Numbers 11:23

New American Standard Bible

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD'S power too little? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not."

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The LORD said to Moshe, Has the LORD's hand grown short? now shall you see whether my word shall happen to you or not.

King James Version
And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord 'S hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

Lexham English Bible
And Yahweh said to Moses, "Is Yahweh's power limited? Now you will see if my word will happen or not."

New Century Version
But the Lord said to Moses, "Do you think I'm weak? Now you will see if I can do what I say."

New English Translation
And the Lord said to Moses, "Is the Lord 's hand shortened? Now you will see whether my word to you will come true or not!"

Amplified Bible
The LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD'S hand (ability, power) limited (short, inadequate)? You shall see now whether My word will come to pass for you or not."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Lorde saide vnto Moses, Is the Lordes hand shortened? thou shalt see now whether my word shal come to passe vnto thee, or no.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Yahweh said to Moses, "Is Yahweh's power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will happen for you or not."

Contemporary English Version
The Lord answered, "I can do anything! Watch and you'll see my words come true."

Complete Jewish Bible
Adonai answered Moshe, "Has Adonai 's arm grown short? Now you will see whether what I said will happen or not!"

Darby Translation
And Jehovah said to Moses, Hath Jehovah's hand become short? Now shalt thou see whether my word will come to pass unto thee or not.

Easy-to-Read Version
But the Lord said to Moses, "Don't limit my power! You will see that I can do what I say I can do."

English Standard Version
And the Lord said to Moses, "Is the Lord 's hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not."

George Lamsa Translation
And the LORD said to Moses, The LORDS hand is full; now you shall see whether my word shall come true to you or not.

Good News Translation
"Is there a limit to my power?" the Lord answered. "You will soon see whether what I have said will happen or not!"

Christian Standard Bible®
The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm weak? Now you will see whether or not what I have promised will happen to you.”

Literal Translation
And Jehovah said to Moses, Is the hand of Jehovah shortened? Now you shall see whether My Word shall come to pass to you or not.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The LORDE sayde vnto Moses: Is the LORDES hande shortened then? But now shalt thou se, whether my wordes shall be fulfilled in dede, or no?

American Standard Version
And Jehovah said unto Moses, Is Jehovah's hand waxed short? now shalt thou see whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

Bible in Basic English
And the Lord said to Moses, Has the Lord's hand become short? Now you will see if my word comes true for you or not.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Lorde sayde vnto Moyses: Shall the Lordes hande be waxed short? Thou shalt see now whether my word shal come to passe vnto thee or not.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Is the LORD'S hand waxed short? now shalt thou see whether My word shall come to pass unto thee or not.'

King James Version (1611)
And the Lord said vnto Moses, Is the Lords hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to passe vnto thee, or not.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Lord said to Moses, Shall not the hand of the Lord be fully sufficient? now shalt thou know whether my word shall come to pass to thee or not.

English Revised Version
And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD'S hand waxed short? now shalt thou see whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

Berean Standard Bible
The LORD answered Moses, "Is the LORD's arm too short? Now you will see whether or not My word shall come to pass."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
To whom the Lord answeride, Whether the `hond of the Lord is vnmyyti? riyt now thou schalt se, wher my word schal be fillid in werk.

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Is the hand of Jehovah become short? now thou dost see whether My word meeteth thee or not.'

Update Bible Version
And Yahweh said to Moses, Is Yahweh's hand waxed short? now you shall see whether my word shall come to pass to you or not.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said to Moses, Is the LORD'S hand shortened? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass to thee, or not.

World English Bible
Yahweh said to Moses, Has Yahweh's hand grown short? now shall you see whether my word shall happen to you or not.

New King James Version
And the LORD said to Moses, "Has the LORD's arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not."

New Living Translation
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Has my arm lost its power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!"

New Life Bible
The Lord said to Moses, "Is there an end to the Lord's power? Now you will see if My Word will come true for you or not."

New Revised Standard
The Lord said to Moses, "Is the Lord 's power limited? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Yahweh unto Moses, Shall the hand of Yahweh, fail? Now, shalt thou see whether my word come to pass unto thee or not.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord answered him: Is the hand of the Lord unable? Thou shalt presently see whether my word shall come to pass or no.

Revised Standard Version
And the LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD's hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not."

THE MESSAGE
God answered Moses, "So, do you think I can't take care of you? You'll see soon enough whether what I say happens for you or not."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD'S power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not."

Contextual Overview

¹⁶ The LORD therefore said to Moses, "Gather for Me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and have them take their stand there with you. ¹⁷ "Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take away some of the Spirit who is upon you, and put Him upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it by yourself. ¹⁸ "And you shall say to the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, "Oh that someone would give us meat to eat! For we were well-off in Egypt." Therefore the LORD will give you meat and you shall eat. ¹⁹ 'You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, ²⁰ but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nose and makes you nauseated; because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before Him, saying, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?"'" ²¹ But Moses said, "The people, among whom I am included, are six hundred thousand on foot! Yet You have said, 'I will give them meat, so that they may eat for a whole month.' ²² "Are flocks and herds to be slaughtered for them, so that it will be sufficient for them? Or are all the fish of the sea to be caught for them, so that it will be sufficient for them?" ²³ Then the LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD'S power too little? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Is the Lord's: That is, "Is the power of the Lord diminished?" That power which has been so signally displayed on your behalf, and which is as unchangeable as it is unlimited. Genesis 18:14, Psalms 78:41, Isaiah 50:2, Isaiah 59:1, Micah 2:7, Matthew 19:26, Luke 1:37

thou shalt: Numbers 23:19, 2 Kings 7:2, 2 Kings 7:17-19, Jeremiah 44:28, Jeremiah 44:29, Ezekiel 12:25, Ezekiel 24:14, Matthew 24:35

