Numbers 33:41 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּסְע֖וּ מֵהֹ֣ר הָהָ֑ר וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּצַלְמֹנָֽה׃
BSAAnd [the Israelites] set outnâçaʻ▸ [journeyed, departed] from Mounthar [a mountain peak] HorHôr [a boundary mark in Idumaea] and campedchânâh▸ [pitched, encamped, set up their tents] at ZalmonahTsalmônâh [a place in the desert, on the east side of the wilderness]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּסְע֖וּ | and they set out | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| מֵהֹ֣ר | from Hor | Preposition, noun proper |
| הָהָ֑ר | the mountain | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ | and they encamped | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| בְּצַלְמֹנָֽה׃ | at Zalmonah | Preposition, noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | And the Israelites set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. |
| KJV | And they departed from mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah. |
| ASV | And they journeyed from mount Hor, and encamped in Zalmonah. |
| YLT | And they journey from mount Hor, and encamp in Zalmonah; |
| WEB | They traveled from Mount Hor, and encamped in Zalmonah. |
| BBE | And from Mount Hor they went on, and put up their tents in Zalmonah. |
The translations agree here, using similar phrases for the actions of setting out and encamping.
The sentence consists of two main actions connected by 'and', indicating the sequential nature of the Israelites' journey.
4 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Trapp, 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 33:41
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 33:41 recounts the movements of the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness after leaving Egypt. This verse highlights their departure from Mount Hor, a significant location, and their next stop at Zalmonah, illustrating the ongoing journey of the Israelites toward the Promised Land. This journey is marked by various campsites, as seen in the surrounding verses, which document their travels and encounters along the way.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers 21:4 | Then they set out from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, in order to bypass the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient on the journey |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נָסַע, vai.yis.'Ugenerated
The verb נָסַע (nasa') means to set out or depart, particularly in the context of a journey. It is often used to describe the Israelites' movements as they traveled through the wilderness, signifying the beginning of a journey or the act of removing oneself from a location.
This verb is in the Qal stem, indicating a simple action, and is in the sequential imperfect tense, which shows that the action is ongoing. The word encompasses both physical movement and the idea of initiating a journey, reflecting the Israelites' continuous progress toward their destination.
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 verse consists of two main verbs: נָסַע (they set out) and חָנָה (they encamped), which govern the actions of the Israelites. The structure follows a sequential order, first indicating their departure and then their arrival at the next campsite.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the actions of the Israelites, highlighting their movement from one location to another as a continuous journey. The prepositional phrases clarify the locations involved, with מֵהֹר (from Hor) indicating the starting point and בְּצַלְמֹנָה (at Zalmonah) indicating the destination.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נָסַע with ἀπῆραν (they departed), which conveys a similar meaning of setting out on a journey. This choice reflects a straightforward rendering of the Hebrew verb, maintaining the focus on the action of leaving.
The Greek word παρενέβαλον is used for חָנָה, indicating a similar action of encamping. This choice reinforces the idea of establishing a temporary dwelling at the new location.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 33:41 tells us that the Israelites left Mount Hor and set up camp at Zalmonah. This verse is part of their journey through the wilderness, showing how they moved from one place to another as they traveled toward the Promised Land.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies the beginning of a new stage in their journey as they moved away from one location and continued toward their destination.
Mount Hor is noted as a boundary mark in Idumaea and is the location where Aaron died, making it a significant geographical and historical site for the Israelites.
Zalmonah is a campsite where the Israelites rested during their wilderness wanderings, illustrating the various stops they made along their journey.
This verse is part of a larger narrative that details the movements of the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness, with each location marking a significant point in their journey.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I see God's guidance in my own journey, just as the Israelites experienced during their travels?
- What does it mean to 'set out' in my life, and how can I be intentional about my own journeys?
- In what ways can I find rest and refreshment at my own 'Zalmonah' during times of transition?
- How can I reflect on the significance of the places I travel to in my own life?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators, such as Origen, reflect on the significance of Zalmonah, interpreting its meaning as a place of shade and protection during the Israelites' journey.
The stage at Selmona [Zalmonah] follows next. Its meaning is “shadow of the portion.” … The shadow of our portion, which gives us shade from all the heat of temptations, is Christ and the Holy Spirit.Early Church Fathers on Numbers 33 →
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 33:41 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month.
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 33 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsNumbers 33:41 And they departed from mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah.Ver. 41. Pitched in Zalmonah.] Of Zelem; signifying an image; so called because there the people, stung by fiery serpents, not by little dragons sprung out of their own bodies, as Fontunius Licetus will have it, looked up to the brazen serpent, by God’ s command, and were healed. De Spontan. Vivent. Ortu., lib. iii. cap. 51.
Read John Trapp on Numbers 33 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleSTAT. XXXIV. Verse 41. ZALMONAH.] Probably in the neighborhood of the land of Edom. As צלם tselem signifies an image, this place probably had its name from the brazen serpent set up by Moses. See Clarke on Numbers 21:9, &c. From the same root the word telesm, corruptly called talisman, which signifies a consecrated image, is derived.
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
And the Israelites set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.
They traveled from Mount Hor, and encamped in Zalmonah.
And the Israelites set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.
They traveled from Mount Hor and camped in Zalmonah.
Tyndale line
And they departed from mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah.
And they journeyed from mount Hor, and encamped in Zalmonah.
And they journeyed from mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah.
And they departed from mount Hor, and encamped in Zalmonah.
And they departed from mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah.
Strictly literal
And they removed from mount Hor, and encamped in Zalmonah.
And they journey from mount Hor, and encamp in Zalmonah;
And they journey from Mount Hor and encamp in Zalmonah.
And they removed from mount Hor, and encamped in Zalmonah.
