Numbers 11:1-15

The People Complain

1 And ¹the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, ²his anger was kindled, and ³the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp.

2 Then ⁴the people cried out to Moses, ⁵and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down.

3 So the name of that place was called ⁶Taberah, ^[a] because the fire of the Lord burned among them.

4 Now the ⁷rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also ⁸wept again and said, ⁹“Oh that we had meat to eat!

5 ¹⁰We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.

6 But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at. ”

7 Now ¹¹the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium.

8 ¹²The people went about and gathered it and ground it in handmills or beat it in mortars and boiled it in pots and made cakes of it. ¹³And the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil.

9 ¹⁴When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it.

10 Moses heard the people ¹⁵weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased.

11 ¹⁶Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me?

12 Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ¹⁷‘Carry them in your bosom, as a ¹⁸nurse carries a nursing child, ’ to the land ¹⁹that you swore to give their fathers?

13 ²⁰Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat. ’

14 ²¹I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me.

15 If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness. ”

Numbers 11:1-15 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

• 1. 11:1 Deut. 9:22
• 2. 11:1 Ps. 78:21
• 3. 11:1 [ch. 16:35; Lev. 10:2; 2 Kgs. 1:12; Ps. 106:18; Rev. 13:13]
• 4. 11:2 [ch. 21:7]
• 5. 11:2 [James 5:16]; See ch. 16:45-48
• 6. 11:3 Deut. 9:22
• 7. 11:4 See Ex. 12:38
• 8. 11:4 ch. 14:1
• 9. 11:4 Ps. 78:18; 106:14; 1 Cor. 10:6
• 10. 11:5 [ch. 21:5; Ex. 16:3; Acts 7:39]
• 11. 11:7 Ex. 16:14, 31
• 12. 11:8 Ex. 16:16-18
• 13. 11:8 [Ex. 16:31]
• 14. 11:9 Ex. 16:13, 14
• 15. 11:10 [Zech. 12:12-14]
• 16. 11:11 [1 Kgs. 19:4; Jonah 4:1-4, 9]
• 17. 11:12 Isa. 40:11; [Deut. 1:31]
• 18. 11:12 [Isa. 49:23; 1 Thess. 2:7]
• 19. 11:12 Gen. 50:24; Ex. 13:5
• 20. 11:13 [2 Kgs. 7:2; Matt. 15:33; Mark 8:4; John 6:7, 9]
• 21. 11:14 Ex. 18:18; Deut. 1:9, 12

Footnotes

• [a] 11:3 'Taberah' means 'burning'