Numbers 33:50-56 · Bible study
Numbers 33:50-56 Commentary: Cleansing the Land
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
God's command to destroy Canaanite idols and the warning that incomplete obedience brings judgment. Learn the theological stakes of the conquest.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God commands Israel to remove all Canaanite inhabitants and religious objects from the land, and warns that failure will bring the same judgment on themselves.
- Key words: הוֹרַשְׁתֶּם (ho·rash·tem - dispossess/drive out), מַשְׂכִּיֹּתָם (mas·ki·yo·tam - carved images/stone idols), בָּמֹתָם (ba·mo·tam - high places), שִׂכִּים (sik·kim - thorns/barbed pricks).
- Main debate: Whether the command required total extermination of all Canaanites (JFB, Wesley) or the destruction of their idolatrous systems while allowing individuals to flee or assimilate (Lange).
- Theological theme: The holiness of God demands exclusive worship; tolerated compromise leads to judgment. God's gift is conditional on obedience.
- Best use: A sermon on the cost of partial obedience, the danger of tolerated sin, and the seriousness of God's covenant.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
50On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses,
51“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
52you must drive out before you all the inhabitants of the land, destroy all their carved images and cast idols, and demolish all their high places.
53You are to take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.
54And you are to divide the land by lot according to your clans. Give a larger inheritance to a larger clan and a smaller inheritance to a smaller one. Whatever falls to each one by lot will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to the tribes of your fathers.
55But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they will harass you in the land where you settle.
56And then I will do to you what I had planned to do to them.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
50Yahweh spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
51Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, “When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
52then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their stone idols, destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places.
53You shall take possession of the land, and dwell therein; for I have given the land to you to possess it.
54You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger groups you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to any man, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.
55“But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those you let remain of them will be like pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land in which you dwell.
56It shall happen that as I thought to do to them, so I will do to you.”
KJV King James Version 1769
50And the Lord spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
51Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan;
52Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places:
53And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.
54And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man’s inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.
55But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.
56Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
50And Jehovah spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
51Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
52then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places:
53and ye shall take possession of the land, and dwell therein; for unto you have I given the land to possess it.
54And ye shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer thou shalt give the less inheritance: wheresoever the lot falleth to any man, that shall be his; according to the tribes of your fathers shall ye inherit.
55But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then shall those that ye let remain of them be as pricks in your eyes, and as thorns in your sides, and they shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.
56And it shall come to pass, that, as I thought to do unto them, so will I do unto you.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
50And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, in the plains of Moab, by Jordan, near Jericho, saying,
51`Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, When ye are passing over the Jordan unto the land of Canaan,
52then ye have dispossessed all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and have destroyed all their imagery, yea, all their molten images ye destroy, and all their high places ye lay waste,
53and ye have possessed the land, and dwelt in it, for to you I have given the land--to possess it.
54`And ye have inherited the land by lot, by your families; to the many ye increase their inheritance, and to the few ye diminish their inheritance; whither the lot goeth out to him, it is his; by the tribes of your fathers ye inherit.
55`And if ye do not dispossess the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it hath been, those whom ye let remain of them, are for pricks in your eyes, and for thorns in your sides, and they have distressed you on the land in which ye are dwelling,
56and it hath come to pass, as I thought to do to them--I do to you.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
50And Jehovah spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan of Jericho, saying,
51Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye pass over Jordan into the land of Canaan,
52then ye shall dispossess all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and ye shall destroy all their figured images, and all their molten images shall ye destroy, and all their high places shall ye lay waste;
53and ye shall take possession of the land, and dwell therein, for to you have I given the land to possess it.
54And ye shall take for yourselves the land as an inheritance by lot according to your families: to the many ye shall increase their inheritance, and to the few thou shalt diminish their inheritance: where the lot falleth to him, there shall be each man's [inheritance]; according to the tribes of your fathers shall ye take for yourselves the inheritance.
55But if ye will not dispossess the inhabitants of the land from before you, those that ye let remain of them shall be thorns in your eyes, and pricks in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land wherein ye dwell.
