Numbers 11:11-21

11 And Moses sayde vnto the Lorde: wherfore dealest thou so cruelly with thi seruaunte ? wherfore doo I not fynde fauoure in thi syghte seynge that thou puttest the weyght of this people apon me?

12 haue I conceyued all this people or haue I begote them that thou shuldest saye vnto me carye them in thi bosome (as a nurse beareth the suckynge childe) vnto the londe which thou swarest vnto their fathers ?

13 where shulde I haue flesh to geue vnto all this people? for they wepe vnto me sayenge: geue us flesh that we maye eate.

14 I am not able to bere all this people alone for it is to heuy for me.

15 Wherfore yf thou deale thus with me kyll me I praye the yf I haue founde fauoure in thi syght and let me not se my wrechidnesse.

16 And the Lorde sayde vnto Moses: gather vnto me .lxx. of the elders of Ysrael which thou knowest that they are the elders of ye peple and officers ouer them and brynge them vnto the tabernacle of witnesse and let them stonde there with the.

17 And I wyll come doune and talke with the there and take of yt spirite which is apon the and put apon them ad they shall bere with the in the burthen of the people and so shalt thou not beare alone.

18 And saye vnto ye people: halowe youre selues agenst to morow that ye maye eate flesh for ye haue whyned in the eares of the Lorde saynge: who shall geue vs flesh to eate for we were happie when we were in Egipte? therfore the Lorde will geue you flesh and ye shall eate:

19 Ye shall not eate one daye only ether .ij. or .v. dayes ether .x. or .xx. dayes:

20 but euen a moneth longe ad vntill it come out at the nostrels of you that ye be ready to perbrake: because that ye haue cast ye Lorde a syde which is amonge you and haue wepte before him saynge: why came we out of Egipte.

21 And Moses sayde: sixe hundred thousande fotemen are there of the people amonge which I am. And thou hast sayde: I will geue them flesh and they shall eate a moneth loge

Numbers 11:11-21 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.