And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.

NUMBERS 21:4KJV
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Numbers 21:4 (KJV)

What does Numbers 21:4 mean?

Numbers 21:4 describes how the Israelites traveled from Mount Hor, taking a route near the Red Sea in order to go around the land of Edom, and during this difficult journey, the people became deeply discouraged because of the hardships along the way. The verse highlights the emotional strain the journey placed on the people as they faced a challenging detour.

The setting is the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites after their exodus from Egypt, with Moses leading them. God had directed them to avoid passing through Edom, so they had to take a much longer and tougher route. The verse shows the Israelites’ growing frustration and weariness, which sets the stage for the complaints and events that follow in the chapter.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 21:4

  • The word for "journeyed" (נָסַע, nasaʿ) means to pull up or set out, emphasizing that the Israelites were on the move again, not settled.
  • "Soul" (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh) here refers to the inner life or emotional state of the people, showing that their discouragement was deep and affected their whole being.
  • "Discouraged" (קָצַר, qatsar) often means to be impatient or to lose heart, suggesting not just sadness but a sense of being worn out or fed up with the journey.
  • "Way" (דֶּרֶךְ, derek) is repeated, underlining that it was the path or journey itself—its length and difficulty—that caused the people’s distress.

Why Numbers 21:4 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the Israelites’ discouragement was not just about their circumstances in general, but specifically about the route they had to take, which was longer and harder because they could not go through Edom.
  • Understanding the emotional state of the people helps explain their later complaints and the events that unfold in the rest of the chapter, including the episode with the fiery serpents.
  • The verse connects to the broader theme of the Israelites’ struggles with faith and endurance during their wilderness journey, highlighting the real human challenges behind their story.

Where else these words appear

“Hor” Hebrew H2023 · used in 12 verses

  • Numbers 20:22 And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.
  • Numbers 20:27 And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.
  • Numbers 33:41 And they departed from mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah.

“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;

“discouraged” Hebrew H7114 · used in 46 verses

  • Leviticus 19:9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.
  • Ruth 2:14 And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.
  • Isaiah 17:5 And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim.

“Edom” Hebrew H123 · used in 93 verses

  • Genesis 25:30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
  • 1 Kings 11:15 For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom;
  • Psalms 137:7 Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.