56And it shall come to pass that I will do unto you as I thought to do unto them.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
50Where the Lord said to Moses:
51Command the children of Israel, and say to them: When you shall have passed over the Jordan, entering into the land of Chanaan,
52Destroy all the inhabitants of that land: Beat down their pillars, and break in pieces their statues, and waste all their high places,
53Cleansing the land, and dwelling in it. For I have given it you for a possession.
54And you shall divide it among you by lot. To the more you shall give a larger part, and to the fewer a lesser. To every one as the lot shall fall, so shall the inheritance be given. The possession shall be divided by the tribes and the families.
55But if you will not kill the inhabitants of the land: they that remain, shall be unto you as nails in your eyes, and spears in your sides, and they shall be your adversaries in the land of your habitation.
56And whatsoever I had thought to do to them, I will do to you.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Numbers 33:50
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree this passage functions as a covenant stipulation for Israel's entry into Canaan. The command to drive out the inhabitants and destroy their religious objects is understood as necessary to preserve the purity of worship and Israel's distinct identity. Barnes notes that the warning in verses 55-56 is a new element, likely prompted by recent failures like Baal-peor. Calvin argues that God's design was to prevent the people from being corrupted by admixture with idolaters. Even where commentators differ on the exact extent of destruction, Lange emphasizes the destruction of religious signs rather than all individuals, while Jamieson-Fausset-Brown and Wesley read it as extermination, all agree on the central principle: no trace of Canaanite idolatry may remain, because the land is holy and the people are called to exclusive allegiance. Clarke's typological reading, seeing the Canaanites as emblems of indwelling sin, is a widely shared pastoral application across traditions.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: High
Main views:
- Literal divine command to exterminate: The explicit verbs “drive out”, “destroy”, “demolish” combined with the warning that God will do to Israel what He planned for Canaan (v.56).
- Removal of idolatrous structures, not all individuals: Lange's interpretation that the command focuses on religious signs and that the stranger in the gates was always allowed.
- Typological/spiritual application to sin: Clarke's reading of the Canaanites as emblems of indwelling sin; the same imagery of pricks and thorns is used in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 12:7).
What is clear: God required the complete removal of Canaanite idolatry from the land, and Israel's failure to obey would bring severe consequences.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the command to “drive out” | Israel was required to remove the Canaanites and their religious influence from the land to preserve pure worship. | Some interpreters (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Wesley) read this as literal extermination of all inhabitants; others (Lange) argue it meant destroying the religious apparatus, not necessarily every individual. |
| Applicability for Christians today | The passage teaches the need to remove sin and idolatry from one's life (Clarke's typology). | Some hold it as a direct command only for ancient Israel under the Old Covenant; others see it as a universal principle of spiritual warfare against any competing loyalty. |
| Theological justification for the severity | God's judgment on the Canaanites was due to their long-standing sin (Calvin notes their iniquity was full). | Some emphasize God's sovereignty in choosing to use Israel as the instrument of judgment; others stress the pedagogical purpose of testing Israel's obedience. |
| Role of divine sovereignty vs. human responsibility | God gave the land as a gift (v.53), but Israel must actively take possession. | Reformed traditions highlight God's sovereign choice (lot system as divine direction); others emphasize the conditional warning as genuine human choice. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Israel is encamped in the plains of Moab, across the Jordan from Jericho. The 40-year wilderness journey has just ended (Numbers 33:48-49). A new generation, not the one that refused to enter 38 years earlier, now stands ready. The land of Canaan is not empty, it is filled with peoples whose religious practices include child sacrifice, temple prostitution, and a deep network of localized high places and carved images. These practices are repeatedly condemned in the Torah as abominations.
The command given here echoes earlier instructions in Exodus 23:24 and 34:13, but is now delivered with heightened urgency as actual entry approaches. The Cambridge Bible notes that the passage belongs to the Deuteronomic tradition, which consistently emphasizes the danger of Canaanite influence. The mention of "stone idols" (mas·ki·yo·tam) and "molten images" (tzal·mei ma·sse·kho·tam) identifies specifically the cultic objects used in worship at high places (bamot).
