And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Joshua's immediate instinct is to shut down the prophecy, revealing a common human tendency to protect authority and perceive any independent manifestation of God's Spirit as a threat to established order, rather than as a sign of its freeness.
And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
As the Israelites grumble and complain about the manna, God sends fire that consumes some of them, prompting Moses to intercede. God then appoints seventy elders to help Moses bear the people's burden, and He bestows His Spirit upon them, causing them to prophesy. However, two men, Eldad and Medad, who were among the appointed elders but stayed in the camp, also begin to prophesy, leading Joshua to ask Moses to silence them.
Joshua, Moses' trusted aide, leaps to his leader's defense. But was his concern for Moses' authority or for how God's Spirit was working?
Joshua's immediate reaction is to "stop them." This shows his deep loyalty to Moses and his concern for maintaining order and Moses' authority. He saw Eldad and Medad prophesying outside the designated group and feared it might be a challenge to Moses' leadership or cause division within Israel.
However, his zeal, though well-intentioned, was based on a misunderstanding. He was focused on the external structure (Moses' authority) rather than the internal reality (God's Spirit at work). This is a common human tendency: we want to control and protect what we understand, even if it means limiting what God is doing.
Moses' response to Joshua is surprisingly gracious. What does it reveal about his understanding of God's power compared to Joshua's?
Moses gently rebukes Joshua's zealous, yet narrow, perspective with a profound statement: “Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them!”
Moses, despite the potential disruption Eldad and Medad's prophecy represented, saw the bigger picture. He understood that the Spirit of God is not limited by human structures or official appointments. He recognized that God’s power and gifting are sovereign and can move through anyone, not just those formally designated. His desire wasn't to hoard God's gifts or protect his own position, but to see God’s presence and power manifest throughout all of Israel.
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Joshua's eager, protective reaction to Eldad and Medad prophesying reflects a common human tendency to guard leadership and divine gifts. Moses's wise response, however, points to a broader vision of God's Spirit empowering many, not just the designated leaders.
c. 1446 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites, after centuries of slavery, are miraculously delivered from Egypt by God through Moses, beginning their journey to the Promised Land.
c. 1446 BC
Giving of the Law at Sinai
God establishes His covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai, giving them the Law through Moses, outlining their responsibilities and God's expectations.
c. 1445 BC
Taberah and Kibroth-hattaavah
Discontent among the Israelites leads to God's fiery judgment at Taberah and later to a plague at Kibroth-hattaavah due to their craving for meat.
c. 1445 BC
Appointment of the Seventy Elders
To help Moses bear the immense burden of leading the Israelites, God instructs Moses to select seventy elders, to whom He imparts some of His Spirit.
c. 1445 BC— this verse
Eldad and Medad Prophesy
Two of the appointed elders, Eldad and Medad, who did not go to the Tabernacle, prophesy in the camp, causing Joshua to urge Moses to stop them.
c. 1445 BC
Moses' Generous Response
Moses rebukes Joshua's zeal and expresses his wish that all God's people were prophets, highlighting his humility and trust in God's sovereignty.
This passage shows a similar concern for exclusive authority when someone outside the immediate group performs powerful deeds in Jesus' name, reflecting Joshua's instinct to 'forbid them' due to their actions outside Moses' direct command.
Luke 9:49This verse presents John's similar impulse to stop someone from doing good deeds because they were not part of their specific group, highlighting the human tendency, even among disciples, to protect perceived boundaries of authority.
Acts 10:44This passage illustrates the sovereign and unpredictable way the Holy Spirit can empower individuals, mirroring how Eldad and Medad prophesied independently of Moses' tent, showing God's Spirit is not confined to established leadership structures.
1 Corinthians 12:4This chapter speaks of the diverse gifts of the Spirit given for the common good, providing theological context for why Moses' reaction was gentle: the Spirit's work can manifest in many ways and individuals, not just through those in direct leadership.
ellicottNumbers 11:28: "And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them."
(28) My lord Moses, forbid them.— The motive which prompted Joshua in making this request appears to have been similar to that which led St. John to forbid the man to cast out devils who did not follow with the Apostles ( Mark 9:38-39 ; Luke 9:49-50 ). But as the man did not cast out devils in his own name, but in that of Christ, so in this case Eldad and Medad…
pulpitNumbers 11:28: "And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them."
Verse 28. - Joshua the son of Nun. See on Exodus 17:9. As before, he is called Joshua by anticipation. One of his young men. This implies that there were others who to some extent shared his duties towards Moses; but that Joshua stood in a peculiar relation to his master is evident from Exodus 24:13 and Exodus 32:17, as well as from this passage itself. My lord…
Joshua's immediate instinct is to shut down the prophecy, revealing a common human tendency to protect authority and perceive any independent manifestation of God's Spirit as a threat to established order, rather than as a sign of its freeness.
As the Israelites grumble and complain about the manna, God sends fire that consumes some of them, prompting Moses to intercede. God then appoints seventy elders to help Moses bear the people's burden, and He bestows His Spirit upon them, causing them to prophesy. However, two men, Eldad and Medad, who were among the appointed elders but stayed in the camp, also begin to prophesy, leading Joshua to ask Moses to silence them.
As the Israelites grumble and complain about the manna, God sends fire that consumes some of them, prompting Moses to intercede. God then appoints seventy elders to help Moses bear the people's burden, and He bestows His Spirit upon them, causing them to prophesy. However, two men, Eldad and Medad, who were among the appointed elders but stayed in the camp, also begin to prophesy, leading Joshua to ask Moses to silence them.
"And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.”" — Joshua's immediate instinct is to shut down the prophecy, revealing a common human tendency to protect authority and perceive any independent manifestation of God's Spirit as a threat to established…
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Last reviewed October 2026