Numbers 14:32 — Word Study
WLCוּפִגְרֵיכֶ֖ם אַתֶּ֑ם יִפְּל֖וּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃
BSAAs for youʼattâh [you adults, your dead bodies] however, your bodiespeger [carcasses, corpses] will fallnâphal▸ [die, be defeated] in thiszeh [the current, specific] wildernessmidbâr [desert, open field]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וּפִגְרֵיכֶ֖ם | and corpses your | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| אַתֶּ֑ם | you | Pronoun |
| יִפְּל֖וּ | they will fall | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| בַּמִּדְבָּ֥ר | in the wilderness | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | this | Particle, particle |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | As for you, however, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. |
| KJV | But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. |
| ASV | But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. |
| YLT | as to you — your carcases do fall in this wilderness, |
| WEB | But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. |
| BBE | But as for you, your dead bodies will be stretched in this waste land. |
Where they part company is יִפְּל֖וּ — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause is followed by a subject and verb phrase, with additional prepositional and demonstrative phrases providing context.



4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָפַל
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 14:32
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 Judgment on Israelgenerated
Numbers 14:32 occurs in a narrative where God responds to the Israelites' lack of faith and rebellion against entering the Promised Land. In this passage, God pronounces judgment on the adults who doubted Him, stating that their bodies will fall in the wilderness, while their children will inherit the land. This serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of disobedience and lack of trust in God's promises.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers 14:29 | Your bodies will fall in this wilderness—all who were numbered in the census, everyone twenty years of age or older—because you have grumbled against Me. |
| 2 | 1 Corinthians 10:5 | Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness. |
| 3 | Hebrews 3:17 | And with whom was God angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — פִגְרֵיכֶם, pigreikhemgenerated
The word פֶּ֫גֶר (peger) means 'corpse' or 'carcass', referring to a dead body, whether human or animal. In this context, it emphasizes the finality of death as a consequence of the Israelites' rebellion against God.
The parsing indicates that it is a common masculine plural noun with a construct form, which in this case refers to the bodies of the adults being addressed. The use of this word underscores the severity of the judgment they face.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יִפְּל֖וּ (they will fall) governs the entire sentence, with the subject אַתֶּ֑ם (you) and a prepositional phrase בַּמִּדְבָּ֥ר (in the wilderness) providing context. The structure emphasizes the fate of the adults as a direct consequence of their actions.
The Hebrew word order places the subject before the verb, which is typical in Hebrew prose, highlighting the adults as the focus of the judgment being pronounced.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word פִגְרֵיכֶם is rendered as κῶλα (kōla), which means 'limbs' or 'dead bodies'. This choice reflects a more physical aspect of death, emphasizing the lifelessness of the corpses.
The translation choice indicates a narrowing of focus on the physicality of death, which complements the Hebrew meaning but shifts slightly in emphasis.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 14:32 tells us that the adults who rebelled against God will die in the wilderness, emphasizing the consequences of their lack of faith. This judgment serves as a warning about the seriousness of disobedience and the importance of trusting in God's promises.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This phrase signifies that the adults who doubted God's promise will die in the wilderness, never entering the Promised Land.
The adults' lack of faith led to their judgment, while the children, who were innocent in this rebellion, were allowed to enter the Promised Land.
It teaches that disobedience and lack of faith can lead to serious consequences, as seen in the fate of the adults who rebelled.
This passage highlights a pivotal moment in the Israelites' journey, illustrating the themes of faith, obedience, and the consequences of turning away from God's commands.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some ways I can demonstrate faith in God's promises in my life?
- How can I encourage others to trust in God, especially during difficult times?
- What lessons can I learn from the Israelites' experience in the wilderness?
