wilderness, moving from one location to another as they make their way to the Promised Land. This verse specifically highlights their departure from Abronah and their encampment at Ezion-geber, marking a significant moment in their journey.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers 14:25 | Now since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and head for the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea. ” |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 2:8 | So we passed by our brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned away from the Arabah road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion-geber, and traveled along the road of the Wilderness of Moab. |
| 3 | 1 Kings 9:26 | King Solomon also assembled a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea. |
| 4 | 1 Kings 22:48 | Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber. |
| 5 | 2 Chronicles 20:36 | They agreed to make ships to go to Tarshish, and these were built in Ezion-geber. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נָסַע, vai.yis.'Ugenerated
The verb נָסַע (nasa) means to set out or start a journey. It conveys the action of departing, particularly in the context of the Israelites' travels. The parsing indicates that it is a sequential imperfect verb in the third person masculine plural, showing that the Israelites collectively undertook this action.
This word also carries the nuance of removing, as in pulling up tent pegs, which fits the context of the Israelites moving from one campsite to another. The use of this verb emphasizes the ongoing nature of their journey through the wilderness.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In this study, we refer to the Berean Standard Bible (BSB) as the base for comparison.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse consists of two main clauses, each governed by a finite verb: וַיִּסְע֖וּ (and they set out) and וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ (and they encamped). The structure clearly shows the sequential nature of the actions.
The Hebrew word order places the verbs at the beginning of each clause, emphasizing the actions taken by the Israelites as they journeyed and camped.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the verb נָסַע is rendered as ἀπῆραν (they departed), which captures the essence of the action of setting out on a journey. This choice reflects a direct translation of the Hebrew meaning.
The translation maintains the focus on the act of leaving a location, consistent with the narrative of the Israelites' travels.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 33:35 describes how the Israelites set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber. This verse is part of the record of their journey through the wilderness, highlighting their movements from one location to another.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Setting out from Abronah indicates the continuation of their journey through the wilderness, moving toward their destination.
Ezion-geber is noted as a stopping point for the Israelites, marking their progress and providing a place for them to camp during their travels.
The Israelites' journey reflects their dependence on God as they navigate through the wilderness, learning to trust Him for guidance and provision.
This verse is part of the broader narrative of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, illustrating their travels and the challenges they faced along the way.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the journey of the Israelites teach us about perseverance in our own lives?
- How can we apply the lessons of trust and reliance on God from the Israelites' travels?
- In what ways can we prepare for our own journeys, both physically and spiritually?
- What significance do stopping points have in our own life journeys?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers referenced this verse to illustrate lessons about maturity and understanding, particularly in the context of the Israelites' journey.
Next they come to Gasiongaber [Ezion-geber], which means “the purposes of a man.” If someone ceases to be a child in understanding, he arrives at the purposes of a man, just as Paul, who said, “When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”Early Church Fathers on Numbers 33 →
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 33:35 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 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleA place upon the Red Sea, as appears from 22:48
Read Matthew Poole on Numbers 33 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleSTAT. XXXI. Verse 35. EZION-GABER.] Dr. Shaw places this port on the western coast of the Elantic gulf of the Red Sea. It is now called Meenah el Dsahab, or the golden port, by the Arabs; because it was from this place that Solomon sent his ships for gold to Ophir, 1Kg 9:26. He supposes it to be about sixty miles distant from Mount Sinai. - Travels, p. 322, 4to. edition.
Read AdamClarke on Numbers 33 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible35. Ezion-gaber — The giant’s backbone, so called from the head of a mountain that runs out into a point. It is the name of a seaport at the northeast end of the Elanitic Gulf, not far from Elath.
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 Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.
They traveled from Abronah, and encamped in Ezion Geber.
They set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.
They traveled from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.
Tyndale line
And they departed from Ebronah, and encamped at Ezion-gaber.
And they journeyed from Abronah, and encamped in Ezion-geber.
And they journeyed from Abronah, and pitched in Ezion-geber.
And they departed from Ebronah, and encamped at Ezion-gaber.
And they departed from Ebronah, and lay in Ezion-gaber.
Strictly literal
And they removed from Abronah, and encamped at Ezion-geber.
And they journey from Ebronah, and encamp in Ezion-Gaber;
And they journey from Ebronah and encamp in Ezion-Gaber.
And they removed from 'Abronah, and encamped at 'Ezyon-geber.
They set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber.
From the Latin
And departing from Hebrona, they camped in Asiongaber.
Simplified
They moved on from Abronah and set up camp at Ezion-geber.
And they went on from Abronah, and put up their tents in Ezion-geber.
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 Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word with the Hebrew. The Septuagint aligns closely with the Masoretic Text, with four out of five words matching, though it presents them in its own order.
