Numbers 21:12 — Word Study
WLCמִשָּׁ֖ם נָסָ֑עוּ וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּנַ֥חַל זָֽרֶד׃
BSAFrom thereshâm [thence, that place] they setnâçaʻ■ out and campedchânâh▸ [removed, journeyed, pitched, encamped] in the Valleynachal [brook, riverbed] of ZeredZered [a river in Moab, east of the Dead Sea]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מִשָּׁ֖ם | from there | Preposition, adverb |
| נָסָ֑עוּ | they set out | Verb, Qal, perfect third person common plural |
| וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ | and they encamped | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| בְּנַ֥חַל | in [the] wadi of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| זָֽרֶד׃ | Zered | Noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | From there they set out and camped in the Valley of Zered. |
| KJV | ¶ From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared. |
| ASV | From thence they journeyed, and encamped in the valley of Zered. |
| YLT | From thence they have journeyed, and encamp in the valley of Zared. |
| WEB | From there they traveled, and encamped in the valley of Zered. |
| BBE | And moving on from there, they put up their tents in the valley of Zered. |
Where they part company is נָסָ֑עוּ — see How Translations Differ.
The verse has a straightforward structure with a main action followed by a description of where the action took place.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, AdamClarke & 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 21:12
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 21:12 describes the Israelites' movements as they traveled through the wilderness. After leaving Oboth, they camped at Iye-abarim and then moved to the Valley of Zered. This journey illustrates the ongoing transition of the Israelites as they sought to reach the Promised Land, reflecting their experiences and challenges along the way.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deuteronomy 2:13–14 | “Now arise and cross over the Brook of Zered.” So we crossed over the Brook of Zered. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נָסָ֑עוּ, na.Sa.'ugenerated
The verb נָסַע (na.Sa') means to set out or depart, indicating the action of beginning a journey. It is used in a perfect tense, suggesting a completed action by a group, specifically the Israelites in this context. This word captures the essence of movement and transition, highlighting the Israelites' ongoing journey.
The root of נָסַע carries the idea of pulling up or removing, which can relate both to physical travel and the act of leaving behind a previous location. The use of this verb emphasizes the dynamic nature of the Israelites' travels.
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 נָסָ֑עוּ governs the main action of the verse, with a sequential verb וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ following it. The structure indicates a clear sequence of actions: first, the Israelites set out, and then they camped.
The prepositional phrase בְּנַ֥חַל introduces the location of their encampment, providing context for where they settled after their journey.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew verb נָסָ֑עוּ is rendered as ἀπῆραν (apēran), which means 'they removed' or 'departed.' This choice reflects a direct translation of the action of setting out.
The term for encamping, וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ, corresponds to παρενέβαλον in the Septuagint, indicating the act of pitching a tent or establishing a temporary dwelling.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 21:12 tells us that the Israelites journeyed from one place and camped in the Valley of Zered. This verse shows their ongoing travels as they moved through the wilderness, establishing temporary dwellings along the way.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Setting out signifies the Israelites' continuous movement through the wilderness as they sought to reach their destination.
The Valley of Zered is a geographical marker in the Israelites' journey, representing a point of transition as they moved closer to the Promised Land.
To encamp means to set up a temporary dwelling, often by pitching tents, as the Israelites did during their travels.
This verse illustrates the ongoing journey of the Israelites as they navigate through the wilderness, highlighting their experiences and the places they camped along the way.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does setting out from one place to another teach us about the journey of life?
- How can we find meaning in the places we temporarily dwell, just as the Israelites did?
- In what ways can we prepare for our own journeys, both physically and spiritually?
- What lessons can we learn from the Israelites' travels that apply to our own experiences?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 21:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleFrom thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zered.
Read John Gill on Numbers 21 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryFrom thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared.
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 21 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleOr rather, by the torrent or brook of Zared, as we render it, ; which ran into the Dead Sea, and from which the valley also might be so called.
Read Matthew Poole on Numbers 21 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 12. They - pitched in the valley of Zared.] נחל זרד nachal zared. This should be translated the brook Zared, as it is in Deuteronomy 2:13-14. This stream has its origin in the mountains eastward of Moab, and runs from east to west, and discharges itself into the Dead Sea.
