Numbers 14:25
New International Version
Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.”

New Living Translation
Now turn around, and don’t go on toward the land where the Amalekites and Canaanites live. Tomorrow you must set out for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.”

English Standard Version
Now, since the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valleys, turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”

Berean Standard Bible
Now since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and head for the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea.”

King James Bible
(Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

New King James Version
Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley; tomorrow turn and move out into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.”

New American Standard Bible
Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”

NASB 1995
“Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”

NASB 1977
“Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”

Amplified Bible
Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valley; tomorrow turn and set out for the wilderness by way of the Red Sea.”

Christian Standard Bible
Since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the lowlands, turn back tomorrow and head for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the lowlands, turn back tomorrow and head for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.”

American Standard Version
Now the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley: to-morrow turn ye, and get you into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the mountains; tomorrow turn and move you to the wilderness to the way of the Sea of Reeds.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But Amalec and the Chananite dwell in the valley: to-morrow turn and depart for the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.

Contemporary English Version
Now listen, Moses! The Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys of Canaan. And tomorrow, you'll need to turn around and head back into the desert toward the Red Sea.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For the Amalecite and the Chanaanite dwell in the valleys. To morrow remove the camp, and return into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.

English Revised Version
Now the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley: tomorrow turn ye, and get you into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
(The Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys.) Tomorrow you must turn around, go back into the desert, and follow the road that goes to the Red Sea."

Good News Translation
in whose valleys the Amalekites and the Canaanites now live. Turn back tomorrow and go into the wilderness in the direction of the Gulf of Aqaba."

International Standard Version
Now the Amalekite and the Canaanite live in the valley. Tomorrow, turn and then travel to the wilderness in the direction of the Reed Sea."

JPS Tanakh 1917
Now the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the Vale; tomorrow turn ye, and get you into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.'

Literal Standard Version
And the Amalekite and the Canaanite are dwelling in the valley; tomorrow turn and journey for yourselves into the wilderness—the way of the Red Sea.”

Majority Standard Bible
Now since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and head for the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea.”

New American Bible
But now, since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn away tomorrow and set out into the wilderness by way of the Red Sea road.

NET Bible
(Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites were living in the valleys.) Tomorrow, turn and journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea."

New Revised Standard Version
Now, since the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys, turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”

New Heart English Bible
Now the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley: tomorrow turn, and go into the wilderness by the way to the Sea at the End."

Webster's Bible Translation
(Now the Amalekites, and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To-morrow turn you, and pass into the wilderness, by the way of the Red sea.

World English Bible
Since the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley, tomorrow turn and go into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”

Young's Literal Translation
'And the Amalekite and the Canaanite are dwelling in the valley; to-morrow turn ye and journey for yourselves into the wilderness -- the way of the Red Sea.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God's Forgiveness and Judgment
24But because My servant Caleb has a different spirit and has followed Me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he has entered, and his descendants will inherit it. 25Now since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and head for the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea.” 26Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,…

Cross References
Numbers 13:29
The Amalekites live in the land of the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the Jordan."

Numbers 14:26
Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

Deuteronomy 1:40
But you are to turn back and head for the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea."

Judges 11:16
But when Israel came up out of Egypt, they traveled through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh.


Treasury of Scripture

(Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelled in the valley.) Tomorrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

the Amalekites

Numbers 13:29
The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.

turn you

Numbers 14:4
And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

Deuteronomy 1:40
But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

Psalm 81:11-13
But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me…

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Amalekite Amalekites Canaanite Canaanites Desert Dwell Dwelling Dwelt Journey Red Round Route Sea Tomorrow To-Morrow Turn Turning Vale Valley Valleys Waste Way Wilderness Yourselves
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Amalekite Amalekites Canaanite Canaanites Desert Dwell Dwelling Dwelt Journey Red Round Route Sea Tomorrow To-Morrow Turn Turning Vale Valley Valleys Waste Way Wilderness Yourselves
Numbers 14
1. The people murmur at the news
6. Joshua and Caleb labor to still them
11. God threatens them
13. Moses intercedes with God, and obtains pardon
26. The Murmurers are debarred from entering into the land
36. The men who raised the evil report die by a plague
40. The people that would invade the land against the will of God are smitten