- In what areas of my life do I struggle with doubt, and how can I seek God's help?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 14:32 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleBut [as for] you, your carcasses,.... Which way of speaking seems to be used to distinguish them from their children; they shall fall in this wilderness: which is repeated for the confirmation and
Read John Gill on Numbers 14 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBut as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 14 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(32) But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall.—Better, but your carcases, even yours, shall fall.In this wilderness.—The very words which the Israelites themselves had used. (See Numbers 14:2.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Numbers 14 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges26–39. All the people above twenty years old, except Joshua and Caleb, were condemned to wander for forty years and die in the desert. The spies who brought an evil report died by a plague. The greater part of this section has been assigned to P , but elements from early tradition have been incorporated in it. The ‘forty years’ is alluded to as early as Amos (Numbers 2:10, Numbers 5:25), and the wandering in the wilderness in Hosea 2:14.
Read Cambridge on Numbers 14 →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
As for you, however, your bodies will fall in this wilderness.
But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.
As for you, however, your bodies will fall in this wilderness.
But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness,
Tyndale line
But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.
But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.
But as for you, your carcases shall fall in this wilderness.
But as for you, your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness.
But euen your carkeises shall fall in this wildernes,
Strictly literal
And as to you, your carcases shall fall in this wilderness.
as to you — your carcases do fall in this wilderness,
as for you—your carcasses fall in this wilderness,
But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness.
As for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness.
From the Latin
Your carcasses shall lie in the wilderness.
Simplified
But you—you are all going to die in this desert.
But as for you, your dead bodies will be stretched in this waste land.
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 states: וּפִגְרֵיכֶ֖ם אַתֶּ֑ם יִפְּל֖וּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃. The Septuagint matches the Hebrew text word for word, and the Samaritan Pentateuch agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
וּפִגְרֵיכֶ֖ם אַתֶּ֑ם יִפְּל֖וּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃
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.
ופגריכם אתם יפלו במדבר הזה
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 14:32
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.
The Hebrew word פֶּ֫גֶר (peger) means 'corpse' or 'carcass' and can refer to the dead body of either a human or an animal. It can also figuratively denote an idolatrous image. The word is derived from a related root, H6296, which is not detailed in the entries.
פֶּ֫גֶר n.m. corpse, carcass
base
H6297 פֶּ֫גֶר corpse, carcass
6297 peger peh'gher
from 6296; a carcase (as limp), whether of man or beast;
figuratively, an idolatrous image:--carcase, corpse, dead
body.
see HEBREW for 06296
פֶּ֫גֶר (pe.ger) — corpse.
1) corpse, carcass, monument, stela
1a) corpse (of man)
1b) carcass (of animals)
Conj | N-mp | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHC/Ncmpc/Sp2mp
אַתָּ֫ה (attah) is a second-person pronoun in Hebrew, used to address someone directly. It has masculine and feminine forms: אַתָּה for singular masculine, אַתְּ for singular feminine, אַתֶּם for plural masculine, and אַתֵּן for plural feminine. The entries indicate variations in form and usage, reflecting the pronoun's grammatical complexity.
אַתָּ֫ה, אָ֑תָּה pron. 2 s. m. thou
base
אתי, i.e. אתִּי, the older & more original form of אַתְּ thou (fem.)
base
אַתְּ, אָ֑תְּ pron. 2 s. f. thou (fem.)
base
אַתֶּם pron. 2 m. pl. you (masc.)
base
אַתֵּן pron. 2 f. pl. you (fem.)
base
H859a אַתָּ֫ה, אָ֑תָּה pron. 2 s. m. thou H859b אתי, i.e. אתִּי, the older & more original form of אַתְּ thou (fem.) H859c אַתְּ, אָ֑תְּ pron. 2 s. f. thou (fem.) H859d אַתֶּם pron. 2 m. pl. you (masc.) H859e אַתֵּן pron. 2 f. pl. you (fem.)
859 'attah at-taw'
or (shortened); aatta {at-taw'}; or wath {ath}; feminine
(irregular) sometimes nattiy {at-tee'}; plural masculine attem
{at- tem'}; feminine atten {at-ten'}; or oattenah
{at-tay'naw}; or fattennah {at-tane'-naw}; a primitive pronoun
of the second person; thou and thee, or (plural) ye and
you:--thee, thou, ye, you.
אַתָּ֫ה (at.tah) — you(m.s.).
you (second pers. sing. masc.)
