Internet Verse Search Commentaries Word Analysis ITL - draft

Numbers 20:3

NETBible	The people contended¹ with Moses, saying,² “If only³ we had died when our brothers died before the Lord!
NIV © biblegateway Num 20:3	They quarrelled with Moses and said, "If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD!
NASB © biblegateway Num 20:3	The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, "If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD!
NLT © biblegateway Num 20:3	The people blamed Moses and said, "We wish we had died in the LORD’s presence with our brothers!
MSG © biblegateway Num 20:3	They attacked Moses: "We wish we'd died when the rest of our brothers died before GOD.
BBE © SABDAweb Num 20:3	And the people were angry with Moses and said, If only death had overtaken us when our brothers came to their death before the Lord!
NRSV © bibleoremus Num 20:3	The people quarreled with Moses and said, "Would that we had died when our kindred died before the LORD!
NKJV © biblegateway Num 20:3	And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: "If only we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!
[+] More English


KJV	And the people <05971> chode <07378> (8799) with Moses <04872>_, and spake <0559> (8799)_, saying <0559> (8800)_, Would God that <03863> we had died <01478> (8804) when our brethren <0251> died <01478> (8800) before <06440> the LORD <03068>_!
NASB © biblegateway Num 20:3	The people <05971> thus contended <07378> with Moses <04872> and spoke <0559> , saying <0559> , "If <03863> only <03863> we had perished <01478> when our brothers <0251> perished <01478> before <06440> the LORD <03068> !
LXXM	kai <2532> CONJ eloidoreito <3058> V-IMI-3S o <3588> T-NSM laov <2992> N-NSM prov <4314> PREP mwushn {N-ASM} legontev <3004> V-PAPNP ofelon <3784> V-AAPNS apeyanomen <599> V-AAI-1P en <1722> PREP th <3588> T-DSF apwleia <684> N-DSF twn <3588> T-GPM adelfwn <80> N-GPM hmwn <1473> P-GP enanti <1725> PREP kuriou <2962> N-GSM
NET [draft] ITL	The people <05971> contended <07378> with <05973> Moses <04872> , saying <0559> , “If only <03863> we had died <01478> when our brothers <0251> died <01478> before <06440> the Lord <03068> !
HEBREW	hwhy <03068> ynpl <06440> wnyxa <0251> ewgb <01478> wnewg <01478> wlw <03863> rmal <0559> wrmayw <0559> hsm <04872> Me <05973> Meh <05971> bryw (20:3) <07378>

NETBible

The people contended¹ with Moses, saying,² “If only³ we had died when our brothers died before the Lord!

NET Notes

¹tn The verb is רִיב (riv); it is often used in the Bible for a legal complaint, a law suit, at least in form. But it can also describe a quarrel, or strife, like that between Abram’s men and Lot’s men in Genesis 13. It will be the main verb behind the commemorative name Meribah, the place where the people strove with God. It is a far more serious thing than grumbling – it is directed, intentional, and well-argued. For further discussion, see J. Limburg, “The Root ‘rib’ and the Prophetic Lawsuit Speeches,” JBL 88 (1969): 291-304.

²tn Heb “and they said, saying.”

³tn The particle לוּ (lu) indicates the optative nuance of the line – the wishing or longing for death. It is certainly an absurdity to want to have died, but God took them at their word and they died in the wilderness.