Numbers 32:14

And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.

And, behold, ye are risen up {H6965} in your fathers {H1}' stead, an increase {H8635} of sinful {H2400} men {H582}, to augment {H5595} yet the fierce {H2740} anger {H639} of the LORD {H3068} toward Israel {H3478}.

Now you, another brood of sinners, have arisen in your fathers' place to increase still more the fierce anger of ADONAI toward Isra'el!

Now behold, you, a brood of sinners, have risen up in place of your fathers to further stoke the burning anger of the LORD against Israel.

And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers’ stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of Jehovah toward Israel.

Commentary

Context

Numbers 32:14 captures a moment of intense rebuke from Moses to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and later, the half-tribe of Manasseh. The setting is the plains of Moab, on the eastern side of the Jordan River. After forty years of wandering, Israel is on the cusp of entering the Promised Land. However, these tribes, seeing the good pastureland in Gilead and Bashan, requested to settle there instead of crossing the Jordan with the rest of the nation. Moses interpreted this desire as a lack of faith and commitment, fearing it would dishearten the other tribes and lead to a repeat of the devastating rebellion at Kadesh-Barnea. There, the previous generation's refusal to enter the land due to fear led to God's judgment and their subsequent wandering in the wilderness for four decades, during which that entire generation died out (see Numbers 14:29).

Key Themes

  • Generational Sin and Responsibility: Moses sternly warns the new generation against repeating the mistakes of their fathers. The phrase "risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men" highlights the dangerous tendency for sin and disobedience to be passed down or replicated across generations. It underscores the importance of learning from past failures.
  • The Gravity of Disobedience: The verse emphasizes that such actions would "augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD." This indicates that God's wrath is a serious matter, and further rebellion would only intensify His displeasure, potentially bringing severe consequences upon the entire nation, delaying or even jeopardizing their inheritance of the Promised Land.
  • Corporate Impact of Individual Actions: The decision of a few tribes is seen as having a potential negative impact on the morale and faith of the entire community. Moses' concern is not just for Reuben and Gad, but for the unity and spiritual well-being of all Israel.
  • Faithful Leadership and Rebuke: Moses' strong words demonstrate his role as a vigilant leader who prioritized God's will and the nation's spiritual health over their immediate desires. He did not shy away from confronting sin directly.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrase "augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD" conveys a strong sense of adding to an already existing or potential divine wrath. The Hebrew word for "anger" here, 'aph, literally means "nose" or "nostril," and is used metaphorically for intense anger or fury, often depicted as a flaring of the nostrils. Moses is essentially saying that this new act of disobedience would be like pouring fuel on a fire, increasing the intensity of God's righteous indignation that had already been demonstrated against their parents' generation (compare with Exodus 32:10).

Practical Application

Numbers 32:14 serves as a powerful reminder for believers today:

  • Learn from History: We must actively learn from the past, both our own mistakes and those of previous generations, to avoid repeating cycles of disobedience and their negative consequences. This applies to personal spiritual walks, family dynamics, and even church or national histories.
  • Consider the Wider Impact: Our choices, especially when we are part of a community, can have far-reaching effects. Self-interest or short-sighted decisions can hinder the progress or spiritual health of the whole body of believers, just as the actions of Reuben and Gad threatened to demoralize the rest of Israel.
  • Beware of Complacency: Just because we are close to receiving a blessing or fulfilling a promise (like entering the Promised Land) doesn't mean we can relax our vigilance or compromise our faith. This verse urges continued faithfulness until the goal is achieved.
  • God's Holiness and Justice: It reminds us that God's anger against sin is real and serious. While God is merciful, He is also just, and persistent disobedience can provoke His righteous judgment. This encourages a reverent fear of the Lord and a desire to walk in obedience.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Isaiah 57:4

    Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, [and] draw out the tongue? [are] ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,

  • Ezekiel 20:21

    Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which [if] a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.

  • Luke 11:48

    Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

  • Nehemiah 9:24

    So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

  • Nehemiah 9:26

    Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

  • Deuteronomy 1:34

    And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying,

  • Deuteronomy 1:35

    Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers,