Numbers 11:17-25

17 "1Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of 2the Spirit who is upon you, and will put Him upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it all alone.
18 "Say to the people, '3Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept 4in the ears of the LORD, saying, "Oh that someone would give us meat to eat! For we were well-off in Egypt." Therefore the LORD will give you meat and you shall eat.
19 'You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days,
20 but a whole month, until * it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you; because * 5you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before Him, saying, "Why did we ever leave * Egypt?""'
21 But Moses said, "The people, among whom I am, are 600,000 * * on foot; yet You have said, 'I will give them meat, so that they may eat for a whole month.'
22 "Should flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Or should all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?"
23 The LORD said to Moses, "Is 6the LORD'S power limited? Now you shall see whether 7My word will come true for you or not."
24 So Moses went out and 8told the people the words of the LORD. Also, he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and stationed them around the tent.
25 9Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him; and He took of the Spirit who was upon him and placed Him upon the seventy elders. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do it again.

Numbers 11:17-25 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 11

This chapter informs us of the complaints of the people of Israel, which brought the fire of the Lord upon them, and consumed many of them; and which, at the intercession of Moses, was quenched, and the place from thence called Taberah, Nu 11:1-3; and of the lusting of the mixed multitude after flesh, to increase which, they called to mind their food in Egypt; and to show their folly and ingratitude in so doing, the manna is described, Nu 11:4-9; and of the uneasiness of Moses, and his complaints of the heavy burden of the people upon him, Nu 11:10-15; and to make him easy, it is promised, that seventy of the elders of Israel should partake of his spirit, and assist in bearing the burden, Nu 11:16,17; and that the people should have flesh to serve them a whole month, Nu 11:18-20; at which last Moses expressed some degree of unbelief, Nu 11:21-23; however God fulfilled his promise with respect to both. Some of the spirit of Moses was taken and given to seventy elders, who prophesied, and two men are particularly taken notice of, who did so, Nu 11:24-30; quails in great numbers were brought by a wind to the people; but while they were eating them wrath came upon them, and they were smitten with a plague, whence the place was called Kibrothhattaavah, Nu 11:31-34; and from thence they removed to Hazeroth, Nu 11:35.

Cross References 9

  • 1. Numbers 11:25
  • 2. 1 Samuel 10:6; Joel 2:28
  • 3. Exodus 19:10, 22
  • 4. Numbers 11:1
  • 5. Joshua 24:27; 1 Samuel 10:19
  • 6. Isaiah 50:2; Isaiah 59:1
  • 7. Ezekiel 12:25; Ezekiel 24:14
  • 8. Numbers 11:16
  • 9. Numbers 11:17; Numbers 12:5

Footnotes 3

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