Numbers 33:28 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּסְע֖וּ מִתָּ֑רַח וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּמִתְקָֽה׃
BSAThey set outnâçaʻ▸ [journeyed, departed] from TerahTerach [the father of Abraham] and campedchânâh▸ [pitched their tents, encamped] at MithkahMithqâh [a place of sweetness, in the Desert]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּסְע֖וּ | and they set out | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| מִתָּ֑רַח | from Tarah | Preposition, noun proper |
| וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ | and they encamped | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| בְּמִתְקָֽה׃ | at Mithcah | Preposition, noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | They set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah. |
| KJV | And they removed from Tarah, and pitched in Mithcah. |
| ASV | And they journeyed from Terah, and encamped in Mithkah. |
| YLT | and they journey from Tarah, and encamp in Mithcah. |
| WEB | They traveled from Terah, and encamped in Mithkah. |
| BBE | And they went on from Terah, and put up their tents in Mithkah. |
Translations agree on the actions of setting out and camping, with no significant differences noted.
The sentence is structured around a main verb with two prepositional phrases detailing the starting point and destination.
3 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, AdamClarke, Whedon & 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 33:28
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 Stages of the Israelites' Journeygenerated
Numbers 33:28 describes a specific stage in the journey of the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness. This verse follows a pattern of movement and encampment, illustrating the progress of the Israelites as they moved from one location to the next, as seen in the surrounding verses. The context emphasizes the importance of each station along their journey, with Terah being a notable point as the father of Abraham.
Cross References
The Key Word — נָסַע, vai.yis.'Ugenerated
The verb נָסַע (nāsaʿ) means to set out or depart, particularly in the context of a journey. It conveys the action of leaving one place to travel to another, reflecting the movement of the Israelites during their Exodus.
This verb is in the sequential imperfect tense, indicating ongoing action. It shows that the Israelites were actively setting out from Terah, highlighting their continuous journey through the wilderness.
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 main verb וַיִּסְע֖וּ (vai.yis.'U) governs the sentence, indicating the action of setting out. The structure includes a prepositional phrase indicating the starting point and another prepositional phrase indicating the destination.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the actions of departing and camping, illustrating the progression of the journey.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נָסַע as ἀπῆραν (apēran), which also means to depart. This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew meaning of setting out.
The translation captures the essence of movement inherent in the Hebrew verb, maintaining the focus on the journey of the Israelites.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 33:28 tells us that the Israelites set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah. This verse is part of a list of places where the Israelites stopped during their journey through the wilderness, showing their movement from one location to another.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies the beginning of a journey, as the Israelites left one location to travel to another.
Terah was the father of Abraham, and his mention highlights the familial connections in the narrative.
Mithkah is noted as a place of sweetness, indicating a positive aspect of their journey in the wilderness.
It illustrates the continuous movement of the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness, marking important stops along the way.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the journey from Terah to Mithkah teach us about the importance of movement in our own lives?
- How can we reflect on the places we have come from in our own journeys?
- What does it mean to 'camp' in our lives, and how can we find rest in our journeys?
- How does the idea of sweetness in Mithkah resonate with experiences in our own lives?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators like Origen of Alexandria reference this verse to discuss the significance of the journey and its spiritual implications.
Next they come to Matheca [Mithkah], which means “new death.” What is the new death? When we die with Christ so that we may live with him.Early Church Fathers on Numbers 33 →
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 33:28 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd they removed from the desert of Sinai, and pitched at Kibroth-hatta'avah. Kibroth-hattaavah - the graves of lust .
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 33 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleSTAT. XXIV. Verse 28. MITHCAH.] Calmet conjectures that this may be Mocha, a city in Arabia Petraea.
Read AdamClarke on Numbers 33 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleTHE OF THE , Numbers 33:1-49.Having reached the Land of Promise, and taken possession of its eastern portion, it is proper that the history of the desert wandering should close with a list of
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 33 →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
They set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah.
They traveled from Terah, and encamped in Mithkah.
They set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah.
They traveled from Terah and camped in Mithcah.
Tyndale line
And they removed from Tarah, and pitched in Mithcah.
And they journeyed from Terah, and encamped in Mithkah.
And they journeyed from Terah, and pitched in Mithkah.
And they removed from Tarah, and encamped in Mithcah.
And they remoued from Tarah, and pitched in Mithkah.
Strictly literal
And they removed from Terah, and encamped in Mithcah.
and they journey from Tarah, and encamp in Mithcah.
And they journey from Tarah and encamp in Mithcah.
And they removed from Tarach, and encamped in Mithkah.
They set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah.
From the Latin
And they departed from thence, and pitched their tents in Methca.
Simplified
They moved on from Terah and set up camp at Mithkah.
And they went on from Terah, and put up their tents in Mithkah.
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 is supported by the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agree word for word. The Dead Sea Scrolls also show alignment with the Masoretic Text, though some words are restored or supplied by editors.
וַיִּסְע֖וּ מִתָּ֑רַח וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּמִתְקָֽה׃
4 of the 4 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.
ויסעו מתרח ויחנו במתקה
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
ויסעו מתרח [ויחנו] [במתקה]
1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 2 supplied entire by an editor.
[ויסעו] [מתרח] [ויחנו] [במתקה]
nothing on the leather here — 4 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 33:28
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.
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
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine pluralHc/Vqw3mp
תֶּ֫רַח (Terach) refers to the father of Abraham and also denotes a station in the Exodus journey. The entries indicate that the name may carry meanings related to 'station' or 'delay.' Terach is first mentioned in Genesis 11:24 and is associated with notable family members like Nahor and Haran.
תֶּ֫רַח n.pr.
m. father of Abraham
loc. station of Exodus journey
base
H8646 תֶּ֫רַח . father of Abraham
. station of Exodus journey
8646 Terach teh'-rakh
of uncertain derivation; Terach, the father of Abraham; also
a place in the Desert:--Tarah, Terah.
תֶּ֫רַח (te.rach) — Terah.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.11.24;
son of: Nahor (H5152);
father of: Abraham (H0085), Nahor (H5152H), Haran (H2039) and Sarah (H8283)
Also named: Thara (Θάρα "Terah" G2291)
§ Terah = "station"
1) the father of Abraham
Tarah = "delay"
2) a station of Israel in the wilderness
תֶּ֫רַח (te.rach) — Terah.
§ Terah = "station"
a station of Israel in the wilderness
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
ta'-ra, tar'-a (Nu 33:27 f the King James Version).
See TERAH.
Tarah
Stopping; station, an encampment of the Hebrews in the wilderness (Num. 33:27, 28).
(delay), a desert-station of the Israelites between Tahath and Mithcah. (Numbers 33:27)
a hair; a wretch; one banished
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
מִתְקָה (Mithqah) refers to a location in the desert associated with the Israelites, translating to 'sweetness.' It is a feminine noun derived from another Hebrew word meaning sweetness. The entries consistently identify it as a station in the wilderness, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
מִתְקָה n.pr.loc. a station of Isr. in desert
base
H4989 מִתְקָה
4989 Mithqah mith-kaw'
feminine of 4987; sweetness; Mithkah, a place in the
Desert:--Mithcah.
see HEBREW for 04987
מִתְקָה (mit.qah) — Mithkah.
§ Mithcah = "sweetness"
a station of Israel in the wilderness
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
Mithcah
Sweetness, one of the stations of the Israelites in the wilderness (Num. 33:28, 29).
(sweetness), the name of an unknown desert encampment of the Israelites. (Numbers 33:28,29)
sweetness; pleasantness
→ An encampment of the Israelites Nu 33:28,29