Numbers 20:3

 Numbers 20:3

And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

a. NLT: The people blamed Moses and said, “If only we had died in the LORD’s presence with our brothers! [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: And the people strove with Moses, and spake, saying, Would that we had died when our brethren died before Jehovah! [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: And the people strive with Moses, and speak, saying, 'And oh that we had expired when our brethren expired before Jehovah!  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: And the people contended with Moses, and said, Would that we had died when our brethren died [in the plague] before the Lord!  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary:   [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH Copyright 1998, 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ldt.]

f. The Israel Bible: The people quarreled with Moshe, saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished at the instance of Hashem!  [The English Translation was adapted by Israel 365 from the JPS Tanakh. Copyright Ⓒ 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. All rights reserved.]

g. NIV: They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD!  [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

1. “And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying…”

a. [And the] people [Strong: 5971 ʻam, am; from H6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock:—folk, men, nation, people.] [The KJV translates Strong's H5971 in the following manner: people (1,836x), nation (17x), people (with H1121) (4x), folk (2x), Ammi (1x), men (1x), each (1x).]

b. chode [Strong: 7378 riyb reeb or ruwb {roob}; a primitive root; properly, to toss, i.e. grapple; mostly figuratively, to wrangle, i.e. hold a controversy; (by implication) to defend:--adversary, chide, complain, contend, debate, X ever, X lay wait, plead, rebuke, strive, X thoroughly.]

c. with [Strong: 5973 `im eem from 6004; adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English):--accompanying, against, and, as (X long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-)to, with(-al).]

d.  Moses [Strong: 4872 Mosheh mo-sheh' from 4871; drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver:--Moses.]

e. [and] spake [Strong: 559 'amar aw-mar' a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

f. saying [Strong: 559 'amar aw-mar' a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

2. “...Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!”

a. Would God that [Strong:  3863 luw' loo or lu {loo}; or luw {loo}; a conditional particle; if; by implication (interj. as a wish) would that!:--if (haply), peradventure, I pray thee, though, I would, would God (that).]

b. [we had] died [Strong: 3863 luw' loo or lu {loo}; or luw {loo}; a conditional particle; if; by implication (interj. as a wish) would that!:--if (haply), peradventure, I pray thee, though, I would, would God (that).]

c. [when our] brethren [Strong: 251 'ach awkh a primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like 1)):--another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other.]

d. died [Strong: 3863 luw' loo or lu {loo}; or luw {loo}; a conditional particle; if; by implication (interj. as a wish) would that!:--if (haply), peradventure, I pray thee, though, I would, would God (that).]

e. before [Strong: 6440 paniym paw-neem' plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh {paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time), against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of), + beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), + honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, + meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on, open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street, X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s) past, (un-)to(-ward), + upon, upside (+ down), with(- in, + -stand), X ye, X you.]

f. [the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw' from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.

1). The phrase “before the LORD” means as the Jewish Translation the Israel Bible says, “at the instance of Hashem!” They are literally saying it would be better to die under judgment like Korah (Numbers 16), or the spies who spread slander throughout the congregation.

a). Numbers 14:36, 37  And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,

14:37 Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord.

b). That is unbelievable.