New International VersionSo he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them.
New Living TranslationSo he declared he would destroy them. But Moses, his chosen one, stepped between the LORD and the people. He begged him to turn from his anger and not destroy them.
English Standard VersionTherefore he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
Berean Standard BibleSo He said He would destroy them—had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach to divert His wrath from destroying them.
King James BibleTherefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
New King James VersionTherefore He said that He would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.
New American Standard BibleTherefore He said that He would destroy them, If Moses, His chosen one, had not stood in the gap before Him, To turn away His wrath from destroying them.
NASB 1995Therefore He said that He would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him, To turn away His wrath from destroying them.
NASB 1977Therefore He said that He would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him, To turn away His wrath from destroying them.
Legacy Standard BibleTherefore He said that He would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him, To turn away His wrath from eradicating them.
Amplified BibleTherefore He said He would destroy them, [And He would have done so] had not Moses, His chosen one, stepped into the gap before Him, To turn away His wrath from destroying them.
Christian Standard BibleSo he said he would have destroyed them — if Moses his chosen one had not stood before him in the breach to turn his wrath away from destroying them.
Holman Christian Standard BibleSo He said He would have destroyed them— if Moses His chosen one had not stood before Him in the breach to turn His wrath away from destroying them.
American Standard VersionTherefore he said that he would destroy them, Had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, To turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
Contemporary English VersionYou were angry and started to destroy them, but Moses, your chosen leader, begged you not to do it.
English Revised VersionTherefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
GOD'S WORD® TranslationGod said he was going to destroy them, but Moses, his chosen one, stood in his way to prevent him from exterminating them.
Good News TranslationWhen God said that he would destroy his people, his chosen servant, Moses, stood up against God and kept his anger from destroying them.
International Standard VersionHe would have destroyed them but for Moses, his chosen one, who stood in the breach before him to avert his destructive wrath.
NET BibleHe threatened to destroy them, but Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him and turned back his destructive anger.
New Heart English BibleTherefore he said that he would destroy them, had Moses, his chosen, not stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, so that he wouldn't destroy them.
Webster's Bible TranslationTherefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleSo He said He would destroy them—had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach to divert His wrath from destroying them.
World English BibleTherefore he said that he would destroy them, had Moses, his chosen, not stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, so that he wouldn’t destroy them. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd He commands to destroy them, "" Unless Moses, His chosen one, "" Had stood in the breach before Him, "" To turn back His wrath from destroying.
Young's Literal Translation And He saith to destroy them, Unless Moses, His chosen one, Had stood in the breach before Him, To turn back His wrath from destroying.
Smith's Literal TranslationAnd he will say to destroy them unless Moses his chosen stood in the breaking before him to turn away his wrath from destroying. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd he said that he would destroy them: had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach: To turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
Catholic Public Domain VersionAnd he said that he would destroy them, yet Moses, his elect, stood firm before him in the breach, in order to avert his wrath, lest he destroy them.
New American Bible
He would have decreed their destruction, had not Moses, his chosen one, Withstood him in the breach to turn back his destroying anger.
New Revised Standard Version
Therefore he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.Translations from Aramaic Lamsa Bible
Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he said that he would destroy them if Moses, his chosen, had not stood in the gap before him, and turned back his wrath, lest he would destroy them.OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917
Therefore He said that He would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen stood before Him in the breach, To turn back His wrath, lest He should destroy them.
Brenton Septuagint Translation
So he said that he would have destroyed them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turnhim away from the fierceness of his anger, so that he should not destroy them.
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context Give Thanks to the LORD, for He is Good… 22wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. 23So He saidHe would destroy them—had notMosesHis chosen onestoodbefore Himin the breachto divertHis wrathfrom destroying them.24They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise.…
Cross References Exodus 32:11-14But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God, saying, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? / Why should the Egyptians declare, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce anger and relent from doing harm to Your people. / Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom You swore by Your very self when You declared, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised, and it shall be their inheritance forever.’” ...