וַיִּסְע֖וּ מֵֽעַבְרֹנָ֑ה וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּעֶצְי֥וֹן גָּֽבֶר׃
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 מעברנה ויחנו בעציונ גבר
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
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 33:35
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
עֶבְרֹנָה (Ebronah) is a feminine noun referring to a location, specifically a station of the Israelites during their wilderness journey, situated before Ezion-geber. The name is derived from the related word for 'passage' and is noted in the context of their travels in the desert.
עַבְרֹנָה n.pr.loc. a station of Israelites in wilderness, on march from Ezion-geber, on gulf of Aḳaba
base
H5684 עֶבְרֹנָה
5684 `Ebronah eb-raw-naw'
feminine of 5683; Ebronah, place in the Desert:--Ebronah.
see HEBREW for 05683
עַבְרֹנָה (ev.ro.nah) — Abronah.
§ Ebronah = "passage"
one of the stations of the Israelites in the wilderness immediately preceding Ezion-geber
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
a-bro'-na, the King James Version Ebronah (`abhronah): One of the stations of Israel in the wilderness on the march from Sinai to Kadesh--the station next before that at Ezion-geber on the eastern arm of the Red Sea (Nu 33:34,35).
Abronah
R.V., one of Israel’s halting-places in the desert (Num.33:34,35), just before Ezion-gaber. In A.V., “Ebronah.”
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
עֶצְיוֹן גֶּ֫בֶר (ets-yone' gheh'ber) refers to Ezion-geber, a location near Elath at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. The name is interpreted as 'backbone of a man' and is noted as the last station of the Israelites during their exodus before reaching the wilderness of Zin.
עֶצְיוֹן גֶּ֫בֶר n.pr.loc. near Elath at head of Gulf of Aḳaba
base
H6100 עֶצְיוֹן גֶּ֫בֶר near Elath at head of Gulf of Aḳaba
6100 `Etsyown ets-yone' gheh'ber
(shorter) {Etsyon Geber, from 6096 and 1397; backbone-like of
a man; Etsjon-Geber, a place on the Red Sea:--Ezion-geber.
see HEBREW for 06096
see HEBREW for 01397
עֶצְיוֹן גֶּ֫בֶר (ets.yon ge.ver) — Ezion-geber.
§ Ezion-geber = "backbone of a man"
the last station during the exodus of the Israelites before they came to the wilderness of Zin; located near Elath at the head of the Gulf of Akaba
N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
עֶצְיוֹן גֶּ֫בֶר (ets-yone' gheh'ber) refers to Ezion-geber, a location near Elath at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. The name is interpreted as 'backbone of a man' and is noted as the last station of the Israelites during their exodus before reaching the wilderness of Zin.
עֶצְיוֹן גֶּ֫בֶר n.pr.loc. near Elath at head of Gulf of Aḳaba
base
H6100 עֶצְיוֹן גֶּ֫בֶר near Elath at head of Gulf of Aḳaba
6100 `Etsyown ets-yone' gheh'ber
(shorter) {Etsyon Geber, from 6096 and 1397; backbone-like of
a man; Etsjon-Geber, a place on the Red Sea:--Ezion-geber.
see HEBREW for 06096
see HEBREW for 01397
עֶצְיוֹן גֶּ֫בֶר (ets.yon ge.ver) — Ezion-geber.
§ Ezion-geber = "backbone of a man"
the last station during the exodus of the Israelites before they came to the wilderness of Zin; located near Elath at the head of the Gulf of Akaba
HNpl — Noun properHNpl
ge'-ber (gebher, "man," "strong one"):
(1) According to 1Ki 4:13 the King James Version the father of one of the 12 officers who provided food for Solomon and his household (but here the Revised Version (British and American) "Ben-geber"). His district lay to the Northeast of Jordan.
(2) Another, and the last in the list of Solomon's commissariat officers (1Ki 4:19). His district was also East of the Jordan, but probably to the South of that named in connection with the official of 4:13 (the Revised Version (British and American) "Ben-geber"). According to the rendering of English Versions of the Bible, he is said to have been "the only officer that was in the land." Unless the text, which presents some difficulties, is corrupt, as some suppose, it probably means that this large…
Geber
A valiant man, (1 Kings 4:19), one of Solomon’s purveyors, having jurisdiction over a part of Gilead, comprising all the kingdom of Sihon and part of the kingdom of Og (Deut. 2; 31).
(manly). The son of Geber resided in the fortress of Ramoth-gilead, and had charge of Havoth-jair and the district of Argob. (1 Kings 4:13) (B.C. 1013). Geber the son of Uri had a district south of the former --the "land of Gilead." (1 Kings 4:19)
manly, strong