Numbers 11:14

11:14 I am not able to bear this entire people alone, because it is too heavy for me!

Numbers 20:4

20:4 Why have you brought up the Lord’s community into this wilderness? So that we and our cattle should die here?

Numbers 28:17

28:17 And on the fifteenth day of this month is the festival. For seven days bread made without yeast must be eaten.

Numbers 32:15

32:15 For if you turn away from following him, he will once again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will be the reason for their destruction.”


tn The word order shows the emphasis: “I am not able, I by myself, to bear all this people.” The infinitive לָשֵׂאת (laset) serves as the direct object of the verb. The expression is figurative, for bearing or carrying the people means being responsible for all their needs and cares.

tn The subject of the verb “heavy” is unstated; in the context it probably refers to the people, or the burden of caring for the people. This responsibility was turning out to be a heavier responsibility than Moses anticipated. Alone he was totally inadequate.

tn Heb “and why….” The conjunction seems to be recording another thing that the people said in their complaint against Moses.

tn The clause uses the infinitive construct with the lamed (ל) preposition. The clause would be a result clause in this sentence: “Why have you brought us here…with the result that we will all die?”

tn The construction uses a verbal hendiadys with the verb “to add” serving to modify the main verb.

tn Heb “and you will destroy all this people.”