And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

NUMBERS 14:1KJV
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Numbers 14:1 (KJV)

What does Numbers 14:1 mean?

Numbers 14:1 describes how the entire Israelite community reacted with loud cries and weeping throughout the night after hearing discouraging news. The verse shows a moment of deep distress and collective sorrow among the people.

This verse comes right after the Israelites hear the report from the spies sent to scout the land of Canaan. The people, gathered together, respond emotionally to the frightening news about the challenges ahead. The verse highlights the intensity of their fear and disappointment, setting the stage for what follows in the story.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 14:1

  • The word for "congregation" is עֵדָה (edah, H5712), which often refers to the whole assembly of Israelites, emphasizing that this was a widespread, communal reaction rather than just a few individuals.
  • The word for "wept" is בָּכָה (bakah, H1058), which carries the sense of loud, public mourning, not just quiet tears. This suggests the people were openly grieving, not simply upset in private.

Why Numbers 14:1 matters

  • Numbers 14:1 makes clear that the people's reaction was not just disappointment, but a deep, overwhelming grief that affected everyone, showing the seriousness of their fear and loss of hope.
  • This verse marks a turning point in the narrative, leading to the Israelites' rebellion and God's response, so understanding the depth of their emotion helps explain the dramatic events that follow.
  • The detail that the people "wept that night" connects their emotional state directly to the report from the spies, highlighting how quickly fear can spread and take hold of a community.

Where else these words appear

“wept” Hebrew H1058 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 21:16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
  • Judges 21:2 And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore;
  • Esther 8:3 And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.

“congregation” Hebrew H5712 · used in 140 verses

  • Exodus 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
  • Numbers 15:25 And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their ignorance:
  • Numbers 31:16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.