And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

NUMBERS 20:5KJV
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Numbers 20:5 (KJV)

What does Numbers 20:5 mean?

Numbers 20:5 records the Israelites complaining to Moses about being brought out of Egypt into what they call an "evil place," describing the land as barren—without seed, figs, vines, pomegranates, or water to drink. The verse highlights their deep dissatisfaction and sense of deprivation in the wilderness.

In this verse, the people are speaking directly to Moses, expressing frustration and longing for the comforts and produce of Egypt. The setting is the wilderness, where the Israelites have been wandering and are now facing a lack of water. The verse captures their disappointment with their current situation and their doubts about the journey’s purpose.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 20:5

  • "Evil" (רַע, raʿ, H7451): This word means "bad" or "harmful" and emphasizes how harsh and unsuitable the people see their current environment, not just as unpleasant but as actively negative.
  • "Place" (מָקוֹם, maqom, H4725): Repeated in the verse, this word stresses the physical location, underlining that their complaint is about the actual land they are in, not just their circumstances.
  • "Seed" (זֶרַע, zeraʿ, H2233), "figs" (תְּאֵנָה, te'enah, H8384), "vines" (גֶּפֶן, gephen, H1612), "pomegranates" (רִמּוֹן, rimmon, H7416): Naming these specific foods points to the agricultural abundance they remember from Egypt, showing that their complaint is not just about survival but about missing the good things of settled life.
  • "Water" (מַיִם, mayim, H4325): The lack of water is the immediate crisis, making their complaint urgent and practical, not just nostalgic.

Why Numbers 20:5 matters

  • This verse shows that the Israelites’ complaints are not only about thirst but about a longing for abundance and comfort, revealing deeper dissatisfaction than just the present hardship.
  • By calling the wilderness an "evil place," the people contrast it sharply with the land of Egypt, even though Egypt was a place of slavery, which highlights how hardship can distort memory and perspective.
  • The verse sets the stage for the events that follow, where Moses and Aaron respond to the people’s needs, leading to a significant turning point in the narrative of Israel’s journey.

Where else these words appear

“pomegranates” Hebrew H7416 · used in 25 verses

  • Exodus 28:33 And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:
  • 1 Kings 7:18 And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other chapiter.
  • Song of Solomon 6:7 As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.

“figs” Hebrew H8384 · used in 35 verses

  • Genesis 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
  • Song of Solomon 2:13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
  • Jeremiah 29:17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

“vines” Hebrew H1612 · used in 53 verses

  • Genesis 40:9 And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;
  • Psalms 128:3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.
  • Ezekiel 15:2 Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?