Numbers 11:1-20

1 The people fell to grumbling over their hard life. God heard. When he heard his anger flared; then fire blazed up and burned the outer boundaries of the camp.

2 The people cried out for help to Moses; Moses prayed to God and the fire died down.

3 They named the place Taberah (Blaze) because fire from God had blazed up against them. Camp Kibroth Hattaavah

4 The riff-raff among the people had a craving and soon they had the People of Israel whining, "Why can't we have meat?

5 We ate fish in Egypt - and got it free! - to say nothing of the cucumbers and melons, the leeks and onions and garlic.

6 But nothing tastes good out here; all we get is manna, manna, manna."

7 Manna was a seedlike substance with a shiny appearance like resin.

8 The people went around collecting it and ground it between stones or pounded it fine in a mortar. Then they boiled it in a pot and shaped it into cakes. It tasted like a delicacy cooked in olive oil.

9 When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna was right there with it.

10 Moses heard the whining, all those families whining in front of their tents. God's anger blazed up. Moses saw that things were in a bad way.

11 Moses said to God, "Why are you treating me this way? What did I ever do to you to deserve this? Did I conceive them? Was I their mother? So why dump the responsibility of this people on me?

12 Why tell me to carry them around like a nursing mother, carry them all the way to the land you promised to their ancestors?

13 Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people who are whining to me, 'Give us meat; we want meat.'

14 I can't do this by myself - it's too much, all these people.

15 If this is how you intend to treat me, do me a favor and kill me. I've seen enough; I've had enough. Let me out of here."

16 God said to Moses, "Gather together seventy men from among the leaders of Israel, men whom you know to be respected and responsible. Take them to the Tent of Meeting. I'll meet you there.

17 I'll come down and speak with you. I'll take some of the Spirit that is on you and place it on them; they'll then be able to take some of the load of this people - you won't have to carry the whole thing alone.

18 "Tell the people, Consecrate yourselves. Get ready for tomorrow when you're going to eat meat. You've been whining to God, 'We want meat; give us meat. We had a better life in Egypt.' God has heard your whining and he's going to give you meat. You're going to eat meat.

19 And it's not just for a day that you'll eat meat, and not two days, or five or ten or twenty,

20 but for a whole month. You're going to eat meat until its coming out your nostrils. You're going to be so sick of meat that you'll throw up at the mere mention of it. And here's why: Because you have rejected God who is right here among you, whining to his face, 'Oh, why did we ever have to leave Egypt?'"

Numbers 11:1-20 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.