Deuteronomy 9:18-20Then I fell down before the LORD for forty days and forty nights, as I had done the first time. I did not eat bread or drink water because of all the sin you had committed in doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD and provoking Him to anger. / For I was afraid of the anger and wrath that the LORD had directed against you, enough to destroy you. But the LORD listened to me this time as well. / The LORD was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him, but at that time I also prayed for Aaron.
Numbers 14:11-20And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, despite all the signs I have performed among them? / I will strike them with a plague and destroy them—and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are.” / But Moses said to the LORD, “The Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought this people from among them. ...
Ezekiel 22:30I searched for a man among them to repair the wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, so that I should not destroy it. But I found no one.
Jeremiah 15:1Then the LORD said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before Me, My heart would not go out to this people. Send them from My presence, and let them go!
Genesis 18:23-33Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? / What if there are fifty righteous ones in the city? Will You really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous ones who are there? / Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” ...
1 Samuel 12:23As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way.
Amos 7:1-6This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts just after the king’s harvest, as the late spring crop was coming up. / And when the locusts had eaten every green plant in the land, I said, “Lord GOD, please forgive! How will Jacob survive, since he is so small?” / So the LORD relented from this plan. “It will not happen,” He said. ...
Isaiah 53:12Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.
Job 42:8-10So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.” / So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD had told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer. / After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his prosperity and doubled his former possessions.
Hebrews 7:25Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.
Romans 8:34Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us.
1 John 2:1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
1 Timothy 2:5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
Luke 23:34Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.
Treasury of Scripture Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them. he said Exodus 32:10,11,32 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation… Deuteronomy 9:13,14,19,25 Furthermore the LORD spake unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, itis a stiffnecked people: … Deuteronomy 10:10 And I stayed in the mount, according to the first time, forty days and forty nights; and the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also,and the LORD would not destroy thee. his chosen Psalm 105:6,26 O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen… Numbers 16:5 And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will shew whoare his, andwho is holy; and will causehim to come near unto him: evenhim whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him. Matthew 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. stood Exodus 32:14 And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. Jeremiah 5:1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there beany that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it. Ezekiel 13:5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD. Jump to Previous BreachChosenDestroyDestroyingDestructionEndMosesPurposingServantSpecialStoodTurnTurningWouldn'tWrathJump to Next BreachChosenDestroyDestroyingDestructionEndMosesPurposingServantSpecialStoodTurnTurningWouldn'tWrathPsalm 106 1.The psalmist exhorts to praise God4.He prays for pardon of sin, as God pardoned the fathers7.The story of the people's rebellion, and God's mercy47.He concludes with prayer and praiseSo He said He would destroy them—This phrase refers to God's declaration of judgment against the Israelites due to their rebellion and idolatry, particularly the incident of the golden calf (Exodus 32). The context is the wilderness period after the Exodus from Egypt, where the Israelites frequently disobeyed God. This reflects God's holiness and justice, as He cannot tolerate sin. The concept of divine judgment is consistent throughout Scripture, seen in events like the flood (Genesis 6-9) and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19). had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach—
Moses is described as "His chosen one," highlighting his unique role as mediator between God and Israel. The phrase "stood before Him in the breach" is a metaphor for intercession, where Moses acts as a barrier to prevent God's wrath. This imagery is similar to a soldier standing in a gap in a wall to protect a city. Moses' intercession is a type of Christ, who is the ultimate mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). This act of standing in the breach is also a demonstration of Moses' leadership and love for his people, as he pleads for their forgiveness (Exodus 32:11-14). to divert His wrath from destroying them.