Reciprocal: Genesis 17:1 - Almighty Numbers 20:10 - we fetch 1 Kings 17:6 - the ravens 2 Kings 19:26 - of small power Jeremiah 14:9 - cannot Daniel 6:20 - able Zechariah 8:6 - should

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord said unto Moses,.... In answer to his objection, without upbraiding him with his sin of unbelief:

is the Lord's hand waxed short? or his power diminished since the creation, when he formed all things out of nothing, and what is it then he is not able to do? or since he wrought the wonders in Egypt, divided the Red sea, rained down manna from heaven, and smote the rock at Horeb, from whence waters flowed sufficient for all this people, and their flocks and herds; and he that did all this could give them flesh that would suffice them a whole month, see Isaiah 59:1;

thou shall see now whether my words shall come to pass unto thee or no; whether I am able to make good my promise; a short time will decide it, it shall be seen presently whether I am and will do what I have said.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Occurrences at Kibroth-hattavah.

Numbers 11:4

The mixt multitude - The word in the original resembles our “riff-raff,” and denotes a mob of people scraped together. It refers here to the multitude of strangers (see Exodus 12:38) who had followed the Israelites from Egypt.

Numbers 11:5

The natural dainties of Egypt are set forth in this passage with the fullness and relish which bespeak personal experience.

Numbers 11:6-7

There is nothing at all ... - literally, “Nought at all have we except that our eyes are unto this manna;” i. e. “Nought else have we to expect beside this manna.” On the manna see Exodus 16:15 note; on bdellium see Genesis 2:12 note.

Numbers 11:10

The weeping was general; every family wept (compare Zechariah 12:12), and in a manner public and unconcealed.

Numbers 11:11-15

The complaint and remonstrance of Moses may be compared with that in 1 Kings 19:4 ff; Jonah 4:1-3, and contrasted with the language of Abraham (Genesis 18:23 ff) The meekness of Moses (compare Numbers 12:3) sank under vexation into despair. His language shows us how imperfect and prone to degeneracy are the best saints on earth.

Numbers 11:16

Seventy men of the elders of Israel - Seventy elders had also gone up with Moses to the Lord in the mount Exodus 24:1, Exodus 24:9. Seventy is accordingly the number of colleagues assigned to Moses to share his burden with him. To it, the Jews trace the origin of the Sanhedrim. Subsequent notices Numbers 16:25; Joshua 7:6; Joshua 8:10, Joshua 8:33; Joshua 9:11; Joshua 23:2; Joshua 24:1, Joshua 24:31 so connect the elders with the government of Israel as to point to the fact that the appointment now made was not a merely temporary one, though it would seem to have soon fallen into desuetude. We find no traces of it in the days of the Judges and the Kings.

Elders of the people, and officers over them - In English idiom, “elders and officers of the people.” Both elders and officers appear in Egypt (Exodus 3:16; Exodus 5:6 ff): the former had headed the nation in its efforts after freedom; the latter were the subordinate, though unwilling, agents of Egyptian tyranny. The two classes no doubt were working together; and from those who belonged to either, perhaps from those who were both eiders and officers, the council of Seventy was to be selected.

Numbers 11:17

I will take of the spirit which is upon thee - Render rather separate from the spirit, etc.; i. e. they shall have their portion in the same divine gift which thou hast.

Numbers 11:25

They prophesied - i. e. under the extraordinary impulse of the Holy Spirit they uttered forth the praises of God, or declared His will. Compare the marginal references.

And did not cease - Rather, and added not, i. e. they prophesied at this time only and not afterward. The sign was granted on the occasion of their appointment to accredit them in their office; it was not continued, because their proper function was to be that of governing not prophesying.

Numbers 11:26

Of them that were written - i. e. enrolled among the Seventy. The expression points to a regular appointment duly recorded and permanent.

Numbers 11:29

Enviest thou for my sake? - (Compare Mark 9:38 ff) The other members of the Seventy had been with Moses (compare Numbers 6:16, Numbers 6:24-25) when the gift of prophecy was bestowed on them. They received “of the spirit that was upon him,” and exercised their office visibly through and for him. Eldad and Medad prophesying in the camp seemed to Joshua to be acting independently, and so establishing a separate center of authority.

Numbers 11:31

The southeast wind, which blew from the neighboring Elanitic gulf of the Red Sea, brought the quails Exodus 16:13.

Two cubits high - Better, “two cubits above the face of the ground:” i. e. the quails, wearied with their long flight, flew about breast high, and were easily secured by the people, who spread them all abroad for themselves Numbers 11:32, in order to salt and dry them. The quail habitually flies with the wind, and low.

Numbers 11:32

Ten homers - About 55 bushels. Compare Leviticus 27:16.

Numbers 11:33

Ere it was chewed - Better, ere it was consumed. See Numbers 11:19-20. The surfeit in which the people indulged, as described in Numbers 11:32, disposed them to sickness. God’s wrath, visiting the gluttonous through their gluttony, aggravated natural consequences into a supernatural visitation.

Numbers 11:34, Numbers 11:35

(Kibroth-hattaavah has been identified by Palmer with the extensive remains, graves, etc., at Erweis El Ebeirig, and Hazeroth “enclosures” with Ain Hadherah.)

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 11:23. Is the Lord's hand waxed short? — Hast thou forgotten the miracles which I have already performed? or thinkest thou that my power is decreased? The power that is unlimited can never be diminished.