Numbers 20:5 Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates--and there is no water to drink!"

◄ Numbers 20:5 ►

New International Version
Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”

New Living Translation
Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!”

English Standard Version
And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.”

Berean Standard Bible
Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates—and there is no water to drink!”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.”

New American Standard Bible
Why did you make us come up from Egypt, to bring us into this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink!”

NASB 1995
“Why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink.”

NASB 1977
“And why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us into this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink.”

Amplified Bible
Why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or of figs or of vines or of pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.”

Christian Standard Bible
Why have you led us up from Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It’s not a place of grain, figs, vines, and pomegranates, and there is no water to drink! ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Why have you led us up from Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It’s not a place of grain, figs, vines, and pomegranates, and there is no water to drink!”

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
Egypt was better than this horrible place. At least there we had grain and figs and grapevines and pomegranates. But now we don't even have any water."

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us into this terrible place? This is no place to plant crops. Even figs, grapes, and pomegranates won't grow here. And there's no water to drink!"

Good News Translation
Why did you bring us out of Egypt into this miserable place where nothing will grow? There's no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates. There is not even any water to drink!"

International Standard Version
Why did you take us out of Egypt and bring us to this terrible place? There's no place to plant seeds, fig trees, vines, or pomegranates! And there's no water to drink!"

Majority Standard Bible
Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates—and there is no water to drink!”

NET Bible
Why have you brought us up from Egypt only to bring us to this dreadful place? It is no place for grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink!"

New Heart English Bible
Why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to 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."

Webster's Bible Translation
And why have ye conducted us from Egypt, to bring us to 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.

World English Bible
Why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to 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.”

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And why have you brought us up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? [It is] not a place of seed, and fig, and vine, and pomegranate; and there is no water to drink.”

Young's Literal Translation
and why hast thou brought us up out of Egypt to bring us in unto this evil place? no place of seed, and fig, and vine, and pomegranate; and water there is none to drink.

Smith's Literal Translation
And for what brought ye us up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? Not a place of seed, and figs, and the vine and the pomegranate; and not water to drink.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Why have you made us come up out of Egypt, and have brought us into this wretched place which cannot be sowed, nor bringeth forth figs, nor vines, nor pomegranates, neither is there any water to drink?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Why did you cause us to ascend from Egypt, and why have you led us into this most wretched place, which is not able to be sown, which does not produce figs, or vines, or pomegranates, and which, moreover, does not even have water to drink?”

New American Bible
Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, only to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place for grain nor figs nor vines nor pomegranates! And there is no water to drink!”

New Revised Standard Version
Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to bring us to this wretched place? It is no place for grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates; and there is no water to drink.”

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, and have brought us to this evil place? It is no place for grain, or for wine or figs or pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And why have you brought us out from Egypt and you have brought us into this evil place, not a place to sow seed, neither of vines or figs or pomegranates, neither water to drink.”

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
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.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And wherefore is this? Ye have brought us up out of Egypt, that we should come into this evil place; a place where there is no sowing, neither figs, nor vines, nor pomegranates, neither is there water to drink.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Water from the Rock
…4Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? 5Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates— and there is no water to drink!” 6Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Exodus 17:3
But the people thirsted for water there, and they grumbled against Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt—to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

Deuteronomy 1:27
You grumbled in your tents and said, “Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be annihilated.

Exodus 16:3
“If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!”

Psalm 78:19-20
They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness? / When He struck the rock, water gushed out and torrents raged. But can He also give bread or supply His people with meat?”

Psalm 106:24-25
They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise. / They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the LORD.

Deuteronomy 8:15
He led you through the vast and terrifying wilderness with its venomous snakes and scorpions, a thirsty and waterless land. He brought you water from the rock of flint.

Exodus 14:11-12
They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us into the wilderness to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? / Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

Psalm 95:8-9
do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the day at Massah in the wilderness, / where your fathers tested and tried Me, though they had seen My work.

1 Corinthians 10:10
And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.

Hebrews 3:8-9
do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness, / where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works.

Exodus 15:24
So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”

Deuteronomy 9:23
And when the LORD sent you out from Kadesh-barnea, He said, “Go up and possess the land that I have given you.” But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. You neither believed Him nor obeyed Him.

Nehemiah 9:15
In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land that You had sworn to give them.

Psalm 105:41
He opened a rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert.

Isaiah 63:11-14
Then His people remembered the days of old, the days of Moses. Where is He who brought them through the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is the One who set His Holy Spirit among them, / who sent His glorious arm to lead them by the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to gain for Himself everlasting renown, / who led them through the depths like a horse in the wilderness, so that they did not stumble? ...

