(Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

NUMBERS 14:25KJV
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Numbers 14:25 (KJV)

What does Numbers 14:25 mean?

Numbers 14:25 tells the Israelites that, because the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valley ahead, they are to turn back the next day and head into the wilderness toward the Red Sea instead of continuing forward. This is a command from God, redirecting the people away from the land they had hoped to enter.

In this verse, God is speaking to Moses, instructing him on what to tell the Israelites after they refused to trust God and enter the Promised Land. The mention of the Amalekites (a nomadic enemy group) and the Canaanites (inhabitants of the land) highlights the immediate danger in the valley. God’s command to turn back marks the beginning of the Israelites’ long period of wandering in the wilderness as a consequence of their lack of faith.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 14:25

  • "Turn" (פְּנוּ, penu, H6437) means to change direction or face another way. Here, it signals a complete reversal from the original plan to enter the land.
  • "Get you" (וּסְעוּ, use'u, H5265) is often used for setting out on a journey, especially when breaking camp. It emphasizes that the people are to actively move, not just wait.
  • "Wilderness" (מִדְבָּר, midbar, H4057) refers to the desert region, highlighting that the Israelites are being sent back into a harsh, unsettled area rather than a land of promise.
  • "Way" (דֶּרֶךְ, derek, H1870) means road or path, stressing that there is a specific route they are to take—toward the Red Sea (יַם-סוּף, yam-suf, H5488 H3220).

Why Numbers 14:25 matters

  • Numbers 14:25 marks a turning point, showing the direct result of the Israelites’ refusal to trust God: instead of moving forward into the land, they must retreat and wander.
  • The verse clarifies that the change in direction is not just a punishment but also a protection, since the valley is occupied by hostile groups.
  • This command sets up the next phase of Israel’s story, explaining why the generation that left Egypt would not immediately enter the Promised Land but would instead spend years in the wilderness.

Where else these words appear

“Amalekites” Hebrew H6003 · used in 12 verses

  • Genesis 14:7 And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar.
  • Judges 12:15 And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.
  • 1 Samuel 30:1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

“Red” Hebrew H5488 · used in 28 verses

  • Exodus 2:3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
  • Numbers 33:11 And they removed from the Red sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.
  • Nehemiah 9:9 And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;

“morrow” Hebrew H4279 · used in 52 verses

  • Genesis 30:33 So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.
  • Joshua 4:6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
  • 1 Samuel 28:19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.

“valley” Hebrew H6010 · used in 64 verses

  • Genesis 14:3 All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.
  • Judges 7:8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
  • Job 39:21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.