The division of the land by lot (v.54) reinforces God's sovereignty in allocation, the lot was understood as divinely guided (Proverbs 16:33). But this gift is conditional. The warning that remaining inhabitants will become "pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides" (v.55) draws on agricultural imagery familiar to a pastoral people: constant irritation, loss of productivity, and eventual harm. Matthew Henry notes that this isolation in the wilderness was a protection from temptation; now that protection gives way to the need for active obedience.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Numbers 33:50-56. The passage is consistent across Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions. The words for “carved images” (mas·ki·yo·tam) and “high places” (ba·mo·tam) are well attested, though translations vary in English renderings (e.g., KJV “pictures”, BSB “carved images”). The structure of the verses is stable; no major textual issues are reported by the commentators cited here.
Reception History
Early Christian writers like Origen and Augustine read these verses allegorically, interpreting the Canaanites as vices or demonic powers to be expelled from the soul. The Reformation saw a return to historical-literal sense: Calvin and Luther understood the command as a specific historical judgment on Canaan, but also applied the warning to believers, any tolerated sin will become a thorn. Matthew Henry and Wesley continued this typological application, using the passage to preach against spiritual compromise. In modern scholarship, the passage is often studied within the Deuteronomistic history, focusing on its role in shaping Israel's identity and the ethical challenges of holy war. Some traditions view it as a troubling text, while others retain its spiritual application.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Land Must Be Cleansed (vv.50, 53). God commands not only the removal of inhabitants but the total destruction of every religious object, carved images, metal idols, high places. This is not mere conquest; it is purification. The land is God's gift, and it must reflect His holiness.
- The Land Is Divided by Grace (v.54). The allotment by lot shows that inheritance is not earned but received. Larger and smaller families each get what God appoints. This system prevented tribal rivalry and kept the focus on divine provision.
- Incomplete Obedience Brings Judgment (vv.55, 56). The metaphor of “pricks in your eyes, thorns in your sides” is visceral. What you tolerate will torment you. And the final warning is terrifying: if Israel fails to execute judgment on the Canaanites, God will turn that same judgment on Israel.
Five-point outline
- Context of Promise and Imperative, After a long journey, the gift of land stands ready. But the gift comes with a command: drive out the inhabitants.
- The Full Scope of the Command, It covers people, places, and symbols. Nothing of the old religion may survive. God's jealousy demands total allegiance.
- The Means of Possession, Taking possession is active: “dwell therein” implies settling, building, cultivating. It is not a passive inheritance.
- The System of Allotment, The lot ensures God chooses, not human favoritism. It binds the tribes to trust Him for their portion.
- The Warning of Consequences, The conditional “if you do not” sets a stark choice. Obedience leads to rest; disobedience leads to the same fate as the Canaanites.
Illustration hooks
- A new homeowner moves into a house that still has old religious idols from the previous owner. To keep them would be to invite a competing loyalty. The command is not about the objects themselves but about the message they send.
- In gardening, if you leave weed roots in the soil, they will choke the crop. The “thorns in your sides” imagery is literal: a neglected field becomes impossible to harvest.
- Think of a relapse in addiction recovery triggered by keeping one old contact or one hidden bottle. The principle is the same: what you do not remove will work against you.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can a loving God command the destruction of entire peoples? Is this a command for Christians today?
- What are the “Canaanites” in our own lives, the patterns, relationships, or compromises that we tolerate but that slowly weaken our faith?
- How do we balance the severity of this passage with the New Testament call to love our enemies?
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts us with the seriousness of God's holiness and the cost of disobedience. As Israel stood at the threshold of the Promised Land, God made clear that receiving His gift required active removal of everything that opposed Him. For us, the land is any area of life where God wants to establish His rule. The same principle applies: incomplete obedience leaves room for things that will eventually cause harm.
Discussion questions
- Read Numbers 33:50, 56 aloud. What strikes you as most surprising or difficult in these verses?
- The passage lists specific objects to destroy: carved images, metal statues, high places. Why do you think God focuses on religious objects rather than just the people?
- How does verse 53 connect God's gift (“I have given you the land”) with the command to “take possession”? What does this teach about the relationship between grace and human effort?