They set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.
From the Latin
And they departed from mount Her, and camped in Salmona.
Simplified
The Israelites moved on from Mount Hor and set up camp at Zalmonah.
And from Mount Hor they went on, and put up their tents in Zalmonah.
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, "וַיִּסְע֖וּ מֵהֹ֣ר הָהָ֑ר וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּצַלְמֹנָֽה׃" which translates to, "And the Israelites set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah." The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in its word-by-word correspondence, maintaining the same meaning. However, the Samaritan Pentateuch differs slightly by using the form "בצלמונה" instead of "בְּצַלְמֹנָֽה," indicating a variation in the spelling of Zalmonah but not in the overall meaning of the verse.
וַיִּסְע֖וּ מֵהֹ֣ר הָהָ֑ר וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּצַלְמֹנָֽה׃
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.
ויסעו מהר ההר ויחנו בצלמונה
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: צלמונה (Zalmonah)
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 33:41
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
הֹר (hor) means 'mountain' and refers to specific peaks, notably Mount Hor in Edom, where Aaron died, and another in Lebanon marking a northern boundary. The entries indicate its geographical significance in ancient Israelite context, particularly in relation to Edom and Lebanon.
הֹר n.pr.mont.
mt. on border of Edom
a NE. spur of Lebanon
base
H2023 הֹר . mt. on border of Edom
. a NE. spur of Lebanon
2023 Hor hore
another form of 2022; mountain; Hor, the name of a peak in
Idumaea and of one in Syria:--Hor.
see HEBREW for 02022
הֹר (hor) — (Mount) Hor.
§ Hor = "mountain"
the mountain on which Aaron died; situated on the eastern side of the valley of Arabah, the highest of the whole range of sandstone mountains in Edom; on the eastern side is the ancient city of Petra
הֹר (hor) — (Mount) Hor.
§ Hor = "mountain"
the mountain named as one of the marks of the northern boundary of the land which the children of Israel were about to conquer; located in Lebanon
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
Hor
Mountain. (1.) One of the mountains of the chain of Seir or Edom, on the confines of Idumea (Num. 20:22-29; 33:37). It was one of the stations of the Israelites in the wilderness (33:37), which they reached in the circuitous route they were obliged to take because the Edomites refused them a passage through their territory. It was during the encampment here that Aaron died (Num. 33:37-41). (See AARON.) The Israelites passed this mountain several times in their wanderings. It bears the modern name of Jebel Harun, and is the highest and most conspicious of the whole range. It stands about midway between the Dead Sea and the Elanitic gulf. It has two summits, in the hallow between which it is supposed that Aaron died. Others, however, suppose that this mountain is the modern…
(mountain), Mount. The mountain on which Aaron died. (Numbers 20:25,27) It was "on the boundary line," (Numbers 20:23) or "at the edge," ch. (Numbers 33:37) of the land of Edom. It was the halting-place of the people next after Kadesh, ch. (Numbers 20:22; 33:37) and they quitted it for Zalmonah, ch. (Numbers 33:41) in the road to the Red Sea. ch. (Numbers 21:4) It was during the encampment at Kadesh that Aaron was gathered to his fathers. Mount Hor is situated on the eastern side of the great valley of the Arabah , the highest and most conspicuous of the whole…
A mountain of a conical form in the range of mount Seir, on the east side of the Arabah, or great valley running from the Dead sea to the Elanitic gulf. It is an irregularly truncated cone, with three rugged peaks, overlooking a wilderness of heights, cliffs, ravines, and alone with his brother and son, Nu 20:22-29; 33:38. It is still called Jebel Neby Haroon, mount of the prophet Aaron; and on its summit stands a Mohammedan tomb of Aaron, on the site of a still more ancient structure, and marking perhaps the place of his burial.
who conceives, or shows; a hill
הַר (har) means 'mountain' or 'hill,' and can refer to a range of hills or hill-country. It is derived from a root that suggests elevation and can be used figuratively. The entries consistently highlight its geographical connotations without significant disagreement.
הַר 568 n.m. mountain, hill, hill-country
mountain, hill
hill-country, mountain-region
base
H2022 הַר mountain, hill, hill-country
2022 har har
a shortened form of 2042; a mountain or range of hills
(sometimes used figuratively):--hill (country), mount(-ain), X
promotion.
see HEBREW for 02042
הַר (har) — mountain: mount.
: mount/hill
hill, mountain, hill country, mount
הַר (har) — mountain: hill country.
: hill_country
hill, mountain, hill country, mount
A sub-meaning of har (הַר ": mount" H2022)
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
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
צַלְמֹנָה (tsalmonah) refers to a location known as Zalmonah, described as a station for the Israelites during their wanderings in the wilderness. The name is derived from a root meaning 'shadiness.' It is mentioned in the context of the Israelites' journey, specifically on the east side of Edom.
צַלְמֹנָה n.pr.loc. station of Isr. in wilderness
base
H6758 צַלְמֹנָה
6758 Tsalmonah tsal-mo-naw'
feminine of 6757; shadiness; Tsalmonah, a place in the
Desert:--Zalmonah.
see HEBREW for 06757
צַלְמֹנָה (tsal.mo.nah) — Zalmonah.
§ Zalmonah = "shady"
a station of Israel during the wilderness wanderings located on the east side of Edom
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
zal-mo'na (tsalmonah, "gloomy"): A desert camp of the Israelites, the first after Mt. Hor (Nu 33:41,42). The name "suggests some gloomy valley leading up to the Edomite plateau."
See WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.
Zalmonah
Shady, one of the stations of the Israelites in the wilderness (Num. 33:41, 42).
(shady), a desert station of the Israelites, (Numbers 33:41) lies on the east side of Edom.
the shade; the sound of the number; his image