Treasury of Scripture

And why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to 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.

this evil

Numbers 16:14
Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.

Deuteronomy 8:15
Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;

Nehemiah 9:21
Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.

no place of.

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Numbers 20

1. The children of Israel come to Zin, where Miriam dies.
2. They murmur for want of water
7. Moses smiting the rock, brings forth water at Meribah
14. Moses at Kadesh desires passage through Edom, which is denied him
22. At Mount Hor Aaron resigns his place to Eleazar, and dies

Berean Study Bible

Why have you brought us up out of Egypt
This phrase reflects the Israelites' recurring complaint against Moses and Aaron, questioning their leadership and God's plan. The Hebrew root for "brought us up" is "עלה" (alah), which often signifies an ascent or a journey to a higher place. This is significant as it underscores the spiritual and physical journey from the bondage of Egypt to the Promised Land, a land of higher spiritual calling. Historically, Egypt symbolizes a place of slavery and oppression, and the Israelites' longing to return there reveals their struggle with faith and trust in God's provision. This complaint is a reminder of the human tendency to romanticize the past when faced with present challenges, forgetting the hardships endured.

to bring us to this wretched place?
The term "wretched place" is translated from the Hebrew "רע" (ra), meaning bad or evil. This reflects the Israelites' perception of their current situation in the wilderness, which they view as dire and hopeless. The wilderness, in biblical context, is often a place of testing and transformation. It is where God refines His people, teaching them reliance on Him alone. The Israelites' description of it as "wretched" highlights their lack of understanding of God's purpose and their failure to see the wilderness as a place of divine encounter and preparation for the blessings to come. This serves as a spiritual lesson on the importance of trusting God's process, even when circumstances seem bleak.

It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates
This part of the verse lists the agricultural abundance that the Israelites long for, which is absent in the wilderness. Each of these items—grain, figs, vines, and pomegranates—symbolizes prosperity and blessing in the biblical narrative. Grain represents sustenance and daily provision; figs and pomegranates are symbols of peace and prosperity; vines signify joy and celebration, often associated with wine. The absence of these in the wilderness underscores the Israelites' focus on physical needs and their impatience for the fulfillment of God's promises. This reflects a broader spiritual truth about the human tendency to focus on immediate gratification rather than trusting in God's timing and provision.

and there is no water to drink!
Water, in the biblical context, is a symbol of life and divine provision. The Israelites' complaint about the lack of water highlights their immediate physical need and their dependence on God for survival. In the wilderness, God had previously provided water miraculously, such as from the rock at Horeb (Exodus 17:6). This recurring issue of water scarcity serves as a test of faith for the Israelites, challenging them to trust in God's continued provision. It also foreshadows the living water that Christ offers in the New Testament, symbolizing eternal life and spiritual sustenance. This phrase reminds believers of the importance of seeking spiritual nourishment and trusting in God's provision for all needs.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 5. - No place of seed. Septuagint, τόπος οῦ οὐ σπείρεται. A place where there is no sowing, and therefore no harvest.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Why
וְלָמָ֤ה (wə·lā·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

have you led us up
הֶֽעֱלִיתֻ֙נוּ֙ (he·‘ĕ·lî·ṯu·nū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine plural | first person common plural
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

out of Egypt
מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם (mim·miṣ·ra·yim)
Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa

to bring
לְהָבִ֣יא (lə·hā·ḇî)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

us to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

this
הַזֶּ֑ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

wretched
הָרָ֖ע (hā·rā‘)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

place?
הַמָּק֥וֹם (ham·mā·qō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

It is not
לֹ֣א ׀ (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

a place
מְק֣וֹם (mə·qō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

of grain,
זֶ֗רַע (ze·ra‘)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2233: Seed, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity

figs,
וּתְאֵנָ֤ה (ū·ṯə·’ê·nāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8384: Of foreign derivation, the fig

vines,
וְגֶ֙פֶן֙ (wə·ḡe·p̄en)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular
Strong's 1612: A vine, the grape

and pomegranates,
וְרִמּ֔וֹן (wə·rim·mō·wn)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7416: A pomegranate, the tree, the fruit

and there is no
אַ֖יִן (’a·yin)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

water
וּמַ֥יִם (ū·ma·yim)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

to drink!”
לִשְׁתּֽוֹת׃ (liš·tō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8354: To imbibe

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OT Law: Numbers 20:5 Why have you made us to come (Nu Num.)