Numbers 14:40 (LSB)

Passage

In the morning, however, they rose up early and went up to the ridge of the hill country, saying, “Here we are; we will go up to the place which Yahweh has promised because we have indeed sinned.”

Nearby Context

Numbers 14:38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land.

Numbers 14:39 Then Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.

Numbers 14:40 In the morning, however, they rose up early and went up to the ridge of the hill country, saying, “Here we are; we will go up to the place which Yahweh has promised because we have indeed sinned.”

Numbers 14:41 But Moses said, “Why then do you trespass against the command of Yahweh, when it will not succeed?

Numbers 14:42 Do not go up, for Yahweh is not among you, so that you are not defeated before your enemies.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "morning", "however", "rose", "early", "went", "ridge", "hill", and "country". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "morning" and "however", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 39's "Then Moses spoke these words to all..." into verse 41's "But Moses said Why then do you...", so "morning" and "however" belong inside that flow. In Numbers context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "morning" and "however" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.