Numbers 14:20
New International Version
The LORD replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked.

New Living Translation
Then the LORD said, “I will pardon them as you have requested.

English Standard Version
Then the LORD said, “I have pardoned, according to your word.

Berean Standard Bible
“I have pardoned them as you requested,” the LORD replied.

King James Bible
And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:

New King James Version
Then the LORD said: “I have pardoned, according to your word;

New American Standard Bible
So the LORD said, “I have forgiven them in accordance with your word;

NASB 1995
So the LORD said, “I have pardoned them according to your word;

NASB 1977
So the LORD said, “I have pardoned them according to your word;

Legacy Standard Bible
So Yahweh said, “I have pardoned them according to your word;

Amplified Bible
So the LORD said, “I have pardoned them according to your word;

Christian Standard Bible
The LORD responded, “I have pardoned them as you requested.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The LORD responded, “I have pardoned them as you requested.

American Standard Version
And Jehovah said, I have pardoned according to thy word:

Contemporary English Version
Then the LORD said to Moses: In answer to your prayer, I do forgive them.

English Revised Version
And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The LORD said, "I forgive them, as you have asked.

Good News Translation
The LORD answered, "I will forgive them, as you have asked.

International Standard Version
The LORD responded, "I've forgiven them based on what you've said.

Majority Standard Bible
?I have pardoned them as you requested,? the LORD replied.

NET Bible
Then the LORD said, "I have forgiven them as you asked.

New Heart English Bible
The LORD said, "I have pardoned according to your word.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:

World English Bible
Yahweh said, “I have pardoned according to your word;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And YHWH says, “I have forgiven according to your word,

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah saith, 'I have forgiven, according to thy word;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jehovah will say, I pardoned according to thy word:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord said: I have forgiven according to thy word.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the Lord said: “I have forgiven them according to your word.

New American Bible
The LORD answered: I pardon them as you have asked.

New Revised Standard Version
Then the LORD said, “I do forgive, just as you have asked;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the LORD said to Moses, I have forgiven them according to your word;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And LORD JEHOVAH said to Moshe: “I have forgiven them, according to your word.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the LORD said: 'I have pardoned according to thy word'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the Lord said to Moses, I am gracious to them according to thy word.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God's Forgiveness and Judgment
20“I have pardoned them as you requested,” the LORD replied. 21“Yet as surely as I live and as surely as the whole earth is filled with the glory of the LORD,…

Cross References
Exodus 34:6-7
Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness, / maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

Psalm 103:8-10
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. / He will not always accuse us, nor harbor His anger forever. / He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities.

Nehemiah 9:17
They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them.

Micah 7:18-19
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion? / He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea.

Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

Daniel 9:9
To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, even though we have rebelled against Him

Psalm 86:5
For You, O Lord, are kind and forgiving, rich in loving devotion to all who call on You.

Joel 2:13
So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.

2 Chronicles 7:14
and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

Psalm 130:3-4
If You, O LORD, kept track of iniquities, then who, O Lord, could stand? / But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be feared.

Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. / But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.

Ephesians 1:7
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

Colossians 1:13-14
He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, / in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Luke 6:37
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.


Treasury of Scripture

And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to your word:

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Pardoned Word
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Pardoned Word
Numbers 14
1. The people murmur at the news
6. Joshua and Caleb labor to still them
11. God threatens them
13. Moses intercedes with God, and obtains pardon
26. The Murmurers are debarred from entering into the land
36. The men who raised the evil report die by a plague
40. The people that would invade the land against the will of God are smitten














“I have pardoned them”
This phrase reflects God's willingness to forgive the Israelites despite their repeated disobedience and lack of faith. It highlights God's mercy and grace, which are central themes throughout the Bible. The concept of divine pardon is seen in other scriptures, such as Psalm 103:12, where God removes transgressions as far as the east is from the west. This act of forgiveness foreshadows the ultimate pardon through Jesus Christ, who offers redemption and forgiveness of sins to all who believe in Him (Ephesians 1:7).

“as you requested,”
This part of the verse underscores the power and importance of intercessory prayer. Moses, acting as a mediator, pleads with God on behalf of the Israelites. This mirrors the role of Jesus Christ as the ultimate intercessor for humanity (Hebrews 7:25). Moses' intercession is a type of Christ, showing how one righteous person can stand in the gap for others. The effectiveness of Moses' prayer also emphasizes the relationship between God and His chosen leaders, and how God listens to and honors the prayers of the faithful.