Read AdamClarke on Numbers 21 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and CollegesNumbers 21:12-20. J E The Israelites arrived at a spot on the S.E. border of Moab, and then, having travelled northwards along its eastern boundary, penetrated westward till they reached the cliffs which fall to the Dead Sea. Notice that the formula used in the itinerary has changed; in Numbers 21:10-11 it is ‘and they journeyed from —— and encamped in ——,’ as throughout ch. 33; but here it is ‘from thence they journeyed, and encamped in ——,’ or some shorter expression. On the whole of this section see G. A. Smith, Hist. Geogr. 557–66, and his article ‘Moab’ in Enc. Bibl. [Note: nc. Bibl. Encyclopaedia Biblica.]
Read Cambridge on Numbers 21 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe valley of Zared - Rather, the brook or watercourse of Zared “the willow.” It is probably the present Wady Ain Franjy.
Read Albert Barnes on Numbers 21 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible12. The valley of Zared — More accurately, Zered. Deuteronomy 2:13. Literally, the willow brook. It is a boundary stream between Moab and Edom, flowing into the Dead Sea, supposed to be mentioned in Isaiah 15:7.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 21 →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
From there they set out and camped in the Valley of Zered.
From there they traveled, and encamped in the valley of Zered.
From there they set out and camped in the Valley of Zered.
From there they moved on and camped in the valley of Zered.
Tyndale line
¶ From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared.
From thence they journeyed, and encamped in the valley of Zered.
From thence they journeyed, and pitched in the valley of Zered.
From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared.
They remoued thence, and pitched vpon the riuer of Zared.
Strictly literal
From thence they removed, and encamped at the torrent Zered.
From thence they have journeyed, and encamp in the valley of Zared.
From there they have journeyed and encamp in the Valley of Zared.
From there they set forward and encamped in the valley of Zered.
From there they traveled on and camped in the Valley of Zered.
From the Latin
And removing from thence, they came to the torrent Zared:
Simplified
They left there and camped in the Valley of Zered.
And moving on from there, they put up their tents in the valley of Zered.
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 reads מִשָּׁ֖ם נָסָ֑עוּ וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּנַ֥חַל זָֽרֶד׃. The Septuagint matches all five words, indicating agreement in this instance. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls include variations but retain the core meaning of the verse.
מִשָּׁ֖ם נָסָ֑עוּ וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּנַ֥חַל זָֽרֶד׃
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.
משׁם נסעו ויחנו בנחל זרד וידבר יהוה אל משׁה לאמר אתה עבר היום את גבול מואב את ער וקרבת מול בני עמון אל תצורם ואל תתגר בם כי לא אתן מארץ בני עמון לך ירשׁה כי לבני לוט נתתיה ירשׁה
38 words differ from the Masoretic Text: ידבר (speak), יהוה (YHWH), אל (to), משׁה (Moses), ל (to), אמר (say)
[ויואמר] [יהוה] [אל] [מושה] [אל] [תצר] [את] [מואב] [ואל] [תתגר] [ב׳ם] [מלחמה] [כיא] לוא אתן [מארצ׳ו] [ירושה] [כיא] [לבני] [לוט] [נתתי] [את] [ער] [ירושה] [משם] [נסעו] [ויחנו] בנחל זרד
3 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 25 supplied entire by an editor.
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 21:12
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.
שָׁם (sham) is a Hebrew adverb meaning 'there' or 'thither,' indicating a location or direction. It can also refer to a point in time, translating to 'then.' The word is derived from a relative pronoun and is used in various contexts, including movement and temporal references.
שָׁם adv. there, thither
base
H8033 שָׁם there, thither
8033 sham shawm
a primitive particle (rather from the relative pronoun, 834);
there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or
thence:--in it, + thence, there (-in, + of, + out), +
thither, + whither.
see HEBREW for 0834
שָׁם (sham) — there.
1) there, thither
1a) there
1b) thither (after verbs of motion)
1c) from there, thence
1d) then (as an adverb of time)
Aramaic equivalent: tam.mah (תַּמָּה "there" H8536)
שָׁם (sham) — (Jerusalem) Is There.
Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
This name means there, thither
Prep | Adv — Preposition · adverbHR/D
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
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common pluralHVqp3cp
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
נַ֫חַל (*nachal*) primarily refers to a torrent or stream, often associated with a valley or wadi where water flows, particularly in winter. It can also denote a shaft of a mine. Additionally, the term may relate to palm trees in certain contexts. The word appears in various forms in the Old Testament, including references in Psalms and Ezekiel.
נַ֫חַל n.m. torrent, torrent-valley, wady
base
[נַ֫חַל] n.[m.] perh. palm-tree;—only pl. abs., Nu 24:6
ref
H5158a נַ֫חַל torrent, torrent-valley, wady H5158b נַ֫חַל perh. palm-tree
5158 nachal nakh'-al
or (feminine) nachlah (Psalm 124:4) {nakh'-law}; or nachalah
(Ezekiel 47:19; 48:28) {nakh-al-aw'}; from 5157 in its
original sense; a stream, especially a winter torrent; (by
implication) a (narrow) valley (in which a brook runs); also a
shaft (of a mine):--brook, flood, river, stream, valley.
see HEBREW for 05157
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — torrent: river.
: river/bed
1) torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley
1a) torrent
1b) torrent-valley, wadi (as stream bed)
1c) shaft (of mine)
Also means: na.chal (נַ֫חַל ": valley" H5158N)
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — palm-tree.
palm-tree
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — Brook.
§ palm-tree
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — (Eshcol) Valley.
Combined with esh.kol (אֶשְׁכֹּל " of Eshcol" H0812H)
§ palm-tree
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — (Shittim) Valley.
Combined with shit.tim (שִׁטִּים " of Shittim" H7851H)
§ palm-tree
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — (Sorek) Valley.
Combined with s.vo.req (שֹׂרֵק " of Sorek" H7796)
§ palm-tree
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — Brook.
§ palm-tree
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — Brook.
palm-tree
Another name of shi.chor (שִׁיחוֹר "Shihor" H7883G)
נַ֫חַל (na.chal) — Brook.
palm-tree
Another name of shi.chor (שִׁיחוֹר "Shihor" H7883G)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
זֶ֫רֶד (ze.red) refers to a brook located east of the Dead Sea, with its exact identification being disputed between the regions of Moab and Edom. The name is thought to derive from a root meaning to grow exuberantly, and it is described as an 'osier brook' in some entries.
זֶ֫רֶד n.pr.fl. identification disputed; between Moab & Edom
base
H2218 זֶ֫רֶד identification disputed; between Moab & Edom
2218 Zered zeh'-red
from an unused root meaning to be exuberant in growth; lined
with shrubbery; Zered, a brook East of the Dead Sea:--Zared,
Zered.
זֶ֫רֶד (ze.red) — Zered.
§ Zered = "osier brook"
a river east of the Jordan, in the region of Moab and Edom, a source of the Arnon river
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
ze'-red (zeredh; Codex Vaticanus Zaret; Codex Alexandrinus Zare; the King James Version, Zared (Nu 21:12)): This is the nachal or "torrent valley" given as the place where Israel encamped before they reached the Arnon (Nu 21:12). In De 2:13 f, the crossing of the brook Zered marks the end of the 38 years' desert wanderings. It has often been identified with Wady el-`Achsa, which runs up from the southeastern corner of the Dead Sea. A fatal objection to this is that the host had entered the wilderness to the East of Moab before they crossed the Zered (Nu 21:11), while Wady el-`Achsa must have formed the southern boundary of Moab. We may conclude with certainty that one of…
Zered
=Zared, luxuriance; willow bush, a brook or valley communicating with the Dead Sea near its southern extremity (Num. 21:12; Deut. 2:14). It is called the “brook of the willows” (Isa. 15:7) and the “river of the wilderness” (Amos 6:14). It has been identified with the Wady el-Aksy.
(osier brook), (2:13,14) or Za’red, (Numbers 21:12) a brook or valley running into the Dead Sea near its southeast corner, which Dr. Robinson with some probability suggests as identical with the Wady el-Ahsy . It lay between Moab and Edom and is the limit of the proper term of the Israelites’ wandering. (2:14)
→ See ZARED