Numbers 10:31 "Please do not leave us," Moses said, "since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our eyes.

◄ Numbers 10:31 ►

New International Version
But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.

New Living Translation
“Please don’t leave us,” Moses pleaded. “You know the places in the wilderness where we should camp. Come, be our guide.

English Standard Version
And he said, “Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us.

Berean Standard Bible
“Please do not leave us,” Moses said, “since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our eyes.

King James Bible
And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes.

New King James Version
So Moses said, “Please do not leave, inasmuch as you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.

New American Standard Bible
Then he said, “Please do not leave us, since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will be as eyes for us.

NASB 1995
Then he said, “Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will be as eyes for us.

NASB 1977
Then he said, “Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will be as eyes for us.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he said, “Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will be as eyes for us.

Amplified Bible
Then Moses said, “Please do not leave us, for you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us [as we make our trek through the desert].

Christian Standard Bible
“Please don’t leave us,” Moses said, “since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our eyes.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Please don’t leave us,” Moses said, “since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our eyes.

American Standard Version
And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou shalt be to us instead of eyes.

Contemporary English Version
"Please go with us!" Moses said. "You can be our guide because you know the places to camp in the desert.

English Revised Version
And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou shalt be to us instead of eyes.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But Moses said, "Please don't leave us. You know where we can set up camp in the desert, and you could be our guide.

Good News Translation
"Please don't leave us," Moses said. "You know where we can camp in the wilderness, and you can be our guide.

International Standard Version
Then Moses responded, "Please don't leave us now, since you know where we can camp in the wilderness. You could be our guide.

Majority Standard Bible
“Please do not leave us,” Moses said, “since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our eyes.

NET Bible
Moses said, "Do not leave us, because you know places for us to camp in the wilderness, and you could be our guide.

New Heart English Bible
He said, "Do not leave us, please; because you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes.

World English Bible
Moses said, “Don’t leave us, please; because you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And he says, “Please do not forsake us, because you have known our encamping in the wilderness, and you have been to us for eyes;

Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, 'I pray thee, forsake us not, because thou hast known our encamping in the wilderness, and thou hast been to us for eyes;

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will say, Thou shalt not leave us now, for upon this thou knewest we encamped in the desert, and thou wert to us for eyes.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: Do not leave us: for thou knowest in what places we should encamp in the wilderness, and thou shalt be our guide.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he said: “Do not choose to leave us. For you know in which places in the desert we ought to make camp, and so you shall be our guide.

New American Bible
Moses said, “Please, do not leave us; you know where we can camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our guide.

New Revised Standard Version
He said, “Do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And Moses said to him, Do not leave us, for you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you will serve as a guide for us.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Moshe said to him: “Do not leave us, because you know the place where we dwell that is in the wilderness and you have been eyes for us.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And he said: 'Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou shalt be to us instead of eyes.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said, Leave us not, because thou hast been with us in the wilderness, and thou shalt be an elder among us.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

From Sinai to Paran
…30“I will not go,” Hobab replied. “Instead, I am going back to my own land and my own people.” 31“Please do not leave us,” Moses said, “since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our eyes. 32If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the LORD gives us.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Exodus 18:19-24
Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him. / Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work they must do. / Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. ...

Deuteronomy 1:33
who went before you on the journey, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day, to seek out a place for you to camp and to show you the road to travel.

Exodus 13:21-22
And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night. / Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place before the people.

Judges 4:11
Now Heber the Kenite had moved away from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent by the great tree of Zaanannim, which was near Kedesh.

1 Samuel 15:6
And he warned the Kenites, “Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt, go on and get away from the Amalekites. Otherwise I will sweep you away with them.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.

1 Samuel 30:29
to those in Racal and in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and Kenites;

2 Samuel 15:19-22
Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Go back and stay with the new king, since you are both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland. / In fact, you arrived only yesterday; should I make you wander around with us today while I do not know where I am going? Go back and take your brothers with you. May the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness.” / But Ittai answered the king, “As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be!” ...

1 Kings 9:20-21
As for all the people who remained of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (the people who were not Israelites)— / their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites were unable to devote to destruction—Solomon conscripted these people to be forced laborers, as they are to this day.

1 Chronicles 12:32
From Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do: 200 chiefs with all their kinsmen at their command.

Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will give you counsel and watch over you.

Isaiah 30:21
And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”

Isaiah 42:16
I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.

Jeremiah 6:16
This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths: ‘Where is the good way?’ Then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it!’

Matthew 2:9-10
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the Child was. / When they saw the star, they rejoiced with great delight.

Matthew 28:20
and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Treasury of Scripture

And he said, Leave us not, I pray you; for as much as you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you may be to us instead of eyes.

forasmuch.