“the LORD replied.”
The use of "the LORD" here refers to Yahweh, the covenant name of God, emphasizing His faithfulness and unchanging nature. This response from God demonstrates His direct communication with Moses, a unique aspect of their relationship. It also reflects the biblical theme of God’s responsiveness to His people, as seen in other instances where God answers prayers, such as in 1 Kings 18:37-39 with Elijah. This interaction between God and Moses is part of the larger narrative of God's guidance and provision for Israel during their wilderness journey.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant-keeping God of Israel, who is both just and merciful. In this passage, He responds to Moses' intercession for the Israelites.

2. Moses
The leader of the Israelites, who intercedes on behalf of the people after they rebel against God. His role as an intercessor is crucial in this account.

3. The Israelites
The people of God who have been delivered from Egypt but are now wandering in the wilderness. They have just expressed doubt and rebellion against God's promises.

4. The Wilderness of Paran
The location where the Israelites are camped when they express their lack of faith in God's promise to bring them into the Promised Land.

5. The Rebellion
The event where the Israelites, upon hearing the report of the spies, refuse to enter the Promised Land and wish to return to Egypt, prompting God's anger.
Teaching Points
The Power of Intercession
Moses' intercession demonstrates the importance and power of praying for others. Believers are called to stand in the gap for those who have strayed or are in need.

God's Mercy and Justice
God's response to Moses shows His willingness to forgive, yet it also underscores His justice. While He pardons, there are still consequences for unbelief and rebellion.

Faith in God's Promises
The Israelites' failure to trust God serves as a warning. Believers today must hold fast to God's promises, even when circumstances seem daunting.

The Role of Leadership
Moses exemplifies godly leadership by advocating for the people and seeking God's mercy. Leaders in the church are called to guide with compassion and prayer.

The Consequences of Unbelief
The Israelites' rebellion resulted in a generation missing out on the Promised Land. This teaches the importance of faith and obedience in the Christian walk.(20) I have pardoned according to thy word.--The holiness and justice of the Lord required that punishment should overtake the transgressors, as it had been foretold in Exodus 32:34. Nevertheless the prayer of Moses was heard and answered, and the people were not wholly exterminated.

(21, 22, 23) But as truly as I live . . . --The three verses may be rendered as follows:--Nevertheless, as truly as I live, and all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, none of those men who have seen my glory and my signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and (who) tempted me these ten times, and hearkened not unto my voice, shall see the land which I sware unto their fathers, &c. Some have explained the words these ten times by adding to the eight murmurings which are recorded--(1) at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:11-12); (2) at Marah (Exodus 15:23); (3) in the wilderness of Sin (Exodus 16:2); (4) at Rephidim (Exodus 17:1); (5) at Horeb (Exodus 32); (6) at Taberah (Numbers 11:1); (7) at the graves of lust (Numbers 11:4); and (8) at Kadesh (Numbers 14)--the transgressions of certain individuals--(1) in keeping the manna until the morning of the day after that on which it was gathered (Exodus 16:20); and (2) in going out to gather the manna on the seventh day, when none fell (Exodus 16:27). It is more probable, however, that the number ten is used here, as elsewhere (comp. Genesis 31:7), as denoting a full measure. The persons to whom the penalty applied are specified in Numbers 14:29 : viz., those who were included in the first census. The principal exceptions to the threat of exclusion from the land of promise are specified in Numbers 14:30-31 : viz., Joshua and Caleb, and the generation which had not reached twenty years of age at the exodus. The other exception, or exceptions, if such there were, belonged to the tribe of Levi, which was not included in the census which was first taken, nor represented by the spies. It has been inferred from the fact that Nadab and Abihu only went up into the mountain with Moses and Aaron, that Eleazar, who entered Canaan with Joshua (Joshua 14:1), was under twenty years of age at the exodus. It may be observed that it does not follow that the regulation respecting the age of the Levites at the time of entering upon their service applied also to the priests, and consequently Eleazar may have been under twenty years of age at the time of his consecration. (Comp. 2Chronicles 31:17.) There seems, however, to be no sufficient authority for such a supposition. . . .

Verse 20. - I have pardoned. Whatever necessary exceptions and qualifications might remain to be afterwards declared, the great fact that he forgave the nation, and that the nation should not die, is announced without delay and without reservation (cf. 2 Samuel 12:13). According to thy word. Such power had God been pleased to give unto man, that at the intercession of the mediator a whole nation is delivered from imminent death and destruction.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“I have pardoned them
סָלַ֖חְתִּי (sā·laḥ·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5545: To forgive, pardon

as you requested,”
כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ׃ (kiḏ·ḇā·re·ḵā)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

the LORD
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

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


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OT Law: Numbers 14:20 Yahweh said I have pardoned according (Nu Num.)
Numbers 14:19
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