- Verse 54 describes the division by lot. What does this method reveal about God's role in allocating our inheritance? How might this shape our view of our own gifts and circumstances?
- The warning in verses 55, 56 uses vivid imagery: “pricks in your eyes, thorns in your sides.” What do these metaphors suggest about the long-term effects of tolerated sin?
- Some Christians interpret this passage as a literal command for ancient Israel; others see it as a spiritual allegory for removing sin from our lives. Which reading do you find more helpful, and why? Can both be valid?
- Identify a “Canaanite” in your own life, a habit, attitude, or relationship that you have tolerated but that might be undermining your faith. What would it look like to drive it out?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Numbers 33:48 | They traveled from the mountains of Abarim, and encamped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. |
| Numbers 33:49 | They encamped by the Jordan, from Beth Jeshimoth even to Abel Shittim in the plains of Moab. |
| Deuteronomy 7:1 | When Yahweh your God brings you into the land where you go to possess it, and casts out many nations before you—the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—seven nations greater and mightier than you; |
| Deuteronomy 9:1 | Hear, Israel! You are to pass over the Jordan today, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to the sky, |
| Joshua 3:17 | The priests who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the nation had passed completely over the Jordan. |
| Exodus 23:24 | You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor follow their practices, but you shall utterly overthrow them and demolish their pillars. |
| Exodus 23:31 | I will set your border from the Red Sea even to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. |
| Exodus 23:33 | They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me, for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws a sharp spiritual lesson from the Canaanites left in the land: they represent the indwelling sin that nags believers who refuse full cleansing by Christ's blood. The repeated pricks and thorns picture how sin gradually wears down a tender conscience until the soul stops resisting and surrenders to sin's permanent presence.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that while God had already commanded the expulsion of the Canaanites, the severe warning in this passage is entirely new. This fresh warning was directly prompted by Israel's recent failures: their sin at Baal-peor and their incomplete obedience during the Midianite campaign.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights that the division of the land by lot was not random; God directed the lots to fulfill Jacob’s specific prophecies to each tribe, confirming the ancient promise to Abraham. He warns that failing to drive out the nations would bring piercing thorns and pricks as divinely inflicted punishment.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary notes that "high places" in this passage cannot mean natural hills because Israel is commanded to demolish them, so the term likely refers to small artificial mounds built for Canaanite worship. It also explains that the word for "figured stones" means carved objects for idolatry, and that "drive out" carries the sense of dispossess, a term frequent in Deuteronomy.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The note warns that failing to fully remove the Canaanites and their religious objects will bring lasting consequences. The people left behind will become constant irritants and adversaries, and God will treat Israel the same way He planned to treat those inhabitants.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill warns that failing to drive out the Canaanites completely will bring constant trouble and spiritual danger. Those left behind will become like painful thorns, drawing Israel into sin through their wicked influence and idolatrous practices. This disobedience will lead God to treat Israel as He intended to treat the Canaanites.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that Israel was commanded not merely to expel the Canaanites but to exterminate them and destroy every idolatrous object completely. Any remnant left behind would become a constant source of spiritual danger and divine judgment. This illustrates the necessity of eradic
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch insists that the commands in Numbers 33 are not an appendix to the itinerary but the legal foundation for everything in chapters 34 through 36. They also stress that God’s threat is reciprocal: if Israel fails to drive out the Canaanites, God will drive out Israel the same way.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues the command is not a blanket order to kill every Canaanite. It requires driving out the inhabitants and destroying all public signs of idolatry, but individuals who renounced their pagan worship could remain as resident aliens. The law does not permit forced conversion.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry sees the long wilderness confinement as a deliberate purification, airing Israel out from the infection of Egyptian idolatry so a clean generation could enter Canaan. Now crossing the Jordan exposes them again to that temptation, which is why God so strictly commands them to destroy every remnant of it.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley clarifies that God's command to "drive out" means destroying the inhabitants, not merely banishing them. He identifies the "pictures" as stones engraved for worship and "high places" as any chapels, altars, groves, or structures used for false worship that must be removed entirely.