King James Version
Numbers 11
35 verses with commentary
The People Complain
And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. complained: or, were as it were complainers it displeased: Heb. it was evil in the ears of
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This verse marks the beginning of a series of rebellion narratives that would characterize Israel's wilderness experience. The phrase 'the people complained' translates Hebrew 'mit'onenim' (מִתְאֹנְנִים), suggesting murmuring or complaining with a sense of seeking pretexts for dissatisfaction. Their complaint 'displeased the LORD' (literally 'was evil in the ears of the LORD'), indicating that the...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
XI.
(1) **And when the people complained . . . —**Better, *And the people were as those who complained *(or *murmured*)*, *(which was) *evil in the ears of the Lord*. The LXX. has, “And the people murmured sinfully before the Lord.” Comp. 1Corinthians 10:10 : “Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured.”
**And consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.-**Better, *and devoured...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 11
Chapter Outline
The burning at Taberah.(1-3)
The people lust for flesh, and loathe the manna.(4-9)
Moses complains of his charge.(10-15)
Elders appointed to divide the charge. Flesh meat promised.(16-23)
The Spirit rests on the elders.(24-30)
Quails are given.(31-35)
**Verses 1-3**
Here is the people's sin; they complained. See the sinfulness of sin, wh...
Read full commentary →And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched. was: Heb. sunk
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
When judgment fire from God consumed the outskirts of the camp, the people cried to Moses who interceded in prayer. This established Moses' role as mediator between holy God and sinful people, prefiguring Christ our ultimate Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). The immediate cessation of fire at Moses' prayer demonstrates God's responsiveness to intercessory prayer and His desire for mercy over judgment.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **The fire was quenched.—**Better, *subsided *or *sunk down. *No precise information is given as to the extent of the fire, or as to the objects which it destroyed. It broke out in the extremity of the encampment, and it was arrested in its progress at the supplication of Moses. It seems, however, more probable that it consumed some of the Israelites themselves, than that it consumed only some...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 11
Chapter Outline
The burning at Taberah.(1-3)
The people lust for flesh, and loathe the manna.(4-9)
Moses complains of his charge.(10-15)
Elders appointed to divide the charge. Flesh meat promised.(16-23)
The Spirit rests on the elders.(24-30)
Quails are given.(31-35)
**Verses 1-3**
Here is the people's sin; they complained. See the sinfulness of sin, wh...
Read full commentary →And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them. Taberah: that is, A burning
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The naming of Taberah (Hebrew תַּבְעֵרָה, <em>tav'erah</em>, from <em>ba'ar</em> meaning 'to burn') created a permanent memorial to God's judgment on complaint. Ancient Near Eastern cultures understood that naming a place encoded meaning and preserved memory—every time Israel spoke 'Taberah,' they would remember both divine judgment against murmuring and divine mercy through Moses' intercession. T...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Taberah**—*i.e., burning, *a word cognate to the verb which is rendered *burnt *in Numbers 11:1 and in this verse.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 11
Chapter Outline
The burning at Taberah.(1-3)
The people lust for flesh, and loathe the manna.(4-9)
Moses complains of his charge.(10-15)
Elders appointed to divide the charge. Flesh meat promised.(16-23)
The Spirit rests on the elders.(24-30)
Quails are given.(31-35)
**Verses 1-3**
Here is the people's sin; they complained. See the sinfulness of sin, wh...
Read full commentary →And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting : and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? fell: Heb. lusted a lust wept: Heb. returned and wept
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KJV Study Commentary
The 'mixed multitude' (Hebrew 'asaphsuph', אֲסַפְסֻף, 'riffraff' or 'rabble') who left Egypt with Israel now incite craving for meat, demonstrating how spiritual contamination enters through association with the unconverted. These Egyptians and others who joined the Exodus apparently without genuine faith in Israel's God became sources of temptation, their worldly appetites infecting Israel. The p...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **And the mixt multitude.—**The Authorised Version follows the LXX. and the Vulgate in rendering the word *asaph-suph, *which occurs only in this place, and which is derived from a verb which means to collect, in the same way as the *ereb *of Exodus 12:38, *a mixed multitude, vulgus promiscuum*—in many cases, probably, the children of Hebrew women by Egyptian fathers. This mixed multitude appe...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-9**
Man, having forsaken his proper rest, feels uneasy and wretched, though prosperous. They were weary of the provision God had made for them, although wholesome food and nourishing. It cost no money or care, and the labour of gathering it was very little indeed; yet they talked of Egypt's cheapness, and the fish they ate there freely; as if that cost them nothing, when they paid d...
