Numbers 14:16 (YLT)

Passage

From Jehovah's want of ability to bring in this people unto the land which He hath sworn to them--He doth slaughter them in the wilderness.

Nearby Context

Numbers 14:14 and they have said <FI>it<Fi> unto the inhabitant of this land, they have heard that Thou, Jehovah, <FI>art<Fi> in the midst of this people, that eye to eye Thou art seen--O Jehovah, and Thy cloud is standing over them, --and in a pillar of cloud Thou art going before them by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.

Numbers 14:15 `And Thou hast put to death this people as one man, and the nations who have heard Thy fame have spoken, saying,

Numbers 14:16 From Jehovah's want of ability to bring in this people unto the land which He hath sworn to them--He doth slaughter them in the wilderness.

Numbers 14:17 `And now, let, I pray Thee, the power of my Lord be great, as Thou hast spoken, saying:

Numbers 14:18 Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> slow to anger, and of great kindness; bearing away iniquity and transgression, and not entirely acquitting, charging iniquity of fathers on sons, on a third <FI>generation<Fi> , and on a fourth; --

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "jehovah's", "want", "ability", "bring", "people", "land", "hath", and "sworn". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "jehovah's" and "want", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "And Thou hast put to death this..." into verse 17's "And now let I pray Thee the...", so "jehovah's" and "want" 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 "jehovah's" and "want" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.