Numbers 11:27-35

27 And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad prophesy in the camp.

28 Then Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.

29 And Moses said unto him, Art thou jealous for my sake? It would be good that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

30 And Moses withdrew into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

31 And there went forth a wind from the LORD and brought quail from the sea and left them upon the camp, a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp and almost two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

32 Then the people stood up all that day and all that night and all the next day, and they gathered the quail; he that gathered least gathered ten heaps, and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.

34 And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah because there they buried the people that lusted.

35 From Kibrothhattaavah he moved the people unto Hazeroth, and they abode at Hazeroth.

Numbers 11:27-35 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.