Read full commentary →We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:
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KJV Study Commentary
Israel's complaint reveals spiritual amnesia—they remembered Egypt's food while forgetting its slavery. The 'fish freely' (Hebrew 'chinam', meaning 'without cost') betrays selective memory, as their labor built Egypt's cities. This nostalgia for bondage illustrates how sin deceives by highlighting fleeting pleasures while obscuring heavy chains. Psalm 106:7 confirms Israel 'remembered not the mult...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **We remember the fish . . . —**Classical writers and modern travellers agree in bearing testimony to the abundance of the fish in the Nile and in the neighbouring canals and reservoirs. The cucumbers in Egypt are of great size and finely flavoured. The watermelons serve to moderate the internal heat which the climate produces. (See *The Land and the Book, *p. 508.) The word rendered *leeks *(...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-9**
Man, having forsaken his proper rest, feels uneasy and wretched, though prosperous. They were weary of the provision God had made for them, although wholesome food and nourishing. It cost no money or care, and the labour of gathering it was very little indeed; yet they talked of Egypt's cheapness, and the fish they ate there freely; as if that cost them nothing, when they paid d...
Read full commentary →But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
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KJV Study Commentary
The complaint 'there is nothing at all, beside this manna' demonstrates contempt for God's miraculous provision. Manna was 'bread from heaven' (Psalm 78:24), yet Israel despised it as inadequate. This rejection of divine provision parallels rejecting Christ, the true 'bread of life' (John 6:35). Their craving for variety over miracle reveals hearts that prioritize satisfaction over sanctification.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **There is nothing at all . . . —**Better, *there is nothing, except that our eyes *(*look*)* upon, the manna.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-9**
Man, having forsaken his proper rest, feels uneasy and wretched, though prosperous. They were weary of the provision God had made for them, although wholesome food and nourishing. It cost no money or care, and the labour of gathering it was very little indeed; yet they talked of Egypt's cheapness, and the fish they ate there freely; as if that cost them nothing, when they paid d...
Read full commentary →And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium. colour thereof: Heb. eye of it as the eye of
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse provides physical description of the manna that sustained Israel for forty years. The comparison to 'coriander seed' (Hebrew <em>gad</em>, גַּד) indicates small, round whitish seeds about 2-3mm diameter, suggesting manna's size and appearance. The reference to 'bdellium' (Hebrew <em>bedolach</em>, בְּדֹלַח) describes a translucent, aromatic resin ranging from white to pale yellow, indic...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **And the manna was . . . —**The design of the description of the manna in this place (comp. Exodus 16:14; Exodus 16:31, and Notes *in loc.; *also Article M*anna, *in “Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible”) was probably to exhibit in its just light the sinfulness of the Israelites in repining at the merciful provision which God had made for the supply of their wants. The dissatisfaction of the Isra...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-9**
Man, having forsaken his proper rest, feels uneasy and wretched, though prosperous. They were weary of the provision God had made for them, although wholesome food and nourishing. It cost no money or care, and the labour of gathering it was very little indeed; yet they talked of Egypt's cheapness, and the fish they ate there freely; as if that cost them nothing, when they paid d...
Read full commentary →And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This verse describes Israel's preparation of manna, detailing the ordinary process (gathering, grinding, baking) applied to extraordinary provision. The people 'went about and gathered it' daily, emphasizing human responsibility within divine provision—God gave manna, but Israel had to collect it. The methods of preparation (grinding in mills, beating in mortars, baking in pans, making cakes) show...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **As the taste of fresh oil.—**Or, *of a fat cake of oil. *In Exodus 16:31 the taste of the manna is said to have been “like wafers made with honey.” The ancients used flour cakes mixed with oil and honey.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-9**
Man, having forsaken his proper rest, feels uneasy and wretched, though prosperous. They were weary of the provision God had made for them, although wholesome food and nourishing. It cost no money or care, and the labour of gathering it was very little indeed; yet they talked of Egypt's cheapness, and the fish they ate there freely; as if that cost them nothing, when they paid d...
