Numbers 14:34 Meaning and Explanation
“After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →For forty years—one year for each day of spying—Israel will bear iniquities and learn the seriousness of rejecting God.
The Context of Numbers 14:34
The forty-year wilderness period is measured as God's response to the forty-day spying mission.
What Does Numbers 14:34 Mean?
God establishes the equation: forty days of spying equals forty years of wilderness wandering. The proportion is precise and deliberate, showing that the punishment is measured and just. Each day the spies were in the land corresponds to one year the people will spend in the wilderness before entry.
The phrase 'ye shall know my breach of promise' is sobering: the people will experience the reality that God does not break His promises (He will eventually fulfill them), but they will know it as outsiders, watching the next generation inherit what they rejected. They will live with the knowledge that their own unbelief locked them out.
Frequently Asked Questions About Numbers 14:34
What does Numbers 14:34 mean?
For forty years—one year for each day of spying—Israel will bear iniquities and learn the seriousness of rejecting God.
What is the context of Numbers 14:34?
The forty-year wilderness period is measured as God's response to the forty-day spying mission.