(25) Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.--There is considerable difficulty in regard to the meaning and connection of these words. They may be attached to the words which precede: "And his seed shall possess it, and the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelling in the valley"--i.e., shall possess the land occupied by them. There are strong objections, however, to this rendering, as well as to the rendering adopted by the Authorised Version, if the latter be understood as an historical statement respecting the geographical position of the Amalekites and Canaanites, of which Moses can scarcely be supposed to have been ignorant, and which may be assigned with greater probability to the "hill" than to the "valley." (Comp. Numbers 14:45 and Note; also Deuteronomy 1:44, where one or both of these races are spoken of under the name of Amorites or mountaineers.) The word which is rendered "dwelt" is often used in reference to a temporary sojourn, as, e.g., in Joshua 8:9 of the ambuscade sent by Joshua, which "abode" between Bethel and Ai, and in 1Samuel 25:13 of a portion of David's men who "abode by the stuff." It is used also in Numbers 14:45 of this chapter in respect to the position of the Amalekites and Canaanites, whether temporary or permanent, in the "hill," which appears to be used in contrast with the "valley." The passage may be rendered thus: "Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites are abiding in the valley," i.e., are lying in ambuscade in the valley, and waiting for an opportunity to attack the Israelites (comp. Numbers 14:43). If this interpretation of the words, which is that of Ibn Ezra, be adopted, they afford a strong reason for the command which follows:--"To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea"--i.e., do not fall into the snare which is laid for you, but turn and go in a contrary direction. . . . Verse 25. - Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley. This parenthesis bears on the face of it several difficulties, both as to the meaning of the statement and as to its position in the text.

1. It has been stated just before (Numbers 13:29) that the "Canaanites" dwelt by the sea, and in the Ghor, and it has been proposed by some to understand under this name the Phoenicians, because "Sidon" was the first-born of Canaan, and because they are known to have occupied the coast. But if "Canaanite" means "Phoenician" in chapter Numbers 13:29, it is difficult to maintain that it is here equivalent to "Amorite." Again, if "Canaanite" be taken in this vaguer sense, yet it is clear that the Amorites dwelt in "the mountain" (cf. e.g., verse 45 with Deuteronomy 1:44), and not in the lowlands. This has been got over by supposing that עֵמֶק may mean an upland vale, or plateau, such as that to which the Israelites presently ascended. It is, however, a straining of the word to assign such a meaning to it. It is rightly translated by the Septuagint ἐν τῇ κοιλάδι. And even if one looking down from above might call an upland plain by this name, yet certainly one looking up from below would not. If the word stands rightly in this place, בָּעֵמֶק must mean "in the Wady Murreh," the broad sandy strait which bounded the "mountain of the Amorite" on the south. If so, we must conclude that not only the roving Amalekites, but also the Canaanites, or Amorites, had established themselves in some parts of the Wady.

2. It is scarcely credible that an observation of this sort, which would seem unusual and abrupt in any speech, should have formed a part of God's message to Moses. It has no apparent connection with the context. It does not (as often alleged) afford a reason for the command which follows; it was not at all because enemies were already in possession before them that the Israelites had to turn their backs upon the promised land, but because God had withdrawn for the time his promised aid. If the "valley" be the Rakhmah plateau, they had always known that hostile tribes held it, and that they would have to conquer them. That the words are an interpolation, as the A.V. represents them, seems as certain as internal evidence can make it; lint by whom made, and with what intent, is a question which will probably never be answered. It may be worth while to hazard a conjecture that the interpolated words are really connected with what goes before, viz., the promise of inheritance to Caleb. Now that promise was fulfilled in the gift of Hebron to Caleb and his seed (Joshua 14:14). But we have express mention in Genesis 37:14 of the "vale of Hebron," and the same word, עֵמֶק, is used in the Hebrew. Is it not possible that this parenthesis was originally the gloss of one who had a special interest in the heritage of Caleb, and wished to note that at the time it was given to him "the vale" was occupied by two hostile peoples? Into the wilderness, i.e., the Sinaitic peninsula, as distinguished from Palestine on the one hand, and from Egypt on the other. By the way of the Red Sea, i.e., towards the Red Sea; here apparently the Elanitic Gulf (cf. Numbers 11:31).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now since the Amalekites
וְהָֽעֲמָלֵקִ֥י (wə·hā·‘ă·mā·lê·qî)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6003: Amalekites -- descendants of Amalek

and Canaanites
וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י (wə·hak·kə·na·‘ă·nî)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3669: Canaanite -- inhabitant of Canaan

are living
יוֹשֵׁ֣ב (yō·wō·šêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

in the valleys,
בָּעֵ֑מֶק (bā·‘ê·meq)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6010: A vale

turn back
פְּנ֨וּ (pə·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 6437: To turn, to face, appear, look

tomorrow
מָחָ֗ר (mā·ḥār)
Adverb
Strong's 4279: Deferred, the morrow, tomorrow, hereafter

and head for
וּסְע֥וּ (ū·sə·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 5265: To pull up, the tent-pins, start on a, journey

the wilderness
הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר (ham·miḏ·bār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech

along the route to
דֶּ֥רֶךְ (de·reḵ)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

the Red
סֽוּף׃ (sūp̄)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5488: A reed, the papyrus

Sea.”
יַם־ (yam-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin


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OT Law: Numbers 14:25 Now the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell (Nu Num.)
Numbers 14:24
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