אתִּי (ti) — you(f.s.).
you (second pers. sing. fem.)
A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)
אַתְּ (at.te) — you(f.s.).
you (second pers. sing. fem.)
A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)
אַתֶּם (at.tem) — you(m.p.).
you (second pers. pl. masc.)
Aramaic equivalent: an.tun (אַנְתּוּן "you" H0608)
אַתֵּן (at.ten) — you(f.p.).
you (second pers. pl. fem.)
A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)
Pron — PronounHPp2mp
נָפַל (naphal) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to fall,' encompassing a wide range of applications, including falling by accident, experiencing violent death, or going to ruin. It can also refer to prostrating oneself, attacking, or causing someone to fall. The term appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, often indicating physical or metaphorical downfall.
נָפַל 433 vb. fall, lie
Qal 366
fall, by accident
Esp. of violent death
fig. = go to ruin, perish, etc.
fig. = experience calamity
fall, of a city
Fall prostrate
fall = prostrate oneself before
fall upon one's neck, in embrace
Fall upon = attack
desert or fall away to, go over to
Fig., of deep sleep
Other idiomatic uses
= lie; = lie prostrate
Hiph.
cause to fall
Of causing death; = overthrow, bring to destruction
Esp. of casting lot
Fig., let drop, cause to fail
cause deep sleep to fall
Other idioms
Hithp. throw, or prostrate oneself
base
H5307 נָפַל fall, lie .. fall, by accident
. . Esp. of violent death
. fig. = go to ruin, perish, etc.
. fig. = experience calamity
. fall, of a city
. . Fall prostrate
. fall = prostrate oneself before
. fall upon one's neck, in embrace
. . Fall upon = attack
. desert or fall away to, go over to
. Fig., of deep sleep
. Other idiomatic uses
. = lie; = lie prostrate
. . cause to fall
. Of causing death; = overthrow, bring to destruction
. Esp. of casting lot
. Fig., let drop, cause to fail
. cause deep sleep to fall
. Other idioms
. throw, or prostrate oneself
5307 naphal naw-fal'
a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications
(intransitive or causative, literal or figurative):--be
accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide
(by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall
(away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have
(inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for 6419), lay
(along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be (X hast) lost,
lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make
to) rot, slay, smite out, X surely, throw down.
see HEBREW for 06419
נָפַל (na.phal) — to fall: fall.
: fall/drop/fail
1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to fall
1a2) to fall (of violent death)
1a3) to fall prostrate, prostrate oneself before
1a4) to fall upon, attack, desert, fall away to, go away to, fall into the hand of
1a5) to fall short, fail, fall out, turn out, result
1a6) to settle, waste away, be offered, be inferior to
1a7) to lie, lie prostrate
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to cause to fall, fell, throw down, knock out, lay prostrate
1b2) to overthrow
1b3) to make the lot fall, assign by lot, apportion by lot
1b4) to let drop, cause to fail (fig.)
1b5) to cause to fall
1c) (Hithpael)
1c1) to throw or prostrate oneself, throw oneself upon
1c2) to lie prostrate, prostrate oneself
1d) (Pilel) to fall
נָפַל (na.phal) — to fall: deserting.
: deserting
1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to fall
1a2) to fall (of violent death)
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVqi3mp
fol (vb.): The idea of falling is most frequently expressed in Hebrew by naphal, but also by many other words; in Greek by pipto, and its compounds. The uses of the word in Scripture are very varied. There is the literal falling by descent; the falling of the countenance in sorrow, shame, anger, etc. (Ge 4:5,6); the falling in battle (Ge 14:10; Nu 14:3, etc.); the falling into trouble, etc. (Pr 24:16,17); prostration in supplication and reverence (Ge 17:3; Nu 14:5, etc.); falling of the Spirit of Yahweh (Eze 11:5…
מִדְבָּר (midbar) primarily means 'mouth' in the sense of an organ of speech, but it also refers to 'wilderness' or 'desert.' The word is derived from a root meaning to drive, suggesting open fields for pasturing cattle. It encompasses various forms of uninhabited land and is notably used in contexts related to the wilderness, such as the Wilderness of Sinai.