Read full commentary →And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This verse describes the miraculous nightly provision of manna as dew descended. The Hebrew phrase 'when the dew fell' (Hebrew <em>bered hatal</em>, בְּרֶדֶת הַטַּל) indicates that manna accompanied the dew—arriving with it, perhaps suspended in it. This nightly provision emphasized God's faithfulness: every morning brought fresh evidence of divine care. The regularity of this miracle (occurring s...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-9**
Man, having forsaken his proper rest, feels uneasy and wretched, though prosperous. They were weary of the provision God had made for them, although wholesome food and nourishing. It cost no money or care, and the labour of gathering it was very little indeed; yet they talked of Egypt's cheapness, and the fish they ate there freely; as if that cost them nothing, when they paid d...
Read full commentary →Moses' Burden
Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased .
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This verse describes Moses hearing 'the people weep throughout their families' (Hebrew <em>habocheh lemishpechotav</em>, הַבֹּכֶה לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָיו), indicating organized, communal complaint—not isolated individuals but entire family groups engaging in public lamentation. The phrase 'every man in the door of his tent' suggests deliberate display: they positioned themselves visibly to ensure their c...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **Moses also was displeased.—**Or, *And it was evil *(or, *displeasing*)* in the eyes of Moses. *Moses was displeased with the people on account of their murmuring, and he was oppressed with the heavy burden of responsibility to which he felt himself unequal.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-15**
The provocation was very great; yet Moses expressed himself otherwise than became him. He undervalued the honour God had put upon him. He magnified his own performances, while he had the Divine wisdom to direct him, and Almighty power to dispense rewards and punishments. He speaks distrustfully of the Divine grace. Had the work been much less he could not have gone through it ...
Read full commentary →And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Moses' prayer reveals the crushing burden of leading a rebellious people. The question 'Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant?' expresses raw, honest anguish before God—not irreverent complaint but desperate appeal. Moses doesn't hide his struggle but brings it to God. The question 'wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight' reveals Moses' feeling that the leadership burden itself indicat...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **Wherefore hast thou afflicted.—**Literally, *done evil to: *the same verb, in a different conjugation, which is rendered “displeased” in Numbers 11:10.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-15**
The provocation was very great; yet Moses expressed himself otherwise than became him. He undervalued the honour God had put upon him. He magnified his own performances, while he had the Divine wisdom to direct him, and Almighty power to dispense rewards and punishments. He speaks distrustfully of the Divine grace. Had the work been much less he could not have gone through it ...
Read full commentary →Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?
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KJV Study Commentary
Moses' rhetorical questions intensify: 'Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them?' uses pregnancy and childbirth imagery to describe the relationship between leader and people. The implied answer ('No, God did') redirects responsibility to its proper source. God created Israel as His people through redemption from Egypt; Moses merely served as God's instrument. The servant cannot be ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **Have I conceived . .?**—The personal pronoun is emphatic in this and the following clause: Is *it I who have conceived all this people? Is it I who have brought them forth? *(or, *begotten them*)*, *as in Genesis 4:18; Genesis 10:8.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-15**
The provocation was very great; yet Moses expressed himself otherwise than became him. He undervalued the honour God had put upon him. He magnified his own performances, while he had the Divine wisdom to direct him, and Almighty power to dispense rewards and punishments. He speaks distrustfully of the Divine grace. Had the work been much less he could not have gone through it ...
Read full commentary →Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Moses continues his complaint with the nursing metaphor: 'that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child.' The Hebrew <em>ha'omen</em> (הָאֹמֵן) translated 'nursing father' denotes a guardian or caretaker, someone responsible for a helpless dependent. Moses felt God had assigned him impossible responsibility—caring for millions as a father c...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **Whence should I have flesh . . .?—**Moses does not justify the murmuring of the people, and was doubtless conscious of their sinfulness. At the same time, he displays a spirit of discontent, and almost of despair, at God’s dealings with himself; and he appears to treat the demand of the Israelites. for flesh as one which was not altogether unreasonable.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-15**
The provocation was very great; yet Moses expressed himself otherwise than became him. He undervalued the honour God had put upon him. He magnified his own performances, while he had the Divine wisdom to direct him, and Almighty power to dispense rewards and punishments. He speaks distrustfully of the Divine grace. Had the work been much less he could not have gone through it ...
Read full commentary →I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.
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KJV Study Commentary
Moses asks desperately, 'Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people?' The question highlights impossible demand: the people wanted meat (verse 4), but Moses had no source for feeding millions in the wilderness. The phrase 'for they weep unto me' shows the people directed their complaint to Moses rather than to God, placing unfair burden on human leadership for what only God could prov...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **To bear all this people alone.—**In accordance with the advice of Jethro, able men had been chosen out of all Israel who heard and determined the small matters which arose among them (Exodus 18:25-26), but they were of no avail on occasions such as the present.
**My wretchedness.—**Or, *my evil. *This is one of the eighteen places in which the scribes are said to have altered the text, and ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-15**
The provocation was very great; yet Moses expressed himself otherwise than became him. He undervalued the honour God had put upon him. He magnified his own performances, while he had the Divine wisdom to direct him, and Almighty power to dispense rewards and punishments. He speaks distrustfully of the Divine grace. Had the work been much less he could not have gone through it ...
Read full commentary →And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Moses' prayer reaches its climax: 'And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand.' This shocking request reveals the depth of Moses' despair—he preferred death to continued burden of leading rebellious Israel. Yet this wasn't merely despair but also faith: Moses believed death would be preferable to dishonoring God through inadequate leadership or to watching God judge the peopl...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **Kill me, I pray thee, out of hand.—**Or, *Make an utter end of me.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-15**
The provocation was very great; yet Moses expressed himself otherwise than became him. He undervalued the honour God had put upon him. He magnified his own performances, while he had the Divine wisdom to direct him, and Almighty power to dispense rewards and punishments. He speaks distrustfully of the Divine grace. Had the work been much less he could not have gone through it ...
Read full commentary →The Seventy Elders
And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.
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KJV Study Commentary
The LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel... and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them. God provides Moses with leadership assistance by distributing the Spirit. The number seventy recalls the seventy descendants of Israel who entered Egypt (Exodus 1:5) and creates a governing council. The phrase 'I will take of the spirit which ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **Seventy men of the elders of Israel . . . —**We find mention made of *elders *of the people in Exodus 3:16, and of officers (*shoterim*) in Exodus 5:16;
also of seventy elders in Exodus 24:1. Frequent mention is made in Scripture of the number *seventy—*a number which is composed of the two sacred numbers *seven *and *ten*—the former being the seal of the covenant, and the latter probably d...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-23**
Moses is to choose such as he knew to be elders, that is, wise and experienced men. God promises to qualify them. If they were not found fit for the employ, they should be made fit. Even the discontented people shall be gratified too, that every mouth may be stopped. See here, I. The vanity of all the delights of sense; they will cloy, but they will not satisfy. Spiritual plea...
Read full commentary →And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
God's promise to 'take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them' reveals that leadership ability is a divine gift, not merely natural talent. The Spirit's distribution did not diminish Moses' portion (as physical division would) but multiplied Spirit-empowerment to others. This demonstrates the Holy Spirit's sufficiency for all God calls to service. The phrase 'they shall bear t...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **And I will come down . . . —**The cloud which hovered over the Tabernacle appears to have descended to the entrance of it (Numbers 11:25). (Comp. Exodus 33:9; Numbers 12:5; Deuteronomy 31:15).
**I will take of the spirit which is upon thee . . . —**These words do not imply that there was any diminution of the gifts bestowed upon Moses, but that a portion of those spiritual gifts was bestowe...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-23**
Moses is to choose such as he knew to be elders, that is, wise and experienced men. God promises to qualify them. If they were not found fit for the employ, they should be made fit. Even the discontented people shall be gratified too, that every mouth may be stopped. See here, I. The vanity of all the delights of sense; they will cloy, but they will not satisfy. Spiritual plea...
Read full commentary →And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
God's command through Moses 'Sanctify yourselves against to morrow' called Israel to prepare ceremonially for divine action. The Hebrew <em>hitqaddesh</em> (הִתְקַדְּשׁוּ) means to consecrate or set apart—ironically, here sanctification prepares not for blessing but for judgment. The people would receive what they demanded, but it would become a curse rather than blessing. This illustrates the pri...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow.**—(Comp. Exodus 19:10.) The Israelites were required to sanctify themselves by purification for the more immediate manifestation of the Divine presence, although their request was a sinful one, and was granted in judgment as well as—or even more than—in mercy. Comp. Psalm 106:15 : “And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-23**
Moses is to choose such as he knew to be elders, that is, wise and experienced men. God promises to qualify them. If they were not found fit for the employ, they should be made fit. Even the discontented people shall be gratified too, that every mouth may be stopped. See here, I. The vanity of all the delights of sense; they will cloy, but they will not satisfy. Spiritual plea...
Read full commentary →Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The escalating time periods 'not one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days' build dramatic tension. The repetition creates anticipation—how long would the meat provision last? The graduated progression (1, 2, 5, 10, 20) suggests abundance beyond imagination. God's provision would far exceed anything Israel could expect or even desire. Yet this abundance would prove to...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **Ye shall not eat one day . . . —**The quails which had been sent the preceding year appear to have covered the camp only during one day (Exodus 16:13).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-23**
Moses is to choose such as he knew to be elders, that is, wise and experienced men. God promises to qualify them. If they were not found fit for the employ, they should be made fit. Even the discontented people shall be gratified too, that every mouth may be stopped. See here, I. The vanity of all the delights of sense; they will cloy, but they will not satisfy. Spiritual plea...
Read full commentary →But even a whole month , until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt? whole: Heb. month of days
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The climax: 'But even a whole month' far exceeds the escalating progression of verse 19, shocking the hearers with the extent of God's provision-turned-judgment. The imagery 'until it come out at your nostrils' (Hebrew <em>ad asher yetse' me'appekem</em>, עַד אֲשֶׁר־יֵצֵא מֵאַפְּכֶם) vividly describes revulsion—meat would become so excessive that it would induce nausea and disgust. What they crave...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-23**
Moses is to choose such as he knew to be elders, that is, wise and experienced men. God promises to qualify them. If they were not found fit for the employ, they should be made fit. Even the discontented people shall be gratified too, that every mouth may be stopped. See here, I. The vanity of all the delights of sense; they will cloy, but they will not satisfy. Spiritual plea...
Read full commentary →And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Moses' question 'Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them?' reveals his struggle with God's promise. After complaining about the burden of leadership (verses 10-15), Moses now questions God's ability to provide. The calculation shows Moses thinking in human terms—if they slaughtered their livestock, would it be enough? The question exposes doubt: can God really provide fle...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **Six hundred thousand footmen.—**In Numbers 1:46 the number is stated to be 603,550; but here, as elsewhere, a round number is mentioned.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-23**
Moses is to choose such as he knew to be elders, that is, wise and experienced men. God promises to qualify them. If they were not found fit for the employ, they should be made fit. Even the discontented people shall be gratified too, that every mouth may be stopped. See here, I. The vanity of all the delights of sense; they will cloy, but they will not satisfy. Spiritual plea...
Read full commentary →Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Moses' continued doubt: 'there are six hundred thousand footmen' (Hebrew <em>ragli</em>, רַגְלִי—men of war, foot soldiers) specifies the enormity of the congregation. This number (600,000 fighting men) suggests a total population of 2-3 million including women, children, and elderly. Moses emphasizes the scale of the challenge: how could anyone feed such a multitude in the wilderness? His focus o...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **Shall the flocks and the herds **. .?—Rather, *Shall flocks and herds *. .? The definite article is not used here, nor the possessive pronoun, as elsewhere, where the flocks and herds of the Israelites are denoted. (Comp. Exodus 10:9; Exodus 34:3; Deuteronomy 12:6.) There is no evidence, therefore, that Moses alluded exclusively, or even primarily, to the flocks and herds which the Israelit...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-23**
Moses is to choose such as he knew to be elders, that is, wise and experienced men. God promises to qualify them. If they were not found fit for the employ, they should be made fit. Even the discontented people shall be gratified too, that every mouth may be stopped. See here, I. The vanity of all the delights of sense; they will cloy, but they will not satisfy. Spiritual plea...
Read full commentary →And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD'S hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD's hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.' God challenges Moses' doubt about providing meat for Israel. The rhetorical question 'Is the LORD's hand waxed short?' rebukes questioning God's power. The 'hand' represents God's power to accomplish His will. 'Waxed short' suggests insufficient strength—absurd regardi...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-23**
Moses is to choose such as he knew to be elders, that is, wise and experienced men. God promises to qualify them. If they were not found fit for the employ, they should be made fit. Even the discontented people shall be gratified too, that every mouth may be stopped. See here, I. The vanity of all the delights of sense; they will cloy, but they will not satisfy. Spiritual plea...
Read full commentary →And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Moses' obedience 'And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD' demonstrates faithful prophetic ministry—he delivered God's message exactly, whether pleasant or challenging. The prophet's responsibility is proclamation, not invention; transmission, not creation. Moses didn't modify divine words to make them more palatable but spoke them faithfully. This models the pastor's calling...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **And Moses went out . . . —**i.e., as it should seem, from the tabernacle of the congregation, where he had been conversing with God.
**Round about the tabernacle.—**This does not necessarily imply that the seventy men were placed so that they surrounded the whole of the tent of meeting. Comp. Exodus 7:24, where the word means *on both sides of the river; *also Job 29:5, where the same word ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 24-30**
We have here the fulfilment of God's word to Moses, that he should have help in the government of Israel. He gave of his Spirit to the seventy elders. They discoursed to the people of the things of God, so that all who heard them might say, that God was with them of a truth. Two of the elders, Eldad and Medad, went not out unto the tabernacle, as the rest, being sensible of th...
Read full commentary →And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders : and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The theophany 'And the LORD came down in a cloud' demonstrates divine initiative in empowering leadership. The cloud represents God's glory and presence (Exodus 13:21; 40:34-38), and its descent indicates special divine intervention. God didn't merely approve Moses' organizational plan but actively participated in commissioning the elders. This teaches that genuine spiritual leadership requires di...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **In a cloud.—**Hebrew, *In the cloud.*
**And gave it unto . . . —**Better, *and put it upon, *as in Leviticus 2:15.
**They prophesied, and did not cease.—**Better, *they prophesied, but did so no more. *Comp. Genesis 8:12; Exodus 11:6; 2Samuel 2:28; so the LXX. The word *prophesy *does not necessarily denote the prediction of future events. It is elsewhere employed to denote the celebration ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 24-30**
We have here the fulfilment of God's word to Moses, that he should have help in the government of Israel. He gave of his Spirit to the seventy elders. They discoursed to the people of the things of God, so that all who heard them might say, that God was with them of a truth. Two of the elders, Eldad and Medad, went not out unto the tabernacle, as the rest, being sensible of th...
Read full commentary →But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The situation 'But there remained two of the men in the camp' introduces an irregularity: Eldad and Medad (Hebrew אֶלְדָּד, <em>Eldad</em>—'God has loved'; מֵידָד, <em>Medad</em>—meaning uncertain, possibly 'beloved') didn't go to the tabernacle with the other sixty-eight. The text explains 'they were of them that were written'—officially registered among the seventy—'but went not out unto the tab...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 24-30**
We have here the fulfilment of God's word to Moses, that he should have help in the government of Israel. He gave of his Spirit to the seventy elders. They discoursed to the people of the things of God, so that all who heard them might say, that God was with them of a truth. Two of the elders, Eldad and Medad, went not out unto the tabernacle, as the rest, being sensible of th...
Read full commentary →And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.
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KJV Study Commentary
The report 'And there ran a young man, and told Moses' indicates urgency—the messenger ran, suggesting excitement or alarm at this unusual development. The young man's name isn't recorded, keeping focus on his message rather than his identity. His report 'Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp' was factual but implied a problem: prophesying was happening outside official channels, away from the t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 24-30**
We have here the fulfilment of God's word to Moses, that he should have help in the government of Israel. He gave of his Spirit to the seventy elders. They discoursed to the people of the things of God, so that all who heard them might say, that God was with them of a truth. Two of the elders, Eldad and Medad, went not out unto the tabernacle, as the rest, being sensible of th...
Read full commentary →And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Joshua's response 'My lord Moses, forbid them' reveals the mindset of zealous but misguided loyalty. The title 'My lord Moses' shows respect and deference, but Joshua's request was wrong. His statement 'forbid them' (Hebrew <em>kela'em</em>, כְּלָאֵם—restrain, shut up, stop) sought to suppress Eldad and Medad's prophesying. Joshua perceived their irregular prophesying as threat to Moses' authority...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **My lord Moses, forbid them.—**The motive which prompted Joshua in making this request appears to have been similar to that which led St. John to forbid the man to cast out devils who did not follow with the Apostles (Mark 9:38-39; Luke 9:49-50). But as the man did not cast out devils in his own name, but in that of Christ, so in this case Eldad and Medad prophesied in virtue of the spirit w...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 24-30**
We have here the fulfilment of God's word to Moses, that he should have help in the government of Israel. He gave of his Spirit to the seventy elders. They discoursed to the people of the things of God, so that all who heard them might say, that God was with them of a truth. Two of the elders, Eldad and Medad, went not out unto the tabernacle, as the rest, being sensible of th...
Read full commentary →And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Moses' response to Joshua reveals remarkable humility and expansive vision for God's Spirit being poured out on all believers. Joshua had just reported that Eldad and Medad were prophesying in the camp though they hadn't gone to the tabernacle with the seventy elders (Numbers 11:26-28). Joshua's concern—'My lord Moses, forbid them'—reflects natural human protectiveness of institutional authority. ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(29) **Enviest thou for my sake?-**Better, *Art thou zealous for me? *or, *Art thou displeased on my account? *(Comp. Numbers 25:13; 1Kings 19:10; 1Kings 19:14.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 24-30**
We have here the fulfilment of God's word to Moses, that he should have help in the government of Israel. He gave of his Spirit to the seventy elders. They discoursed to the people of the things of God, so that all who heard them might say, that God was with them of a truth. Two of the elders, Eldad and Medad, went not out unto the tabernacle, as the rest, being sensible of th...
Read full commentary →And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.
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KJV Study Commentary
The gathering of 'the people' (Hebrew <em>ha'am</em>, הָעָם) into the camp shows the quail-gathering was communal activity—the entire congregation participated in collecting God's provision-turned-judgment. The phrase 'all that day, and all that night, and all the next day' emphasizes the supernatural abundance and the people's insatiable greed. For thirty-six hours straight, they gathered quail c...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 24-30**
We have here the fulfilment of God's word to Moses, that he should have help in the government of Israel. He gave of his Spirit to the seventy elders. They discoursed to the people of the things of God, so that all who heard them might say, that God was with them of a truth. Two of the elders, Eldad and Medad, went not out unto the tabernacle, as the rest, being sensible of th...
Read full commentary →Quail from the Lord
And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. as it were a day's: Heb. as it were the way of a day
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
God grants Israel's craving by sending quail blown in by wind from the sea, demonstrating His sovereign control over nature. Yet this gift becomes judgment—He gives them their desire but sends 'leanness into their soul' (Psalm 106:15). This illustrates the danger of insisting on our will over God's wisdom; sometimes God grants requests to reveal the poverty of our desires.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(31) **And there went forth a wind.—**In Psalm 78:26 we read thus: “He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.” A south-east wind would bring the quails from the neighbourhood of the Red Sea, where they abound.
**And let them fall.**—Better, *and scattered them *(or, *spread them out*)*. *Comp. 1Samuel 30:16 : “They were spread abroad upon all the ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-35**
God performed his promise to the people, in giving them flesh. How much more diligent men are in collecting the meat that perishes, than in labouring for meat which endures to everlasting life! We are quick-sighted in the affairs of time; but stupidity blinds us as to the concerns of eternity. To pursue worldly advantages, we need no arguments; but when we are to secure the tr...
Read full commentary →And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.
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KJV Study Commentary
The statement 'And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day' describes sustained, exhausting labor gathering quail. The verb 'stood up' (Hebrew <em>qam</em>, קָם) implies active rising and working, not passive standing. For thirty-six continuous hours, Israel engaged in frenzied gathering, driven by craving not hunger. This excessive effort expended on satisfying ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(32) **Ten homers.**—The *homer, *which was equal to ten ephahs, or a hundred omers, appears to have contained between five and six bushels, according to the Rabbinists, but according to Josephus about double that quantity.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-35**
God performed his promise to the people, in giving them flesh. How much more diligent men are in collecting the meat that perishes, than in labouring for meat which endures to everlasting life! We are quick-sighted in the affairs of time; but stupidity blinds us as to the concerns of eternity. To pursue worldly advantages, we need no arguments; but when we are to secure the tr...
Read full commentary →And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.
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KJV Study Commentary
While meat was still between their teeth, God's anger struck them with a severe plague. The timing emphasizes that judgment fell during the very act of indulgence, revealing how quickly blessing can become curse when received in rebellion. The place was named 'Kibroth-hattaavah' (graves of craving), a perpetual warning that lustful desires lead to death (James 1:14-15).
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(33) **With a very great plague.**—The noun, *maccah. *plague, is cognate to the verb which is rendered *smote. *It is frequently used of a stroke inflicted by God, as, *e.g., *pestilence or any epidemic sickness. A surfeit, such as that in which the Israelites had indulged, especially under the circumstances in which they were placed, would naturally produce a considerable amount of sickness. Her...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-35**
God performed his promise to the people, in giving them flesh. How much more diligent men are in collecting the meat that perishes, than in labouring for meat which endures to everlasting life! We are quick-sighted in the affairs of time; but stupidity blinds us as to the concerns of eternity. To pursue worldly advantages, we need no arguments; but when we are to secure the tr...
Read full commentary →And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted. Kibrothhattaavah: that is, The graves of lust
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KJV Study Commentary
The memorial name 'Kibroth-hattaavah' (Hebrew קִבְרוֹת הַתַּאֲוָה, <em>Qivrot HaTa'avah</em>—literally 'graves of craving' or 'graves of lust') created permanent reminder of this judgment. As with Taberah (verse 3), the place-name itself became a sermon, preaching to every generation about the deadly nature of sinful desire. Every time Israel mentioned Kibroth-hattaavah, they remembered that ungov...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(34) **Kibroth-hattaavah**—*i.e., the graves of lust *‘or, *desire*)*. *In Numbers 33:16, Kibroth-hattaavah is mentioned as the first station after the departure from Sinai, whereas it is obvious that there must have been an encampment at Taberah. Taberah may have been the name given to a part of Kibroth-hattaavah, or the two names may have belonged to the same place.
Ellicott's Commentary for E...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-35**
God performed his promise to the people, in giving them flesh. How much more diligent men are in collecting the meat that perishes, than in labouring for meat which endures to everlasting life! We are quick-sighted in the affairs of time; but stupidity blinds us as to the concerns of eternity. To pursue worldly advantages, we need no arguments; but when we are to secure the tr...
Read full commentary →And the people journeyed from Kibrothhattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth. abode at: Heb. they were in
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KJV Study Commentary
The transitional statement 'And the people journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah unto Hazeroth' records Israel's continued pilgrimage despite recent judgment. The movement from 'graves of craving' to 'Hazeroth' (Hebrew חֲצֵרֹת, meaning 'courts' or 'villages') marked geographic progress while indicating the journey would continue despite setbacks. God's purposes weren't derailed by human failure—He cont...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-83. On the second day Nethaneel ... prince of Issachar, did offer--**This tribe being stationed on the right side of Judah, offered next through its representative; then Zebulun, which was on the left side; and so on in orderly succession, every tribe making the same kind of offering and in the same amount, to show that, as each was under equal obligation, each rendered an equal tribute. Alth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-35**
God performed his promise to the people, in giving them flesh. How much more diligent men are in collecting the meat that perishes, than in labouring for meat which endures to everlasting life! We are quick-sighted in the affairs of time; but stupidity blinds us as to the concerns of eternity. To pursue worldly advantages, we need no arguments; but when we are to secure the tr...
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