Numbers 13:1
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Numbers 20:1
Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

Numbers 31:1
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

instead of eyes

Job 29:15
I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

Psalm 32:8
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

1 Corinthians 12:14-21
For the body is not one member, but many…

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Numbers 10

1. The use of the silver trumpets
11. The Israelites move from Sinai to Paran
14. The order of their march
29. Hobab is entreated by Moses not to leave them
33. The blessing of Moses at the removing and resting of the ark

Berean Study Bible

Please do not leave us
This phrase is a heartfelt plea from Moses to Hobab, his brother-in-law. The Hebrew root for "leave" is "עזב" (azav), which conveys a sense of abandonment or forsaking. In the context of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness, Moses is expressing a deep reliance on Hobab's guidance and companionship. Historically, this reflects the communal nature of the Israelite society, where family and kinship ties were crucial for survival and success. Moses' request underscores the importance of unity and support within the community of God's people.

for you know where we should camp in the wilderness
The phrase highlights Hobab's expertise and familiarity with the terrain. The Hebrew word for "know" is "ידע" (yada), which implies an intimate, experiential knowledge. This suggests that Hobab's understanding of the wilderness is not just intellectual but practical, gained through experience. The wilderness, or "מדבר" (midbar), was a place of testing and reliance on God, yet human wisdom and experience were also valued. This dual reliance on divine guidance and human expertise is a recurring theme in Scripture, emphasizing that God often works through people to accomplish His purposes.

and you can serve as our eyes
Here, Moses is appealing to Hobab's ability to provide vision and direction. The metaphor of "eyes" indicates guidance and insight, essential for navigating the unknown. In the Hebrew context, eyes are often associated with perception and understanding. This phrase suggests that while God is the ultimate guide, He uses individuals to provide clarity and direction. It reflects the biblical principle that God equips and uses people to fulfill His plans, highlighting the value of each person's unique gifts and contributions to the community.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(31) How we are to encamp . . . --It is clear from these words, as well as from many indications of the same nature, that notwithstanding the direct guidance which was vouchsafed from heaven, and the miraculous interpositions of Providence which the Israelites experienced throughout their journeys, Moses did not neglect to take advantage of all the ordinary precautions of which it was incumbent upon him as the leader of his people to avail himself. The line of march and the places of encampment were clearly marked out by the cloud, but many difficulties would arise in the course of the journeys, and at the places of encampment, which Hobab's familiarity with the desert would enable him to meet.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 31. - Forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes. It is an obvious conclusion, from the reasons here urged by Moses, that the many and wonderful promises of Divine guidance and Divine direction did not supersede in his eyes the use of all available human aids. It is not indeed easy to say where any room was left for the good offices and experience of Hobab; the cloud of the Divine Presence seemed to control absolutely the journeying and encamping of the people; yet if we really knew in detail the actual ordering of that wondrous march, we should doubtless find that the heavenly guidance did but give unity and certainty to all the wisdom, caution, and endeavour of its earthly leaders. Indeed if we recall to mind that the host is calculated at more than two millions of people, it is quite evident that even during the march to Kadesh (and much more in the long wanderings which followed) it must have been extremely difficult to keep the various divisions together. In the broken and difficult country which they were to traverse, which had been familiar to Hobab from his youth, there would be scope enough for all his ability as a guide. And it would seem that it was just this prospect of being really useful to the people of Israel that prevailed with Hobab. He must indeed have felt assured that a wonderful future awaited a nation whose past and present were, even within his own knowledge, so wonderful. But that alone could not move him to leave his own land and his own kindred, a firing so unspeakably repugnant to the feelings and traditions of his age and country. Doubtless to the child of the desert, whose life was a never-ending struggle with the dangers and vicissitudes of the wilderness, the land of promise, flowing with milk and honey, watered with the rain of heaven, seemed like the garden of Eden. Yet the offer of an heritage within that land moved him not so much, it would appear, as the claim upon his own good offices in helping the chosen people to reach their own abode. The Septuagint translation, or rather paraphrase, of this verse is, "Leave us not, forasmuch as thou wast with us in the wilderness, and thou shalt be an elder among us." This seems, on the one hand, to identify Hobab with Jethro; on the other, to imply that he was shortly afterwards one of the seventy elders upon whom the spirit came. This, however, is not likely. Hobab does indeed seem to have gone with the people, but his descendants were not incorporated into Israel; they were with them, but not of them.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

“Please
נָ֖א (nā)
Interjection
Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then'

do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

leave us,”
תַּעֲזֹ֣ב (ta·‘ă·zōḇ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5800: To loosen, relinquish, permit

Moses said,
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“since
כִּ֣י ׀ (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you know
יָדַ֗עְתָּ (yā·ḏa‘·tā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

where we should camp
חֲנֹתֵ֙נוּ֙ (ḥă·nō·ṯê·nū)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common plural
Strong's 2583: To incline, to decline, to pitch a, tent, gen, to encamp

in the wilderness,
בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר (bam·miḏ·bār)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech

and you can serve
וְהָיִ֥יתָ (wə·hā·yî·ṯā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

as our eyes.
לְעֵינָֽיִם׃ (lə·‘ê·nā·yim)
Preposition-l | Noun - cd
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

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OT Law: Numbers 10:31 He said Don't leave us please (Nu Num.)