[מִדְבָּר] n.m. mouth, as organ of speech, Ct 4:3
ref
מִדְבָר 270 n.m. wilderness
tracts of land, used for the pasturage of flocks and herds
uninhabited land
large tracts of such land bearing various names, in certain districts of which there might be towns and cities
fig.
base
H4057a מִדְבָּר mouth, as organ of speech H4057b מִדְבָר wilderness
4057 midbar mid-bawr'
from 1696 in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open
field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert;
also speech (including its organs):--desert, south, speech,
wilderness.
see HEBREW for 01696
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — mouth.
1) mouth
1a) mouth (as organ of speech)
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — wilderness.
1) wilderness
1a) pasture
1b) uninhabited land, wilderness
1c) large tracts of wilderness (around cities)
1d) wilderness (fig.)
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — Wilderness (of Sinai).
This name means wilderness, uninhabited land
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ncmsa
wil'-der-nes.
See DESERT; JUDAEA, WILDERNESS OF; WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.
Wilderness
(1.) Heb. midhbar, denoting not a barren desert but a district or region suitable for pasturing sheep and cattle (Ps. 65:12; Isa. 42:11; Jer. 23:10; Joel 1:19; 2:22); an uncultivated place. This word is used of the wilderness of Beersheba (Gen. 21:14), on the southern border of Palestine; the wilderness of the Red Sea (Ex. 13:18); of Shur (15:22), a portion of the Sinaitic peninsula; of Sin (17:1), Sinai (Lev. 7:38), Moab (Deut. 2:8), Judah (
See DESERT.
זֶה (zeh) is a demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' or 'here.' It can stand alone, be used appositively, or function as a predicate. The word can also attach enclitically to interrogative pronouns, adding emphasis and directness. In poetry, it may serve as a relative pronoun, though this usage is rare.
זֶה demonstr.pron. and adv.; fem. זֹאת, once זֹאתָה; this, here
standing alone
In appos. to subst.
More oft. as pred.
It is attached enclitically, almost as an adv., to certain words, esp. interrog. pronouns, to impart, in a manner often not reproducible in Engl. idiom, directness and force, bringing the question or statement made into close relation with the speaker.
In poetry, as a relative pron. (rare)
With prefixes (in special senses)
base
H2088 זֶה demonstr. pron. and adv.; fem. זֹאת, once זֹאתָה; this, here . standing alone
. In appos. to subst.
. More oft. as pred.
. It is attached enclitically, almost as an adv., to certain words, esp. interrog. pronouns, to impart, in a manner often not reproducible in Engl. idiom, directness and force, bringing the question or statement made into close relation with the speaker.
. In poetry, as a relative pron. (rare)
. With prefixes (in special senses)
2088 zeh zeh
a primitive word; the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this
or that:--he, X hence, X here, it(-self), X now, X of him, the
one...the other, X than the other, (X out of) the (self) same,
such (a one) that, these, this (hath, man), on this side...on
that side, X thus, very, which. Compare 2063, 2090, 2097,
2098.
see HEBREW for 02063
see HEBREW for 02090
see HEBREW for 02097
see HEBREW for 02098
זֶה (zeh) — this.
1) this, this one, here, which, this...that, the one...the other, another, such
1a) (alone)
1a1) this one
1a2) this...that, the one...the other, another
1b) (appos to subst)
1b1) this
1c) (as predicate)
1c1) this, such
1d) (enclitically)
1d1) then
1d2) who, whom
1d3) how now, what now
1d4) what now
1d5) wherefore now
1d6) behold here
1d7) just now
1d8) now, now already
1e) (poetry)
1e1) wherein, which, those who
1f) (with prefixes)
1f1) in this (place) here, then
1f2) on these conditions, herewith, thus provided, by, through this, for this cause, in this matter
1f3) thus and thus
1f4) as follows, things such as these, accordingly, to that effect, in like manner, thus and thus
1f5) from here, hence, on one side...on the other side
1f6) on this account
1f7) in spite of this, which, whence, how
Art | Pron — Particle · particleHTd/Tm
