If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

NUMBERS 14:8KJV
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Numbers 14:8 (KJV)

What does Numbers 14:8 mean?

Numbers 14:8 says that if the LORD is pleased with the Israelites, he will bring them into the promised land and give it to them—a land described as rich and abundant, “flowing with milk and honey.” The verse expresses confidence that God’s favor is what will make their entry into the land possible.

In this verse, Joshua and Caleb are speaking to the Israelites after the people have become afraid to enter Canaan. The people have just heard a discouraging report from other spies, but Joshua and Caleb urge them to trust in God’s delight (“delight” here means to take pleasure or be pleased). The verse highlights that the land’s goodness is not in question; what matters is whether God is pleased with his people and willing to act for them.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 14:8

  • “LORD” (יְהוָה, Yahweh): This is the personal name of God used throughout the Old Testament, emphasizing God’s covenant relationship with Israel.
  • “delight” (חָפֵץ, chafets): This word means to take pleasure in or be pleased with. Here, it stresses that God’s positive attitude toward Israel is the key factor in their success.
  • “floweth” (זָבַת, zavat): This verb means “flows” or “runs,” painting a vivid picture of abundance and natural richness in the land.
  • “milk” (חָלָב, chalav) and “honey” (דְּבַשׁ, devash): These words point to the land’s fertility and plenty, with “milk and honey” serving as a traditional phrase for prosperity and good living.

Why Numbers 14:8 matters

  • Numbers 14:8 clarifies that entering the promised land is not about Israel’s strength but about God’s pleasure and decision.
  • The verse emphasizes the goodness of the land itself, countering the fearful report of the other spies and reminding the people of what God has promised.
  • This statement connects to the larger story of trust and obedience in the wilderness, showing that faith in God’s character is central to the journey.

Where else these words appear

“floweth” Hebrew H2100 · used in 41 verses

  • Exodus 3:8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
  • Leviticus 15:19 And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.
  • Deuteronomy 26:15 Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

“milk” Hebrew H2461 · used in 44 verses

  • Genesis 18:8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
  • Deuteronomy 14:21 Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
  • Proverbs 30:33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.

“honey” Hebrew H1706 · used in 54 verses

  • Genesis 43:11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
  • Deuteronomy 31:20 For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.
  • Psalms 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

“delight” Hebrew H2654 · used in 71 verses

  • Genesis 34:19 And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter: and he was more honourable than all the house of his father.
  • Job 21:14 Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
  • Song of Solomon 2:7 I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.