The concept of divine wrath is a consistent theme in the Bible, representing God's righteous anger against sin. Moses' intercession successfully diverts this wrath, showcasing the power of prayer and the importance of a mediator. This act of mercy foreshadows the work of Jesus Christ, who diverts God's wrath from believers through His sacrificial death (Romans 5:9). The idea of divine mercy is also seen in other instances, such as Abraham's intercession for Sodom (Genesis 18) and the sparing of Nineveh after Jonah's warning (Jonah 3). Persons / Places / Events 1. GodThe sovereign and just deity who is angered by the Israelites' disobedience and idolatry. 2. MosesThe chosen leader and intercessor for the Israelites, who stands in the gap to plead for God's mercy. 3. The IsraelitesGod's chosen people who repeatedly fall into sin and idolatry, provoking God's wrath. 4. The BreachA metaphorical gap representing the separation between God and His people due to their sin. 5. The Golden Calf IncidentThe specific event referenced here, where the Israelites worshiped a golden calf at Mount Sinai, leading to God's anger. Teaching Points The Power of IntercessionMoses' intercession demonstrates the profound impact one person's prayer can have in averting God's judgment. Believers are called to intercede for others, standing in the gap through prayer. God's Justice and MercyThis verse highlights the balance between God's justice in response to sin and His mercy in response to intercession. Understanding this balance is crucial for a mature faith. The Role of a MediatorMoses foreshadows Christ as the ultimate mediator. Believers can find assurance in Christ's intercession on their behalf. The Consequences of IdolatryThe Israelites' idolatry serves as a warning against placing anything above God. Believers must guard their hearts against modern forms of idolatry. Leadership and ResponsibilityMoses' willingness to stand in the breach underscores the responsibility of leaders to advocate for those they lead, even when they err. Lists and Questions Top 10 Lessons from Psalm 106
What does 'stand in the gap' mean?
What does "stand in the gap" mean?
If Jeremiah 15:1 implies God would not listen to Moses or Samuel, how does this align with other passages portraying a merciful God?
How can an entire city’s fate hinge on a negotiation between God and one individual (Genesis 18:23–33)?(23) Stood before him in the breach . . .--This is generally explained after Ezekiel 22:30, where undoubtedly it is an image taken from the defence of a besieged town. (Comp. Ezekiel 13:5.) But it is possible that we should render, "Had not Moses stood before him ( i.e.,submissively; see Genesis 41:46; Deuteronomy 1:38) in the breaking forth (of his anger)," since the verb from which the substantive here used comes is the one employed ( Exodus 19:22), "lest the Lord break forth upon them." So the LXX. seem to have understood the passage, since they render here by the same word, which in Psalm 106:30 does duty for "plague." (Comp. Vulg., refractio.) . . . Verse 23. - Therefore he said that he would destroy them; literally, and he said. On the apostasy at Sinai, God expressed to Moses an intention to destroy the entire people of Israel, save only himself, and to "make of him a great nation" ( Exodus 32:10; comp. Deuteronomy 9:14, 25). Had not Moses his chosen steed before him in the breach. Moses was "chosen" by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt ( Exodus 3:10), and forced to accept the office ( Exodus 4:1-17). When Israel angered God at Sinai, he "stood in the gap," like a brave soldier guarding his city when the enemy has breached the wall ( Exodus 32:11-13, 31-34). To turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them. God was ready to have destroyed all Israel, and to have raised up a new Israel out of the descendants of Moses, had not Moses pleaded with extreme earnestness on the people's behalf ( Exodus 32:32).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew So He saidוַיֹּ֗אמֶר(way·yō·mer)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559:To utter, sayHe would destroy them—לְֽהַשְׁמִ֫ידָ֥ם(lə·haš·mî·ḏām)Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8045:To be exterminated or destroyedhad notלוּלֵ֡י(lū·lê)Conjunction
Strong's 3884:If not, unlessMosesמֹ֘שֶׁ֤ה(mō·šeh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872:Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiverHis chosen oneבְחִיר֗וֹ(ḇə·ḥî·rōw)Adjective - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 972:Selectstoodעָמַ֣ד(‘ā·maḏ)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5975:To stand, in various relationsbefore Himלְפָנָ֑יו(lə·p̄ā·nāw)Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6440:The facein the breachבַּפֶּ֣רֶץ(bap·pe·reṣ)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6556:A bursting forth, breachto divertלְהָשִׁ֥יב(lə·hā·šîḇ)Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7725:To turn back, in, to retreat, againHis wrathחֲ֝מָת֗וֹ(ḥă·mā·ṯōw)Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2534:Heat, anger, poisonfrom destroying them.מֵֽהַשְׁחִֽית׃(mê·haš·ḥîṯ)Preposition-m | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7843:Perhaps to go to ruin
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OT Poetry: Psalm 106:23 Therefore he said that he would destroy (Psalm Ps Psa.) |
