King James Version

Exodus 5:3

And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּvayomrvand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֱלֹהֵ֥יeloheGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “God”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.הָעִבְרִ֖יםhaivrimthe Hebrewעִבְרִיdefinite article, noun, gentilic, masculine, plural, absolute — “the Hebrew”, the ordinary formH5680an Eberite (i.e. Hebrew) or descendant of EberHebrew(-ess, woman).נִקְרָ֣אniqrabefallקָרָאverb, niphal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “befall”, a completed actionH7122to encounter, whether accidentally or in a hostile mannerbefall, (by) chance, (cause to) come (upon), fall out, happen, meet.עָלֵ֑ינוּaleynvaboveעַלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…נֵ֣לֲכָהnelakhahcarryיָלַךְverb, qal, cohortative, 1st person, common, plural — “carry”, a determination or requestH3212to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)[idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue,…נָּ֡אnaI beseech theeנָאparticle, interjection — “I beseech thee”H4994'I pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunctionI beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.דֶּרֶךְ֩derekhalongדֶּרֶךְnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “along”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1870a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverbalong, away, because of, [phrase] by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever).שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁתsheloshetthirdשָׁלוֹשׁadjective, cardinal, masculine, singular, construct — “third”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7969three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice[phrase] fork, [phrase] often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, [phrase] thrice. Compare H7991 (שָׁלִישׁ).יָמִ֜יםyamimas long asיוֹםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “as long as”, the ordinary formH3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) lon…בַּמִּדְבָּ֗רbamidbarin desertמִדְבָּרpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in desert”, the ordinary formH4057a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs)desert, south, speech, wilderness.וְנִזְבְּחָה֙venizbechahand sacrificeזָבַחconjunction, verb, qal, cohortative, 1st person, common, plural — “and sacrifice”, a determination or requestH2076to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice)kill, offer, (do) sacrifice, slay.לַֽיהוָ֣הlayhvahto Jehovahיְהֹוָהpreposition, noun, proper name — “to Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּeloheynvGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “God”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.פֶּ֨ןpenthat...notפֵּןconjunction — “that...not”H6435properly, removal; used only (in the construction) adverb as conjunction, lest(lest) (peradventure), that...not.יִפְגָּעֵ֔נוּyifgaenvcomeפָּגַעverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “come”, an unfinished actionH6293to impinge, by accident or violence, or (figuratively) by importunitycome (betwixt), cause to entreat, fall (upon), make intercession, intercessor, intreat, lay, light (upon), meet (together), pray, reach, run.בַּדֶּ֖בֶרbadeverin pestilenceדֶּבֶרpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in pestilence”, the ordinary formH1698a pestilencemurrain, pestilence, plague.א֥וֹvoalsoאוֹconjunction — “also”H176desire (and so probably in Proverbs 31:4); hence (by way of alternative) or, also ifalso, and, either, if, at the least, [idiom] nor, or, otherwise, then, whether.בֶחָֽרֶבvecharevin knifeחֶרֶבpreposition, with the article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “in knife”, the ordinary formH2719drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implementaxe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And they said: 'The God of the Hebrews hath met with us. Let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest He fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto Jehovah our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

Young’s Literal Translation

And they say, 'The God of the Hebrews hath met with us, let us go, we pray thee, a journey of three days into the wilderness, and we sacrifice to Jehovah our God, lest He meet us with pestilence or with sword.'

World English Bible

They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yahweh, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword.”

Darby Translation

And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Jehovah our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with sword.

Douay-Rheims

And they said: The God of the Hebrews hath called us, to go three days’ journey into the wilderness and to sacrifice to the Lord our God: lest a pestilence or the sword fall upon us.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And they say to him, The God of the Hebrews has called us to him: we will go therefore a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest at any time death or slaughter happen to us.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, ὁ Θεὸς τῶν Ἐβραίων προσκέκληται ἡμᾶς· πορευσόμεθα οὖν ὁδὸν τριῶν ἡμερῶν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον, ὅπως θύσωμεν Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, μή ποτε συναντήσῃ ἡμῖν θάνατος ἢ φόνος.