New American Standard Bible 1995

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Hebrews

Note Journal Prayer

3

:

17

“

And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Greek: Transliteration:
And with whom who? which? what? IPro-DMP H5101 τίσιν tisin
was He angry to be angry with V-AIA-3S H4360 προσώχθισεν prosōchthisen
for forty forty H5065    
Analysis:

Forty: Transition or change

Often people will speak of the number forty as a generational number. There is no evidence for such an interpretation from the Scripture. The number 40 expresses a change or transition. The examples for such a view are seen throughout both the Old and New Covenants. 

  • It rained for 40 days in the days of Noah (see Genesis 7:12). These rains brought about a transition; HaShem would begin the world again with the family of Noah. 
  • Moses was on Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights (see Exodus 34:28). Although this was the second time Moses went up to the mountain, it was this time that the Law was actually given to the Children of Israel and a transition was made to Israel being commanded to observe the Law.
  • Yeshua was tested in the mountains of Judah for 40 days and 40 nights (see Matthew 4:2) and afterwards He began His ministry. Hence, a transition was made from when Yeshua did not minister to the time when He began to fulfill His Father's will in a formal way.
  • After the resurrection, Yeshua appeared for 40 days (Acts 1:3) and He ascended into the heavens. Yeshua's earthly ministry had finished and there was a transition to His disciples carrying on His work.
  • In the account of Absalom, the reader is told that at the end of 40 years (see 2 Samuel 15:7), Absalom requested permission to go to Hebron from his father. Although he said that he wanted to pay his vows, this was said so he could depart and begin his rebellion against David, his father. Why is 40 years mentioned? To what does the 40 years refer? Some commentaries say the 40 years was from when Saul began the monarchy. Whether this is true or not is undetermined. However, what is for sure is that there was a transition in the leadership of Israel. The number 40 appears in verse 7 to assist the reader in identifying this change in leadership.

Numerous other examples could be provided, but these few sufficiently demonstrate the meaning and use of the number 40 in the Scriptures. 

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years? a year N-ANP H2094 ἔτῃ etē
Was it not with those the Art-DFS H3588 τοῖς tois
who who? which? what? IPro-DMP H5101    
sinned, to miss the mark, do wrong, sin V-APA-DMP H264 ἁμαρτήσασιν amartēsasin
whose usually rel. who, which, that, also demonstrative this, that RelPro-GMP H3739 ὧν ōn
bodies a limb (of the body) N-NNP H2966 κῶλα kōla
fell to fall V-AIA-3S H4098 ἔπεσεν epesen
in the wilderness? solitary, desolate Adj-DFS H2048 ἐρήμῳ erēmō

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
King James Bible And But with whom was He angry for he grieved forty years? Was was it not with those who them that had sinned, whose bodies carcases fell in the wilderness?
Berean Bible And with whom was He angry for indignant forty years? Was it years, if not with those who having sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
Hebrew Greek English And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?