King James Version

Numbers 20:3

And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

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Hebrew

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וַיָּ֥רֶבvayarevand adversaryרִיבconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and adversary”, the next action in the storyH7378properly, to toss, i.e. grapple; mostly figuratively, to wrangle, i.e. hold a controversy; (by implication) to defendadversary, chide, complain, contend, debate, [idiom] ever, [idiom] lay wait, plead, rebuke, strive, [idiom] thoroughly.הָעָ֖םhaamthe peopleעַםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the people”, the ordinary formH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.עִםimwithעִםpreposition — “with”H5973adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)accompanying, against, and, as ([idiom] long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-) to, with(-al).מֹשֶׁ֑הmoshehMosesמֹשֶׁהnoun, proper name — “Moses”H4872Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiverMoses.וַיֹּאמְר֣וּvayomrvand 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…לֵאמֹ֔רlemorto sayאָמַרpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to say”, the to-form of the verbH559to 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…וְל֥וּvelvand ifלוּאconjunction, conjunction — “and if”H3863a conditional particle; if; by implication (interj. as a wish) would that!if (haply), peradventure, I pray thee, though, I would, would God (that).גָוַ֛עְנוּgavanvgive up the ghostגָּוַעverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, plural — “give up the ghost”, a completed actionH1478to breathe out, i.e. (by implication) expiredie, be dead, give up the ghost, perish.בִּגְוַ֥עbigvain give up the ghostגָּוַעpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “in give up the ghost”, the to-form of the verbH1478to breathe out, i.e. (by implication) expiredie, be dead, give up the ghost, perish.אַחֵ֖ינוּacheynvbrother ; kindredאָחnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “brother ; kindred”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH251a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'.לִפְנֵ֥יlifneto a- foreפָּנִיםpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct — “to a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…יְהוָֽהyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the people strove with Moses, and spoke, saying: 'Would that we had perished when our brethren perished before the LORD!

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

And the people strove with Moses, and spake, saying, Would that we had died when our brethren died before Jehovah!

Young’s Literal Translation

and the people strive with Moses, and speak, saying, 'And oh that we had expired when our brethren expired before Jehovah!

World English Bible

The people quarreled with Moses, and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before Yahweh!

Darby Translation

And the people contended with Moses, and spoke, saying, Would that we had died when our brethren died before Jehovah!

Douay-Rheims

And making a sedition, they said: Would God we had perished among our brethren before the Lord.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And the people strove with Moses, and spoke, saying: 'Would that we had perished when our brethren perished before the LORD!

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the people reviled Moses, saying, Would we had died in the destruction of our brethren before the Lord!

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐλοιδορεῖτο ὁ λαὸς πρὸς Μωυσῆν, λέγοντες, ὄφελον ἀπεθάνομεν ἐν τῇ ἀπωλείᾳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν ἔναντι Κυρίου.