And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.

NUMBERS 14:40KJV
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Numbers 14:40 (KJV)

What does Numbers 14:40 mean?

Numbers 14:40 describes how the Israelites got up early the next morning and climbed to the top of the mountain, declaring their intention to go to the land God had promised, because they admitted they had sinned. The people are trying to act after realizing their mistake, but this is after God had already told them they would not enter the promised land.

The scene takes place right after the Israelites had refused to go into Canaan because they were afraid, and God had pronounced judgment on them for their lack of trust. Now, too late, the people try to go up themselves, hoping to fix things by their own effort. The verse shows their regret and their attempt to make things right, but it happens after God’s decision has already been made.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 14:40

  • "Early" (שָׁכַם, shakham) and "morning" (בֹּקֶר, boqer) together emphasize eagerness or urgency. The people are quick to act, but their timing is off because they are acting after God’s warning.
  • "Top" (רֹאשׁ, rosh) of the "mountain" (הַר, har) points to a specific, visible place—likely the edge of the land they were supposed to enter—showing they are physically trying to cross the boundary God had set.
  • "We have sinned" (חָטָאנוּ, chatanu) is a direct admission of guilt. The people openly confess their wrongdoing, but the context shows confession alone does not undo the consequences God has already set.

Why Numbers 14:40 matters

  • Numbers 14:40 clears up the misunderstanding that good intentions or late obedience can always reverse consequences; the Israelites’ eagerness comes after their window of opportunity has closed.
  • The verse highlights the difference between genuine repentance and trying to fix things on our own terms, especially after God has already spoken.
  • This moment connects to the wider story of Israel’s wandering, showing a turning point where the people’s actions are out of sync with God’s instructions, which leads to further trouble in the following verses.

Where else these words appear

“Lo” Hebrew H2009 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
  • Genesis 42:28 And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?
  • 1 Chronicles 11:25 Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard.

“early” Hebrew H7925 · used in 64 verses

  • Genesis 19:2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
  • Judges 7:1 Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
  • 2 Chronicles 36:15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: