Numbers 11:1-9, 18-23, 31-34
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Summary
- The people complain about the food; God gives them what they want... along with a "taste" of the judgment they deserve.
- Complaining and ungratefulness is a lot more serious than people would like to believe.
Details and/or Comments
- The people complain about food, claiming that conditions were better in Egypt.
- God sends quail for a month.
- God struck many of them with a plague, because of their sin.
Scripture
Numbers 11:1-9, 18-23, 31-34 – Complaining; provision of meat; judgment for sin.
Manna and quail – see also Exodus passages.
Note also their complaining distrust of God.
| Scripture Passage | Comments and Links |
| Num 11:1 The people were complaining in the ears of Yahweh. When Yahweh heard it, his anger was kindled; and Yahweh's fire burnt among them, and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.
Num 11:2 The people cried to Moses; and Moses prayed to Yahweh, and the fire abated. Num 11:3 The name of that place was called Taberah, because Yahweh's fire burnt among them. |
A fire judgment – Of unknown origin. It could have been from the sky, as were some of the other fire judgments. But even if it were a providential event, such as a wildfire out in the country, spurred on by the wind, it was used by God to judge the people. |
| Num 11:4 The mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, "Who will give us flesh to eat?
Num 11:5 We remember the fish, which we ate in Egypt for nothing; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic; Num 11:6 but now we have lost our appetite. ... |
Persistent complaining – rebellion, distrust, ungratefulness, etc.
This time they want meat, even though the manna was tasty and nutritious. |
| … There is nothing at all except this manna to look at."
Num 11:7 The manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like the appearance of bdellium. Num 11:8 The people went around, gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it. Its taste was like the taste of fresh oil. Num 11:9 When the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it. |
Description of the manna |
Moses complains to God about the burden of leading the people; God chooses 70 others to share the burden.
| Scripture Passage | Comments and Links |
| Num 11:18 Say to the people, 'Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and you will eat flesh; for you have wept in the ears of Yahweh, saying, "Who will give us flesh to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt." Therefore Yahweh will give you flesh, and you will eat.
Num 11:19 You will not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days, Num 11:20 but a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it is loathsome to you; because that you have rejected Yahweh who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, "Why did we come out of Egypt?" ' " |
God will provide meat until they're totally sick of it.
Note that their ungratefulness and complaining is equivalent to rejecting God. |
| Num 11:21 Moses said, "The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot; and you have said, 'I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.'
Num 11:22 Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?" Num 11:23 Yahweh said to Moses, "Has Yahweh's hand grown short? Now you will see whether my word will happen to you or not." |
God has the power to do it. When God speaks a word, what he speaks comes to pass. |
More about the 70 leaders (verses omitted).
| Scripture Passage | Comments and Links |
| Num 11:31 A wind from Yahweh went out and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the earth.
Num 11:32 The people rose up all that day, and all the night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers; and they spread them all abroad for themselves around the camp. |
A providential miracle – quails blown in by the wind.
But ecologically, it would be a problem! |
| Num 11:33 While the flesh was yet between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of Yahweh was kindled against the people, and Yahweh struck the people with a very great plague.
Num 11:34 The name of that place was called Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who lusted. |
Also judgment, because of their sin. (Could also be providential.)
This craving for meat is described as "lusting" - having wrong desires. |
11:(1-9, 18-23, 31-34) • Ch. 13 & 14 (selected) • 16:23-35, 41-50 • 20:2-12 • 21:4-9 • 22:21-35 |
Scripture Passages
(Only books that have relevance to this study have active links. The others are in italics.)
Genesis • Exodus • Leviticus • Numbers • Deuteronomy • Joshua • Judges • Ruth • 1 Samuel • 2 Samuel • 1 Kings • 2 Kings • 1 Chronicles • 2 Chronicles • Ezra • Nehemiah • Esther • Job • Psalms • Proverbs • Ecclesiastes • Song of Solomon • Isaiah • Jeremiah • Lamentations • Ezekiel • Daniel • Hosea • Joel • Amos • Obadiah • Jonah • Micah • Nahum • Habakkuk • Zephaniah • Haggai • Zechariah • Malachi Matthew • Mark • Luke • John • Acts • Romans • 1 Corinthians • 2 Corinthians • Galatians • Ephesians • Philippians • Colossians • 1 Thessalonians • 2 Thessalonians • 1 Timothy • 2 Timothy • Titus • Philemon • Hebrews • James • 1 Peter • 2 Peter • 1 John • 2 John • 3 John • Jude • Revelation |
—— To avoid any copyright issues, all Scripture is either from a public domain translation (such as the World English Bible), my own translation, or a combination of these. ——
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The name "Yahweh," when present in an Old Testament passage, represents the Hebrew name for the God of the Bible.
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Unless otherwise noted, all notes and comments are © by Dennis Hinks.
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